Super Summer Beach Craft

Supplies:
Shells
Rocks
Sea Glass
Seaweed
Plaster of Paris
1 1/2 cups plaster of Paris in a quart-size resealable bag
Water (salt water or fresh water)
Chopstick
Any other odds and ends you have around at home that you might want to use to decorate.

Directions:

1. Comb the beach for super cute treasures for this craft or if you have some beach fun at home that you have been looking for a reason to use bring it with you.

2. Put your hand into damp, hard packed sand. Make sure to leave about a 2 inch clear impression.

3. Put all of the fun beach stuff you found or brought with you inside your print and decorate anyway you like.

4. Add a cup of water to the plaster of Paris in the plastic bag. Knead the mixture until the plaster and water have fully combined.

5. Slowly pour the plaster into your print. Use a chopstick to lead the plaster into the hands and thumbs if the plaster doesn’t flow into them.

6. Once the print is filled and smoothed out, place the chopstick at the bottom of the palm print and let sit to dry. Make sure the chopstick is in the plaster deep enough to be able to hold the plaster once it has dried.

7. The plaster must sit for about 30 mins at least. To remove your print dig out carefully around the hand, than use the chopstick to lift the print carefully out.

8. Wrap up in something soft when transporting back home. You can make multiple prints and put them in vases or to use as summer decorations laid on a table top. You can display them anyway you want.

If you really want to make this craft green teach these little print makers the importance of the beaches and oceans and keeping them clean. Talk to them about erosion and make this an all around project that has meaning and a lesson. Look up the items collected on the Internet to find out what they are and where they came from.

Turkey-tacular Placecards

Supplies:
Wiggle Eyes
Low Temp Glue Gun
Organic Almonds in Shell
Organic Small Apples
Organic Round Hard Candies
Organic Peanuts In-Shell
Ideal Home Sustainably Harvested Napkins
Recycled Paper Clips
Recycled Construction Paper

Instructions:

1. Glue your turkeys eyes to almond and let dry.
2. Glue the hard candy to front of apple and let dry.
3. Glue the almond to the hard candy and let dry.
4. Glue peanut below almond for turkey’s wattle.
5. Unfold napkin halfway, then fold back and forth like you would a fan.
6. Put a paper clip in the center of the folded napkin.
7. Pull ends of folded napkin together and then secure it with a paper clip at top .
8. Place the napkin behind the turkey or you can use a little hot glue to attach it.
9. Unbend one end of a paper clip and insert into apple. Use it to hold place card.
10. Cut placecard from colored paper.
11. Write the guests name on it
12. Decorate the name card any way you wish or leave it plain.

Author Laura Martin offers bunches of one-of-a-kind, save-the-Earth craft ideas that you can make from things you would have thrown out or intended to recycle. Each project features step-by-step illustrated instructions, and a full-color photo of the finished artwork. You will learn fun facts about trash throughout history, where our garbage goes, and stories of artists who – like you – make beautiful things from junk. This book has even been printed on recycled paper.
This is one of my favorite things to do from when I was a child. I love making things out of treasures I have found around the house or while out and about. Teach your children or students the art of recycling, reducing and reusing in one of the most fun ways possible.

These paper bag trees are so easy to make and are a great addition to any Halloween scene. Use any paper bags available and any other embellishments you have lying around the house.

Supplies:

• Fiskars Kids 5-Inch Softgrip Scissors
• Paper bag per tree glue or Hot Melt Glue Gun
• Embellishments, markers or paints to decorate the trees

Instructions:

1. Vertically cut the paper bags at the opening.
2. Open the bag and begin to twist at the bottom to make the tree trunk.
3. Twist the cut strips to make the branches.
4. Decorate as desired