Need some ideas for crafts for my 3 year old

[Wheezie]

My dd loves to be creative, and she loves to paint, but I just can't think of anything special for her to do. I'd like to do something for Thanksgiving and Christmas (hopefully stuff she can give to her grandparents for presents-money's tight this year!). She paints a lot, but usually just on a piece of paper. I let her paint a ceramic ornament today and she liked it, but you can't tell what it is now, because paint's just gobbed all over it. :) But it's going on the tree anyway.

So any ideas? It doesn't have to be something that requires painting-I just have zero creativity when it comes to "art projects". :)

[miss meg]

I'm starting a project with Christian tonight.

I've got some Pampered Chef heart molds (stoneware), and they can be used in many different ways. Last night I molded several paper mache' hearts from them and tonight Christian and I will be painting them to give as presents to his teacher, grandmothers, and other people.

If you have something similar, here's the recipe I used:

4 sheets of tissue paper
2 cups of water

Blend together in a blender till all pulped up. Gently squeeze water out and press firmly into stoneware mold. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until completely dry. Unmold and let cool. Paint.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me about the molds.

[KateN]

www.kidsdomain.com/craft/felttree.html
www.kidsdomain.com/craft/felt.html
www.kidsdomain.com/craft/funfoam.html

Here are some crafts that I just looked up that may be at a level that your 3 year could do. Hope it helps.

[miche]

Check out our crafts for kid's cubby! There are lots of projects in there that I have done over the past two years with my now 4 yr old son as well as many Caryl has done with her daughter who is also 4 and contributions from members and their kids.

The thanksgiving hand turkey sounds like it would be great for your daughter. You can have her paint some paper and then trace her hand on her painting and cut out to use as the body of the turkey. The extra painting will add a special touch. I don't think it shows in the example, but Tommy scribbled all over his hand before I cut it out. He was just two then.

[Raven]

We are going ot have the kids make wrapping paper this year to save money. ;)

[*Debbie*]

Walmart sells all kinds of cardboard or wooden boxes/shapes/picture frames that are pretty cheap. Taryn loves to paint those. Sometimes I buy those foam shapes and she glues those on after the paint is dry (they have all different kinds of shapes...hearts, flowers, letters, etc)

I save paper towel rolls and she paints telescopes - put 2 toilet paper rolls together and she has binoculars :D

She loves to glue pictures that I have cut out of a magazine onto paper. I also cut out small pieces of colored paper and draw a simple picture (a tree or butterfly for example) and let her glue the small pieces onto the picture with a glue stick - it makes a mosaic type picture and actually comes out pretty good!

she loves play dough, stringing beads, watercolors, stickers, etc.

I have had the kids paint terra cotta pots as gifts.

I have them make our Christmas cards - I cut out shapes and they glued them onto the cards (trees with stars and circles for ornaments one year, another year they glued a piece of yarn to the card and then I cut out bulb shapes so it looked like a string of holiday lights, another year I cut out snowmen and hats, they colored in the details on the snowmen). I get tons of compliments on these!

We also have the kids make wrapping paper as somebody already mentioned - this is great for family as well as school friends b-day presents, etc.

if you do a search on google for 'kids crafts' you will find tons of ideas and seasonal projects, many of them are for pre-schoolers. I am always searching for ideas for my kids, and my brownie and cub scout troops.

If you sew, I have my kids make pillowcases for each season/holiday. They choose the fabric. I sit them down at my sewing machine and let them push the pedal while I push the fabric through. Since it is straight lines it is pretty easy. All you need is 1 yard of fabric. My kids love these because they *made* them.

I'll keep thinking...my kids love doing crafts!

[livandtj]

Check this out:) http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/

[djg]

I just received an Oriental Trading company crafts catalog that has tons of cheap cute crafts to make.
Check it out

www.orientaltrading.com
800-228-2269