Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Hopefully it was craftastic, and you got to create something with your kids. If not, no worries it’s a brand new week and there is no time like the present to begin a new project. In case it slipped your mind several people are honoring teachers this week, by giving them a teacher’s appreciation gift.

Instead of buying something, why not make something? Homemade gifts are the best, and can really help brighten up someone’s day. If you are stumped on what to make, may we suggest this adorable pencil holder? This project is so easy to make, and it is functional.

Help your little ones make this project for their favorite teacher. All you will need is a little Mod Podge, and some scrapbook paper. To see the step-by-step instructions on how to make this project, visit the blog Simply Kierste. Enjoy!

Typically one of the first words kids learn how to spell is their name. They practice writing it over and over, and are elated to show it off. In addition to falling in love with writing their names, kids love their first initial. If this sounds like your little one, then you’ve got to have them make this initial frame. This frame is a beginner level project that would be great to teach in an arts and crafts class. Holli Nutter designed this project using a wood frame and FolkArt paint. Feel free to change out the initial letter and the paint colors. Below are all the supplies you will need for this project, and to find the complete instructions click here. 

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Moon Yellow, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lime Green, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Perfect Purple, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Large wood frame with 5" x 7" opening
Wooden letter
Large flat brush
Liner brush
Small flat brush
Ruler
Pencil
Masking tape
1 1/2" circle template
White craft glue

Happy Monday! We hope you had a nice Easter weekend. So long March and hello April, can you believe today is the first day of April? The year is moving along. We don’t know about you but we are very ready for a climate change. Warm weather should be on the horizon, and we can’t wait. While we’re waiting we want to share with you an adorable spring themed project, check out this giggles round frame. This frame was designed by Holli Nutter, and isn’t it unique? Frames can come in a variety of sizes and shapes. In this project a round shaped frame is used. This colorful frame was created using FolkArt paints. This is a beginner level craft that would be perfect to make with your kids. All the supplies you will need for this project are below, along with instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pink Melon, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Perfect Purple, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Large Circle Frame
Two wood flower cut-outs
Alphabet stencil
Pencil
White craft glue
Large flat brush
Small flat brush
Stencil brush

Instructions

1.    Paint the frame using the large flat brush. Dip one corner of the brush in Wicker White, and the other in Baby Pink. With criss-crossing strokes, slip slap paint the flat surface of the frame. Let dry.

2.    Paint the raised edges of the frame Wicker White.

3.    Using the wood flower shape as a template, trace additional flowers on the fame surface as shown in the photo. Paint 2 flowers Pink Melon and the other Wicker White. Centers are Perfect Purple. Paint the wood flower cut-outs in the same manner. Let dry.

4.    Stencil the word “giggle” on the frame using the photo for placement.

5.    Attach the wood flower shapes with craft glue.

Spring is officially in the air, however we here in Atlanta are experiencing some winter like temperatures. So to stay in a warmer spirit we wanted to share these adorable spring butterfly buddies with you. Trenice Bishop, a talented freelance designer, created this buddies using Mod Podge and Apple Barrel. This would make a great school project to do in an arts and crafts class, or as an after school project. Below are a full list of supplies you will need to make these buddies, along with their instructions. Happy crafting!

Plaid Supplies

Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint – 20216 Fuchsia, Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint – 20662 Black, Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint - 20247 Caribbean, Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint – 20764 Apricot, Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint – 21176 Grape Jam, Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint – 20516 Ivory, Mod Podge

Other Supplies

Toilet paper rolls, Paintbrushes, Scissors, Water bowl, 4 Sheets of card stock, Hot glue gun, Wiggle eyes, Pipe cleaner,

Instructions

1.    Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge to one side of each piece of card stock. Let dry

2.    Paint the toilet paper rolls with Apricot, Caribbean, Fuchsia and Grape Jam and let dry.  Add a second coat for better coverage.  When dry add a “V” shaped mouth with Black paint and set aside.

3.    When the Mod Podge has dried on the card stock, paint the other sides with Apricot, Caribbean, Fuchsia and Grape Jam. Let dry.

4.    When paint is completely dry on toilet paper rolls, add a layer of ModPodge to seal and let dry again.

5.    Fold dry card stock in half and cut desired shapes for “wings.”

6.    Decorate “wings” as desired. When “wings are dry seal painted side with Mod Podge.

7.    Hot glue toilet paper rolls to dry wings. Add wiggle eyes with hot glue.

8.    Cut pipe cleaners and bend into “V” shape for antenna. Secure with hot glue.

Project Tip

Be sure to cut wing sizes down so these beautiful butterflies can stand on their own.

Good morning! Welcome back from the weekend, and welcome to the beginning of a crafty week. Are you ready to begin crafting? This week we want to start you off with these clay pot animals. Aren’t they soo cute? Clay pots are a great surface to craft on all year round, but even more so during the spring season. These pots are versatile and with a little imagination can be transformed into amazing projects. You can create this project with your kids. It is a very easy project and would be great to make in an arts and crafts class. You will need a few supplies including some Apple Barrel paints. A full list of supplies can be found below, and click here to see the complete instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Black, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Nutmeg Brown, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Papaya, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Vanilla Ice Cream, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Sunny Day, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Chestnut, 2 oz.

·       Plaid ® Art Materials - Spouncers™ Set

Other Supplies

Standard clay pots – 2” (2 ea.)
3” (2 ea.)
1½” (1 ea.) And 1” (1 ea.)
Wood doll head - 2” (2 ea.) And 1¾” (1 ea.)
Craft foam – brown and tan
Chenille stems – orange (2 ea.) and brown (2 ea.)
Paintbrushes - #6 flat brush
#12 flat brush and liner brush
Scissors
Scalloped scissors
E-6000® craft adhesive
Foam plate
Water container

Congrats you have made it to the half way mark of your work/school week. We hope you have been able to spend sometime crafting this week, but if not no worries we have just the project guaranteed to inspire you. Feast your eyes on these DIY vintage photo stacking blocks. How awesome are they? Mackenzie from Cheerios and Lattes created this for her two little boys. To make this fun project Mackenzie used a few supplies including our new Mod Podge Photo transfer medium. This product is a hot craft item right now, and all over Pinterest you can see many people photo transferring on crafty projects. If you are in love with these blocks as much as we are, then head on over to her blog to see step by step how she created them. Enjoy!

Materials Needed

Mod Podge Photo Transferring Medium

Mod Podge Gloss

3 (2 inch) wooden blocks from your local craft store

Camera

Computer

Printer

Paintbrush

Small Sponge

Everyone wants to feel like a winner, and what better way to make someone feel that way, then by giving them a trophy. Trophies are great to use for several occasions, game nights, sporting event, birthday parties, and more. Kids more so than adults really get a kick out of winning a trophy. With this trophy project, our Plaid creative team has made it very easy to create your own using FolkArt Extreme Glitter. Create this trophy to have handy the next time to want to make your little one feel special. All the supplies needed can be found below, and to see the instructions click here.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Gold, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Silver, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Red, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Black, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Engine Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Artists Pigments™ - Pure Black, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Metallics - Silver Anniversary, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Metallics - Pure Gold, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

6” Flower pot
Candle stick
4” flower pot saucer
6” Flower Pot Saucer
2 dancing “G” wood letters
Red fun foam
2 Silver chenille stems
1 gold chenille stem
Black permanent ink marker Glue Craft Knife and Blades Large Flat Brushes

Did you know glitter could be used in almost every crafty project? It’s true, and many crafters love embellishing every project they make with glitter. You’re never too young to start using glitter. Now you may not want your little ones using glitter, because they may make a mess but we found a project that may not be too messy. Over on Punk Projects we found these awesome glitter buttons. They were made using Mod Podge. This is such a simple and fun project, perfect to do at home or in a classroom. You won’t need many supplies, and you can use several different glitter colors. To see how this project was made visit Punk Projects.

Happy Monday! Welcome the start of a new week by creating this simple yet adorable Valentine’s Day projects. Sherrie Ragsdale created this project using FolkArt paints. This I Love You Flower Pot is a fantastic kids craft, and one teachers can have their students create in an art class. It will take about an hour to complete, but once finished you will have a wonderful flower pot filled with lots of love. Keep for yourself, our give as a gift to a special someone. All the supplies for this project can be found below, along with their instructions. Enjoy and have a wonderful week.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Bright Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       Simply ® Stencils - Value Packs - Shapes

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lipstick Red, 2 oz.

·       Stencil Decor ® Accessories - Dauber Set, multi

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Nutmeg, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Brown construction paper
Pink construction paper
Red construction paper
Skinny sticks
Brown ribbon
Brown chenille stems
3 red buttons
2 1/2" rose clay pot
3/4" Flat brush
Black marker
2" Styrofoam ball
White craft glue
Scalloped scissors
Scissors

Instructions

1.    Draw and cut out two red hards and one pink heart using construction paper.

2.    Using the Dauber, make dots as shown in photo, Lipstick Red dots on pink heart and Bright Baby Pink dots on red hearts. Add Wicker White dots with the end of a small paint brush to all hearts.

3.    Using the permanent marker, write "I," "love," "you" on the hearts.

4.    Glue hearts to brown construction paper. Cut out hearts with scalloped scissors, leaving a small brown border.

5.    Paint the skinny sticks and styrofoam ball Nutmeg. Allow to dry.

6.    Paint the pot Lipstick Red. Allow to dry. Add the Bright Baby Pink dots to pot using the 1/4" dauber.

7.    Glue the stick to the back of the hearts to make a stem. Tie a brown bow and glue to bottom of heart. Take the brown chenille stem and wrap it around the back and back to front . Twist to hold in place. Make spiral by wrapping it around you finger.

8.    Glue the red button to front of bow.

9.    Insert ball into the pot and insert heart flowers into the ball.

Welcome back from the weekend. While you may not be ready for the workweek to begin look at this way, Valentine’s Day is one day closer. For the last week or so we have been showing some cute and easy Valentine’s Day crafts. Several of the crafts we’ve shown are cardholders. A cardholder is a must have item for kids to have, because while they are in school they receive so many of them. One of the best surfaces to use to create these holders is cereal box. Use a cereal box to create this super cute Valentine owl. Laura Bray created this adorable project using Mod Podge and several other supplies. This is a very simple project to create, and won’t take long at all to complete. See below for all the supplies you’ll need and to see the instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Gloss, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Hot glue
Craft knife

Instructions

1. Cut off the top of the cereal box.

2. Using the box as a template, cut out paper to cover the front, back, and sides of the box. 

3. Using Mod Podge, glue all the papers onto the box.  Smooth out from the center to get eliminate bubbles and wrinkles.

4. Cut out embellishment pieces from cardstock and decorative papers into the shapes of the owl’s eyes, wings, and beak.  Glue pieces onto the box.

5. Further embellish with a skirt and bow if you wish.  Boys may want to add a bow tie to their owl.

6. Glue google eyes onto the paper eyes of the owl.

In need of a pretty and practical storage idea? You’re in luck we’ve got just the thing check out this Chalkboard Pencil Box. Kirsten Jones designed this adorable storage project. If you’re a teacher this would be a great kids craft for them to make, or you can make one for your desk at work, or home office. This project was created using FolkArt paints and Mod Podge. Pencils and pens are objects that need to be stored, or else you will loose them and always wonder what happened to them. A list of supplies you need to make this pencil box are below, and to find the complete instructions click here.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Bright Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Glazed Carrots, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Gloss, 4 oz.

Other Supplies

Chalkboard and wood pencil box
1 piece of scrapbook paper- desired pink and orange pattern
#12 paintbrush
Pencil
Scissors

Since it is the beginning of a new year it is the perfect time to introduce your kids to crafting. Today we wanted to share with you a great kids craft project that they are sure to love. Create these Mod Podge Clothespin Magnets at home or create them during a kid’s birthday party. This project was discovered on the craft blog, The Paper Girl. It is so simple to make these magnets, and chances are you probably have some of these items in your home. All you need is clothespins, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, and magnet strips. To learn step by step how to make these magnets click here. 

If you’re look for a project to keep your kids occupied then you'll love this magnetic chalkboard project. Amy Anderson from Mod Podge Rocks created this fun and easy craft project. Use it to get organized and share family events. It also is great to do as an art class project. Teachers will definitely enjoy having their students create this. This project uses a variety of supplies including Mod Podge acrylic shapes, Mod Podge Matte, and Martha Stewart craft paints. For a full list of supplies you can find them below, and click here for the complete instructions. Happy crafting!

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Acrylic Shapes - Designer Shapes

·       Mod Podge ® Rub-On Transfers - Friends/Love/Family/Inspiration

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ 4oz Magnetic Paint Effect

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ 6oz Multi-Surface Chalkboard Paint Acrylic Craft Paint - Gray

·       Mod Podge ® Matte, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

16” x 20” canvas
Scrapbook paper and embellishments in the patterns of your choice
Craft glue
Magnets – adhesive strips
Foam brush
Paintbrush
Pencil
Scissors

Preserve school day memories with this bright and playful frame. For many parents back to school time is a very monumental time. It marks the passing of another year, and the beginning of a new one. Your little ones are growing up right in front of your eyes. This back to school frame is a great way to document your children growing up over the years. A perfect project for beginners all you will need is a wooden frame, and some Apple Barrel paint. Below is a list of supplies you will need, and to see the complete instructions for this frame click here.

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Black, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - King's Gold, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Flag Red, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Palm Leaf, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Key West, 2 oz.

·       Plaid ® Art Materials - Bottle Tops - Spouncer Painters

·       Plaid ® Wood Surfaces - Letter Packs - Cursive

·       Plaid ® Wood Surfaces - Frames - Square

Other Supplies

Craft paint brushes
Craft glue

Is your young scholar in need of a bookmark? If so, try creating this one designed by Kindra Boroff. Bookmarks are usually always on the back to school shopping list, but I bet you can’t find one in the stores as cute as this one. What really makes this bookmark so unique is that its base is a made using a clothespin. The clothespin allows the reader to clip the page they would like to hold in place. It is very simple to make, and uses tons of fun and vibrant FolkArt paint colors. This is a craft perfect for all ages that will only take up to an hour to finish. Happy bookmarking!

Plaid Supplies

FolkArt Acrylic Paint-2574 Brilliant Pink

                                          628 Pure Orange

                                          481 Aqua

                                          437 Lipstick Red

                                          938 Licorice

FolkArt Extreme Glitter-2837 Fuchsia

                                               2793 Orange

                                               2838 Aqua

Other Supplies

12 small wood circles, 1-1 ¼” wood circle, 1-2” wood oval, 4- 2” wood teardrops, 1- 1 ½” wood oval, 4-1” wood teardrops, Turquoise felt, 3/8” orange and white polka dot grosgrain ribbon, 3/8” aqua satin ribbon, Metal alligator clip, Clean spray bottle, Hot glue, Script liner, 1” flat brush, Aluminum foil, Baking sheet, Oven, Dowel rods, Clothespins, Scissors.

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 275. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Wrap the ribbon around the dowel rods and hold in place with the clothespins. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the ribbon from the dowel rod when it is completely cooled.

2.    Base-coat the large circle, small teardrops and oval with Brilliant Pink. Apply several coats of Fuchsia Extreme Glitter, allowing to dry between coats.

3.    Base-coat the small oval with Pure Orange. Apply several coats of Orange Extreme Glitter.

4.    Base-coat the large teardrops with Wicker White.  Individually mix Brilliant Pink, Pure Orange and Aqua with water. Add to the teardrops and lightly spray with water. Mix the paint to create a tie dye effect.

5.    Paint all but two of the small circles with Aqua. When dry, paint Aqua Extreme Glitter on the circles. Paint the remaining two with Lipstick Red.

6.    Hot glue the pieces together as shown, creating a butterfly.

7.    Add a drop of hot glue to the top of the alligator clip and wrap the aqua ribbon around the front of the clip. You may need to add a few drops of glue as you go to keep the ribbon from slipping. Glue ribbon swirls to the top of the back section of the clip and repeat the steps to wrap the back section of the clip with ribbon.

8.    Cut two shorter pieces of the curled ribbon and glue to the back of the head for antennas. Glue the butterfly to a piece of felt and trim the edges.

9.    Add two eyes and a smile with Licorice. Hot glue the butterfly to the clip as shown.

With school back in session many art and craft classes maybe looking for some in class projects to create. This Pinto Pony is a great choice, and utilizes several school supplies. Julie Lewis, a designer here at Plaid, created this adorable project. Below are all the supplies you will need for this craft. Click here to view the instructions, and have your students create this project soon.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Artists Pigments™ - Pure Black, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

½” flat brush
Foam spouncer
5 – Toilet paper tubes (or 1 wrapping paper tube cut into 4 ½” lengths)
1 – Salt container
1 – Child’s shoebox
7/8” wide grosgrain ribbon – red and black
Black construction paper
Hot glue
Scissors
Pencil
2 – 25mm wiggly eyes
Hole punch
2 – 1 ¼” turquoise buttons
4 – ½” turquoise buttons
Red foam sheet – 8 ½” x 3’

Create this unique Piggy Pen Holder with Mod Podge. Your desk will be so whimsical; you just might look forward to doing homework! Laura Bray created this great back to school project. This is a beginner level craft that will take up to 2 hours to create. This project is simple, however kids should not do this without some parental supervision. In order to fit the pencils in the pig, holes will need to be drilled and this is definitely not something a child should do. Below are all the supplies you will need, along with their instructions. To see more creative project by Laura visit her blog here. 

Plaid Supplies

Mod Podge

Other Supplies

Paper mache pig, Foam paintbrush, Fabric scraps, Power drill and bit

Instructions

1.    Cut your fabric scraps into small pieces.

2.    Using a brush, apply Mod Podge to pig and then smooth the fabric scraps onto the surface.

3.    Once the entire surface of the pig is covered with fabric, apply a light coat of Mod Podge over the entire covered surface.  Allow to dry and then apply a second coat.

4.    Depending on the size of the pig, figure out how many holes you can place for pen holders. When the pig is completely dry,   carefully drill holes into the center of the back of the pig.  Use a drill bit that is the same size as the pens or pencils you want to place in the pen holder.  Make sure the whole go all the way through. 

5.    Push any rough edges down, and put pens and pencils into holder.

A lunch box is a child’s first accessory. Many kids love to personalize their lunch boxes, and show them off to their friends. Today I would like to share with you a wonderful project that is perfect for you and your kids to do together. Holli Long, one of Plaid’s designers created this Turtle and Buttons Lunch Box. This is a very simple craft anyone can make. To see all the supplies, and instructions for this project click here.

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend, and for all you Moms out there I hope you had a great Mother’s Day. Today I wanted to share with you all a very simple kid’s craft. One of Plaid’s talented designers, Sherrie Ragsdale, created this Garden Snake Sign. This project is great for a class to do. Below are a list of the supplies you will need, and the instructions. To see more kid’s crafts click here.

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Christmas Green, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Spring Green, 2 oz

Other Supplies

Rectangle wooden plaque
Two large wiggly eyes
Small sticks
Large stick
Black fine permanent ink marker
White craft glue
Large flat brush

Instructions

1.   Base-coat plaque Spring Green. Allow to dry.

2.   Using the pattern provided, add snake and paint Christmas Green. Allow to dry. Outline and write 'garden snake' and add spots to snake with black permanent ink marker.

3.   Glue eyes in place using the white craft glue.

4.   Find sticks in yard and glue around the plaque.

5.   Find a large stick to make a stake and glue to the back.

It's Monday. Did you have a good weekend? They go by so fast don’t they? Oh well, the weekend will be here again before you know it. Over the weekend I came across a cute craft project on the blog Katydiddys. Laura Bray designed this bowling set project and the thing I love most about it, is that it’s a learning craft project. She not only decorates this bowling set with Plaid simply stencils and FolkArt paint, but she uses this project to disguise a few math lessons. Click here to see how Laura made this project, and to see the math lessons she created to go along with this project.

It’s time to take a walk on the wild side with your little ones, by creating these fun wild animal coasters. Animal prints seem to always be a reoccurring trend, and this is a great beginner level project for your kids to do. Keep it cool with these fashionable, fun animal print coasters. FolkArt paint was used to create this project. This is a great project to make at home, or it could also be used as a class art project. One of Plaid’s talented designers, Sherrie Ragsdale, created these coasters. See below for the supplies you will need, along with instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Artists Pigments™ - Pure Orange, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Coffee Bean, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Two clay saucers
1/4" Flat brush

Instructions

1.    Base-coat first saucer Winter White. Base-coat second saucer Pure Orange. Allow to dry.

2.    Add the zebra stripes with Licorice on the Winter White and the leopard spots with Coffee Bean on the Pure Orange as shown in photo. Add second coats if necessary after the first coat is completely dry.

Happy Monday. Hope you had a good weekend. Now that Easter is over, it’s time to move on to new crafts to create. Out with the Easter eggs, and onto these adorable clay animals. How cute are these animals? You can’t help but smile when you look at them. Sherrie Ragsdale designed these animals, and she use FolkArt paint. See below for all the supplies you will need, and instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Texture Paint - White, 4 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Terra Cotta, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Artists Pigments™ - Pure Orange, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lemon Custard, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - School Bus Yellow, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Maple Syrup, 2 oz.

Other Supplies
Two 2 3/4" clay pots, Orange felt, Brown felt, Yellow felt, Black Stiff felt, 8mm wiggle eyes, Two 1 3/4" wooden knobs, Extra fine Permanent, black marker, Glue, Toothpick, Popsicle sticks, Scissors, 1/4" hole punch, 1/2" flat brush, and a Small round brush

Instructions

1.    Glue the wooden knobs to the bottom of the clay pots. For the bear, apply the textured paint the to entire body of bear. Fill in the neck with the textured paint. Make a bump on the face where the nose and mouth will go. Allow to dry. For the lion, add the textured paint around the lions face and the back of lions head as shown in photo. Allow to dry.

2.    Paint the bear with Maple Syrup and the lion with School Bus Yellow. Allow to dry. Paint the lion's mane Pure Orange and the bears face with Terra Cotta.

3.    Paint a oval shape on the lions face using Lemon Custard for his mouth. Allow to dry. Make the nose from the stiff black felt using the hole punch. Glue on noses and eyes. Using the black marker, draw on mouths.

4.    Cut out two ears 1/2" horseshoe shapes from the brown felt for the bears ears and do the same for the lion but out of yellow felt. Add some glue at the bottom of the U shape and fold over. Glue to the tops of the their heads. You may need trim a little.

5.    Cut two 3" x 5" pieces from the brown felt and the two from the yellow felt. For the yellow felt add four strips of orange felt 1/2" x 5 long and glue to the edges of the yellow felt pieces. Roll up all pieces to form arms and legs. Once rolled up glue the edges. Cut each piece in half. Glue on the arms and legs.

Hey teachers are you looking for a great simple kids craft? Create these potted Styrofoam orb flowers. Kids are guaranteed to love this project. Create this at school or at home. Apple Barrel paint goes very well with any Styrofoam surface. Enjoy!

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Gloss™ - Pumpkin Orange, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Gloss™ - Light Blue, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Satin Cream, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Apricot, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Aquamarine, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Haystack, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Caterpillar, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Khaki, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Styrofoam balls – four 1 ½”- three 1”- one 3” cut in half, Found branches, Clay pot 3” x 3 ½”, Glue, Moss, Foam spouncer ¾”, and Flat brush ½”

Instructions

1.    Paint clay pot with Pumpkin Orange.
2.    Apply one each of the remaining paint colors to Styrofoam balls with spouncer. Let dry.
3.    Glue Styrofoam half ball inside pot.
4.    Insert branches into painted balls and then into pot with glue.
5.    Top with moss to finish.

Going back to school always brings up different memories for students…some good and some, like not finding your locker in the never ending halls of metal doors can be a nightmare. Banish those bad memories by creating a fun and distinctive initial that will forever make your locker stand out. Plaid Designer, Julie Lewis shows you how in these simple steps.

Gather your supplies.

Paint your initial black.

Now paint your discs black as well.

It’s now time to apply my favorite thing…glitter!

Apply black glitter to your letter…

and your discs…apply multiple coats as desired.

Trace your letter on top of your paper.

Cut out your letter.

Apply Mod Podge liberally to your letter front.

Place paper on top of letter and gently squeegee excess glue. Let dry 20 minutes.

Apply several coats of Mod Podge over letter to seal.

Paint your letters white and let dry.

Apply Hologram glitter to letters.

Trace bottom of paper cup onto foam.

Here is what you will have…and now…

Cut circle out with scalloped pinking shears just outside pencil line.

Cut between scallops towards center about 1/3 of the way in to create petals.

Here they are…

Glue wood discs to foam flowers and…

letters to wood discs.

Now we are ready to finish!

Run a bead of glue down one side of letter…or along the desired edge for your particular letter.

Place letters over glue and here is a tip…

Use your paint bottles to hold in place while drying.

Cut lengths of magnetic tape to fit your letter. Peel off backing and stick to the back.

Finished…fun and all you!

Here is what you will need to get started:

FolkArt® Acrylic Paint – 938 Licorice, 901 Wicker White

FolkArt® Extreme Glitter™ - 2796 Hologram, 2797 Black

Mod Podge® Gloss – CS11205

Craft glue

Black and white scrapbook paper

Wood/paper Mache letter (mine was 6 ½” tall, but use a bigger one to fit your name)

2mm foam sheets – lime green, turquoise, hot pink, orange

Rubber squeegee

½” flat brush

Pencil

Scissors

Scalloped pinking shears

1 ¼” wood discs

1 1/8” wood letters

Small paper cup

Adhesive backed magnetic tape

There are several resources to use as craft supplies, just in your backyard. Are you in need of pine cones, stones, sea shells, or sand? Well your in luck many of these natural resources are simply just a few steps away from you. Before you head out to craft store, just look outside first to see what supplies maybe right at your fingertips. Recruit your kids to help you look for craft supplies outside.

Reuse and Recycle

With the recent economy being in such turmoil the past few years, many people have begun to reuse and recycle many items. Why not do the same for crafting? Like most people, you probably clean out your closets, and gather up old clothes, nick-nacks, jewelry, and other things to donate. Well that's great, but before you get rid of anything take a second look, and check to see if you can use any of these items in craft projects you plan on making. What else can be recycled for your crafts? Old magazines are perfect for scrapbooking. Old Christmas and birthday cards can be cut up to create new greeting cards, gift tags, or even special wrapping paper. Take a look at these old items with a new eye, and you’ll be surprised at what you can save.

Make A Shopping List

I am sure you have heard this one before, mainly mentioned when people go to the grocery store. Well the same can be said when going to craft store. If you plan before you go shopping, it will help you stick to your plan and be less tempted to get off your initial shopping list. Thus you will not make any impulse purchases, that could make you over spend on necessary items.

Discounts

One of the best ways to save money on almost anything is to never pay retail. Always look for coupons, or shop when discounts are going on at your local craft store. Also don't be afraid to shop online. There are huge savings you can get in on, online. There are several online discount codes and coupons. We here at Plaid offer several online promo codes and discounts. Click here to see what's on sale now.

• clean, empty tin can, label removed
• felt
• decorated or color cellophane
• tape
• hot glue gun
• alphabet beads
• embellishments, such as buttons, beads, thread, etc
• 5 button magnets

Paper Plate Globe For Earth Day

Cotton Ball Tree

Green Guy Plastic Grocery Bag Caddy Milk Jug Recycle Craft for Earth Day

Tin Can Herb Pots

Kid Binoculars

Special Words Pencil Holder

There is nothing more fun or easier than using Stiffy-Plaid's fabric stiffening product. Looking to make ghosts or mummies for Halloween?
This is the product for you! Check out this ghost ornament and modify the instructions to fit your project!

      

For whatever reason, my boys love collecting rocks. It isn't unusual for me to remove several of them from their pants when I'm about to do laundry, and if I'm not careful they occasionally will make it into the wash. I don't really no why they love rocks so much, but I do think this project is a great activity and a way to transform a picked-up rock into a true 'pet-rock'. This is a great activity for camp crafting, and fun to do with themes as well like animals, aliens and people. Enjoy! 

You are sure to love this cute little pup- and if you look closely, you'll see he is made with a few egg-shaped Styrofoam pieces and other cut outs. This is just one example of the many animals you can create with foam and Apple Barrel Paint.

We're in love with Apple Barrel Colors and STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam for Kids Crafting. So much, in fact that we've created a whole swarm of animals and insects out of foam. Visit Plaidonline.com to get directions for all our animals. These make great cummer camp and party crafts.

This project is super fun and great for younger kids. Plus, it uses items found around the house. Apply this 3-D diarama idea to create all kinds of projects, like farms, villages or sea scenes.

Cute and easy fun for little kids. This project is great for smaller kindergarten aged kids and is really fun. Just use small paper cups, a few pencils and foam. They make cute gifts and party favors, too!

Mini cereal boxes become fun robot crafts with just a little paint. See the project.

Cute and quick ornaments for the holidays. We used unfinished wood surfaces from the local craft store and only needed a few paint colors. This is a great project to complete while the kids are home.

December is counting down and it is getting closer to Christmas! As the big day approaches and the kids go on Christmas break, keep them busy with easy crafts that don't take a lot of time, but are fun to do and easy to clean up after. Check out this adorable Santa Claus project from About Kids Crafts, made with Acrylic paint and popsicle sticks! See it here!

Looking for ideas for the great unfinished ornaments and wood you've found at the craft store. make it snow with a bit of texture paint. 
This is a great project for your child's class or even on a snow day home from school.

What could be easier than these super cute, super easy trees. Use them as a classrooom decoration or on your favorite tabletop.
Tissue Paper, yarn and styrofoam forms..what could be easier?

I love penguins, next to fuzzy white polar bears, they are definitely my favorite holiday critters. That's why this penguin frame is so cute. Kids can make these for gifts for teachers, grandparents and friends.

Those tiny little pots that you can find in the craft store for way less than a dollar can become the perfect surface for minature pilgrim hats. These litte hats can be hung like ornaments or used as place settings on a Thanksgiving day table. However you use them, they are super fun and easy to make!

It's turkey time and Mr. Gobble here is ready. He was made with texture paint. He would make a great class craft
or even a fun centerpiece!

Pretty and Fun project featuring Mod Podge! Visit Make and Takes for instructions!

Our friends at Craftier blog have a great back-to-school tutorial on personalizing a clip board that features Mod Podge!
See the project.

 

      
Gallery-Glass is very easy to use and especially great for making window clings like these. The cool thing about Gallery Glass is that you can remove and reuse the clings in another place. Cling projects are great for classroom projects, birthday parties or any time you want to craft with a group. Just pre-lead, and let the kids fill in color. Learn more

 

      
Turn a basic binder into a fab folder with a little Mod Podge!

 

      
This is a great afternoon project for tweens and a fun way to turn a inexpensive folder into something fun.

Make this fun  paper mache caterpillar with Mod Podge. See instructions on Fiskars' website.

We have always been big fans of Kids Crafts Weekly. Kids Crafts Weekly is one of the top crafting sites for kids, and the wonderful theme ideas, downloads and creative ideas never cease to amaze us. Check out the article on getting the most mileage out of your crafting themes. See the article here.

These are the all new Activity Stencils from Plaid. They feature the most popular designs for school-themed crafting, like sports, recycling and nature.  A must have for your craft closet! Go to Plaidonline.com to see more

 

      
Turn old clothespins into cute clips with paint, googly eyes and craft pipe cleaners.

Egg crates and paper plates transformed into cute little creatures! Let your kids craft these easy and fun project.

Vacation Bible School project ideas!


'Jesus Loves Me' Door Hanger
Vacation Bible School Frame
WWJD Door Hanger
WWJD foam visor
Faith Doorhanger

 

Hate bugs? Check out the newest addition of
Kids Crafts Weekly for a whole lot of bugs projects you are
sure to love!

These beautiful Eric Carle inspired cards are easy to craft with kids. Why not read your favorite Eric Carle book and then create this fabulous Valentine's Day project? You can use Mod Podge, tissue paper and a few other materials. Thanks to Jessica of Art Smart for Kids for this project. Jessica blogs about art and education for kids and has many art and project posts. Click here to see all directions and photos for making cards. 
  

Be inpired by these fun Advent Calendars. Advent Calendars make great craft projects for kids
to make, plus they offer a special treat for the days counting down to Christmas. Here are some of our favorites.

Advent Origami Cups by Kids Crafts Weekly

Pretty In Pink 
Paper crafted calendar.

Deborah Kent's Class 
Santa Claus beard calendars

Crafty Craft Gal 
Scrappy fun!

Help your children show how thankful they are with this great little turkey with grateful feathers. This projected was posted by Parents.com. The Turkey is made with yarn, scrabook paper and a few other supplies. See this project and other great project ideas here.

Little Elephants

These beautiful snow globes make a great group craft project as well as splendid Christmas gifts. Get details how to make 'em on littleelephants.typepad.com. The author also includes links and lessons she learned from experimenting with different materials.

Our first fall craft roundup includes fun, simple projects for younger kids. These project are great for classroom settings or at-home crafting. Enjoy!

• Fall Leaves Recipe Holder Craft by Apples4teacher.com
• Craft projects for smaller kids by DLTK
• Fall Door Hanger by Mycraftbook.com

The photo above shows easy-to-make recipe holders from Apples4teacher.com.

Craft Elf has a database of halloween craft projects. Most are great for young kids and use materials you probably already have around the house, like this Pumpkin light madw out of acrylic paint and a Mason Jar. See the Halloween projects.

Its almost time to start planning for school in the fall. In addition to the regular back-to-school supplies that your child will need for school, consider creating a stash of extra supplies especially for special projects, reports and extra-credit assignments. Here's a list to get you started:

• Old Magazines-Great for making collages
• Poster Board
• Mod-Podge - The all-purpose glue and adhesive is great for decoupage, assembling collages and makes a great sealant.
• Texture Paint -Check out Plaid's new texture paint, great for making models, maps and more.
• Crayons
• Permanent Markers
• Chalkboard Paint -Makes any surface a chalkboard-writing surface.
• Report Covers-Keep a stash so you don't have to purchase them each time a report is due.
• Construction Paper
• empty bottles and containers of various shapes