Kingloff - ProjectKid: 100 Crafts to make with and for your kids

New York

For my muses, Oliver and Sommer

A single moment with my son inspired this entire book. As I was returning gift-wrap supplies to my craft room one day, Oliver (then two years old) pointed at my spool of ribbon and said, Hey Mommy, a balloon! I stopped and looked down at what was in my handsa cardboard circle with a trail of thin, yellow grosgrain ribbon hanging down to the floor. To him, a circle with a line dropping downward was a balloonno matter that it wasnt made of latex or floating in the air. I realized he was onto something.

The projects in this book organically took shape once I began looking at the world through my sons eyes, going back to that time when everything was just shapes and colors and the purpose of objects had no meaning to me. Combing the grocery aisles was no longer about shopping for oatmeal and crackers, it was about finding materials to make bongo drums or a miniature village. Cotton balls were no longer just for removing nail polishthey became a sheeps curly wool, stuffed a dolls pillow, and morphed into cotton candy.

Its the mixture of the repurposed materials with common craft supplies that brings the projects in these chapters to life. With over 100 crafts that teach kids basic techniques and the joy that comes from invention, there is something special and surprising here for toddlers, teens, and every age in between.

So start saving your bottle caps and cardboard tubes. Build a treasure chest of found objects. Who knows? Maybe your young crafter will turn that scrap of ribbon into a necklace, a fishing pole, or even the string of a paper plate balloon.

Before you get crafting, you,ll need a handful of basic materials and tools. But you don,t need to rush to the store to buy an identical version of every supply that you see pictured in this book. Im a craft designer, and your kids are too! Play with what you have, and occasionally splurge on something a project just cant do without. If youre willing, let your kids raid your button collection (you dont still have that pink blouse, do you?), your gift-wrap scraps, and the stash of knitting yarn that you swear youll one day make into a scarf.

You will see that on nearly every page of this book, there is at least one supply that you already have, that you probably never thought of as a craft material, or that might otherwise be headed for the trash or recycling bin. And if youre stumped as to whether to keep or toss something, just ask the expertyour kid.

A note on safety: Crafting with little ones should always go hand in hand with adult supervision and assistance, so please pay attention to the tools required. I recommend all hot-glue-gun use, wire clipping, and some of the more difficult cardboard cutting be assisted by an adult. Know your childs capabilities, but put safety first. If you have children under the age of four working near or alongside you, be aware of materials that could be choking hazards like beads, buttons, and other small objects.

1. Ruler
2. Bone folder
3. Wire clippers (Best if used by an adult, because some wire requires a little muscle to cut through.)
4. Hole punch
5. Decorative-edge scissors
6. Scissors
7. Mod Podge (Or make your own by mixing one part craft glue with one part water.)
8. Tacky glue
9. Glue stick
10. White craft glue
11. Masking tape
12. Clear tape
13. Hot-glue gun (This is an adults-only tool and should be used away from kids and pets.)
14. Paintbrushes
15. Foam brushes

1. Dimensional paint
2. Tempera paint
3. Acrylic paint
4. Craft wood sticks
5. Pom-poms (Learn how to make your own on .)
6. Craft foam
7. Scrapbooking paper
8. Tissue paper
9. Notebook paper
10. Crepe paper
11. Pipe cleaners
12. Glitter
13. Colored pencils
14. Permanent marker (You may want to closely supervise the use of these.)
15. Paint pens
16. Markers
17. Crayons
18. Felt
19. Ink pads
20. Ribbon
21. String
22. Decorative tape
23. Beads
24. Embroidery hoops
25. Buttons
26. Yarn

1. Kraft paper
2. Wax paper
3. Newspaper
4. Clothespins
5. Toothpicks
6. Jar lids
7. Magazines
8. Plastic bottles
9. Glass bottles
10. Bottle caps
11. Jars
12. Cardboard food and juice boxes
13. Cardboard
14. Paper towel tubes
15. Toilet paper tubes
16. Cotton balls
17. Cotton swabs

Projects that bark, hoot, and baa!

Wondering what to do with orphaned socks? A lone baby sock makes a perfect penguin head!

What youll need

• One 17-ounce plastic drink bottle
• 2 to 3 cups of sand
• Funnel
• 1 baby sock
• 4 to 5 cotton balls
• White and yellow felt
• Scissors
• 2 tiny black pom-poms (available at Michaels Stores)
• Tacky glue
• One 2-inch piece of wire
• One 2 cm felt bead (available from TadaaStudio.com)
• 1 Tyvek envelope
• Washi tape (available from HappyTape.com)
• 2 colors of yarn

Clean out the bottle and remove all labels. Fill it with sand and replace the cap.

To make the penguins head, stuff the baby sock with cotton balls and slip it over the top of the bottle.

To make the eyes, cut two circles about the size of a plain M&M from white felt. Glue a tiny black pom-pom to each. Glue the circles onto the sock.