December 2008- Crafts for our Bell, Book and Candle Theme. These ideas will be great hits for either the children themselves, or gifts for their family!
Bell Bracelets
Materials Needed:
1 thick pipe cleaner
1 bumps pipe cleaner
4 small bells
Directions:
Slide the bells onto the pipe cleaner with the bump areas, spacing the bells as you go.
Take the second pipe cleaner and twist it around the first one, between the bells.
Twist both ends together to make a circle.
The bells can be used as a bracelet or musical instrument.
*This craft is good for wrist pronation and supination and pinch grasp.
Goodies Filled Bell
Materials Needed:
Plastic drinking cup with lid (the kind the children get when they eat out at the restaurants)
Paint
Paintbrush
Glitter
Small bell
Pipe cleaner
Ribbon
Glitter, stickers, lace, gems or whatever you want to decorate the painted bell
small candies and toys
Directions:
Before giving the cups to the children to paint, punch two holes in the bottom of the cup for the ribbon, and two in the lid for bell clapper. (*The holes can be drilled, punched with a nail and hammer or use a metal kabob skewer heated over a gas burner will melt holes easily).
Paint the cup and let it dry.
Decorate the cup with glitter, rick rack, lace, stickers, gems or whatever you would like to use.
Take the bell and slide onto the pipe cleaner.
Put the two ends of the pipe cleaner through the holes in the lid (with the bell on the outside) and twist the pipe cleaner ends to hold in place (the twist will be on the inside of the lid).
Thread ribbon in one of the holes in the bottom of the cup and out the other. Tie in a pretty bow to hang the bell from.
Fill the "bell" with the candies and toys and put the lid on to hold the goodies in place.
Hang the bell.
* This craft is great for bilateral motor coordination. Painting uses repetitive wrist motion. Taking the lid off and on the bell used pinch or three-jaw chuck grasp. The bell can also be used as a count holder. Get 10 small bells or plastic numbers and store in the craft bell. Have the children use it for math skills.
Decorative Table Book
Materials Needed:
OLD hardcover book (the kind the library cannot sell and are going to throw away)
paint
paintbrushes
glitter glue
ribbon
plastic or silk evergreens/flowers/berries, holiday picks from craft store
old broken jewelry brooches or necklaces
tacky glue
scissors to cut ribbon
waxed paper
Directions:
Place the book on wax paper and paint. Let dry.
Turn over and paint the other side, let dry.
Use glitter glue and lightly paint over the book to give it a glitter effect. Let dry.
Use ribbon and wrap around the book, secure with tacky glue and let dry.
Put on greens, flowers, picks where desired. Secure with glue and let dry.
Do the same with any old jewelry you would like to add.
Display on a cocktail or end table.
*This craft is great for repetitive wrist motion and position in space skills. These books will become instant keepsakes that will be cherished for years to come--all from recycled books!
Goodie Filled Candles
Materials Needed:
Empty toilet paper tube
Paint
Paint brush
Construction paper
Yellow cellophane
Stickers or glitter
Small candies/toys
Pipe cleaner cut in half
Scissors
Glue Stick
Directions:
Paint the toilet paper cylinder and let dry.
Decorate the "candle" with stickers or glitter.
Cut a wavy piece of construction paper long enough to go around the "candle" that looks like the wax dripping down. Glue in place. Let dry.
Roll candies, toys in yellow cellophane so that they will slide into the "candle" when secured.
Secure both ends of cellophane about 1 " down from the ends.
Stick into tube and tuck the one flared end up to hold the candies in place in the tube.
Flare out the other end a little to look like the candles flame.
* This craft is good for bilateral hand coordination and repetitive wrist motion. Here again, you could turn this craft into a counter, by rolling up 10 small items, such as birthday candles and put them in to be taken out and counted.
