Community Helper Paper Dolls     ShareThis

For a theme or lesson on community helpers or people's jobs, color, cut out and make these adorable characters into paper dolls.

Safety Tips

Young kids (3 to 8 years) should use child-safe scissors.

Materials

A4 or Letter size card stock Crayons or colored pencils

Scissors

GlueSteps

1. Choose from any of these community helper sets. Take note to download the version labeled as set with stands. Print out your chosen set on A4 or Letter size card stock.

Set 1 - Nurse, doctor, scientist, engineer or architect Set 2 - Firefighter, police officer, mail carrier, farmer or

gardener

Set 3 - Teacher, chef or cook, musician, dancer

2. Color the characters.

3. Cut out all the characters, including their stands.

4. Notice that each paper doll has a pair of dotted lines along the base. Make a slit following these dotted lines.

5. Bend each stand in the middle and unfold to come up with a V-shaped piece.

Also notice that each stand has a pair of dotted lines close to the edges. Make a slit along these lines.

6. Interlock the slits on the base of each character with those of the stands.

7. The interlocked base and stand will allow the paper doll to stand.

8. Do the same with rest of your community helpers to make a set of paper d

Jester's Hat     ShareThis

Make your own colorful jester's hat out of paper or craft foam.

Safety Tips

Watch out for this sign  . It means adult help is needed for the particular step..

Materials

A4 or Letter size card stock in various colors Scissors

Glue stick

PencilSteps

1. Prepare 5 sheets of A4 or Letter size card stock in various colors. Download Template 1 (Paper Jester's Hat). Print out 3 copies of page 1 and 1 copy each of pages 2 and 3.

2. Cut out all the template pieces. You should have 3 straight bands, 6 triangles, and 12 circles.

3. To make the base, glue two bands together on one end. Measure this around your head. If it is too short, glue the third band and trim off any excess length.

4. Take one of the triangles. Glue it close to one corner of the band, with its base aligned close to the band's bottom edge.

5. Glue the next triangle beside the first one, similarly aligning its base close to the band's bottom edge. You can allow the triangles to overlap slightly, especially if the hat is to be worn by a small child.

6. Glue the rest of the triangles to the band. Leave a short length of band after the last triangle.

7. Glue the extra length of band behind the band's opposite edge. You could also check again whether the hat fits before gluing the edges together.

8. At this point, your hat looks like a very tall crown!

9. Glue a circle onto a triangle's pointy end.

10. Glue a second circle, aligning both circles along the edges.

11. Glue the rest of the circles onto the tips of the triangles following Steps 9 and 10.

12. You may decorate the base with shapes, sequins, or glitter glue.

13.

To make the tips of your hat curl downwards, hold a pencil against the base of one triangle. With your thumb on the pencil and your index finger supporting the pencil from behind the paper, slowly pull the pencil up all the way to the tip of the triangle.

14. Once all the tips are curled, you're all set to wear your own jester's hat!

More Ideas

  To make a jester's hat out of craft foam, print out Template 2and cut out the pieces. Triangle template - trace 6 times on 2 or more colors of craft

foam

Straight band template - trace on craft foam to create a band long enough to go around your head

Cut out the craft foam pieces and assemble the hat as you would in Steps 4 to 8 above. You may need to use a hot glue gun or a stapler to join the ends of your hat together.

  Instead of using circles, glue on small bells or pompoms onto the tips of your hat.

Enjoy

Leaf Prints     ShareThis

Use real leaves to make interesting leaf prints on paper.

Materials

Real leaves Sketch paper or construction paper

Any water-based paint

Paint brushes

Glitter (optional)Steps

1. Collect leaves of various shapes and sizes.

2. Cover your work area with a mat or with newspapers. Prepare different colors of paint on your palette. Position a leaf with its under-side facing up and paint on its entire surface.

3. Press the painted leaf onto sketch paper or construction paper.

4. Remove the leaf to reveal a beautiful leaf print.

5. Repeat the process using different colors and other leaf shapes.

6. You may even try painting different colors on one leaf to create a rainbow-colored leaf print.

More Ideas

Make overlapping leaf prints to create a colorful leaf collage.

Metallic leaf prints can be made by using gold, silver and metallic poster paint to paint the leaves. You can sprinkle some glitter on the leaf print while the paint is still wet.

Use leaf prints to create a Leaf Prints Tree.

Make several leaf prints in autumn hues such as yellow, orange, red, and brown. Cut them out and use them to make a beautiful Fall Leaf Wreath.

Paper Cup Flower Basket     ShareThis

Recycle a paper cup into a lovely flower-shaped basket.

Safety Tips

Watch out for this sign  . It means adult help is needed for the particular step.

Materials

Paper cup Pipe cleaner

Acrylic paint

Paint brush

Hole punch

Scissors

Pencil

Beads or ribbon (optional)Steps

1. Draw a line around your paper cup about an inch or more from the cup's lip. This line marks the length of the petals.

2. Mark the width of each petal along the paper cup's lip.

3. Cut a straight slit starting from each marked-out point along the paper cup's lip and ending at the line you made in Step 1.

4. The slits will divide the paper cup into sections or petals. Fold out each petal.

5. Round out the edges of each petal.

6.

Punch a pair of holes on opposite sides of the cup, right below the base of the petals.

7. Paint the paper cup with acrylic paint. You can go for one solid color or you can make your flower basket as colorful as you like. You can even paint on some little details - perhaps some dots or small flowers?

8.

Once the paint has dried, make a handle by securing the ends of a pipe cleaner around the pair of holes on the paper cup.

9. You may accent the handle with a bow. If you feel like decorating your basket further, you may glue on some sequins or rhinestones, decorate it with stickers, or jazz it up as you please. 

Use your cute basket to hold Easter goodies or to collect spring-time blooms. You can also make several of them to hold candies and party favors for your friends to take home.

More Ideas

By varying the length and the number of petals, you can come up with a unique look for your flower basket.

You can also string a few plastic beads along the pipe cleaner before attaching

Paper Flower Wreath    ShareThis

Create colorful paper flowers and cut out some paper leaves to make into an easy spring-inspired wreath.

Safety Tips

Watch out for this sign . It means adult help is needed for the particular step.

Materials

Colored paper Paper plate or cardboard

Glue

Scissors

String

Buttons, small pompoms, yarn (optional)

Steps

1.

Prepare the frame.Create the wreath's round frame out of a paper plate or cardboard.

Paper plate - cut out a large hole at the center of a paper plate. Widen the hole until the frame is only about 1 to 1½ inches wide.

Cardboard - Draw and cut out a large circle from cardboard. Draw a slightly smaller circle at the center and cut it out.

2. Attach a string.Tie a string around the frame. This will allow you to easily hang the wreath.

3. Make the leaves.Make a leaf by folding paper in half and cutting out half-a-leaf shape along the folded edge. Unfold the paper to reveal the leaf.

To make several leaves all at once, layer 3 or more pieces of paper before folding and cutting them out. You will need at least 12 leaves to glue around your wreath.

If you want ready-to-print leaves, download, print, and cut out either of these leaf templates:

Flower lei - download the medium-sized flower lei template. Prrint out 2 copies of the leaves on green card stock and 1 copy of the flowers on any colored card stock. Cut out all the pieces.

Leaves - print out the oval-shaped leaves (page 2 or 3) on green card stock. Cut out each leaf.

4. Make the flowers.To make the flowers, choose from any of these options:

Make your own paper flowers: folding paper flowers,accordion flowers, coffee filter flowers, or plastic wrap flowers.

Print out any of these flower sets or these flower shape sets. Color and cut out each flower.

The flower lei template in Step 3 includes printable flowers.

5. Glue the leaves onto the frame.Glue each leaf in a slanted position onto the frame. Overlap the leaves so that they completely cover the frame.

Each template piece from the flower lei is actually a three-leafed template. Position each piece with one leaf aligned with the frame and the two other leaves pointing outwards. Overlap the pieces so that they cover the frame.

6. Glue the flowers on the wreath.Complete the wreath by gluing on some flowers. You can place flowers of the same color and shape for a uniform look.

Plastic Wrap Painted Flowers     ShareThis

Discover the possibilities of painting with plastic wrap in this color learning flower craft.

Safety Tips

Kids 8 years and younger should use child-safe scissors.

For young children, plastic wrap should be used under adult supervision.

Materials

A4 or Letter size paper Plastic wrap

Poster paint

Colored paper or felt

Scissors

Craft sticks or drinking straws

GlueSteps

1. Draw your own flowers or print out any of these flower shapes(Sets 5 to 9).

2. Cut the template by sections of 2 to 3 flowers.

3. Flip each section over. The flower outlines should still be quite visible from the back. To allow for easier cutting later on, we will be painting at the back of the flowers.

Mark the areas where the flowers are by drawing a border around each one.

As a fine motor skill activity, you can also have kids trace each flower outline.

4. Put two colors of paint in small patches on the flowers. You may either use a small spoon or if your paint comes in tubes, you can squeeze them on directly.

5. There are two easy ways to paint with plastic wrap:

a.) Cover the entire section of paper with plastic wrap. Rub on the plastic with your fingers, spreading the two colors on each flower as you go. Remember to fill the entire area inside the border of each flower.

b.) Wrap your index finger in plastic wrap and use it to mix the colors on the flowers. 

Have kids observe what new color is created when the two colors mix.

6. For convenience, work with one color combination for each set of flowers. Change the plastic wrap as you finish with each batch.

7. Once the flowers are dry, you may cut them out. Follow the flower outlines on the unpainted side of the paper.

8. Cut out paper or felt circles and glue them at the center of each flower.

9. Make a stem by gluing a craft stick or a drinking straw at the back of each flower.

Cut out leaf shapes from paper or felt and glue them along the stems.

More Ideas

Paint a food tub or a tissue box to make a flower box. Fill it with sand, clay or Styrofoam before planting your flowers in it.

With or without the stems, you can use your painted flowers to compose a garden picture or decorate a greeting card.

String the flowers together to make a colorful Hula Lei.

Make a colorful flower crown with your plastic wrap painted flower.