Beads
Used throughout the ages to show wealth, authority and honor.
It is easy to create uniquely beautiful beads from simple store bought items like Sculpey or Femo clay or from items found in your own kitchen. Recipes for Salt, bread, and flour clay are everywhere. Why not have a class on beads and their purpose through time? Then have the kids create their own beautiful jewelry to keep or give as a gift.
Candles
What better way to create something useful and fun?
Everyone everywhere loves candles. It is easy to dip, roll or decorate candles. Why not use store bought candles and decorate them? Try using cookie cutters to punch out shapes from flat colored wax, then wrap them pre-made candles? Sequins on pins pushed into small votives are sure to light up the feast table of any mom and dad. Don’t forget Bee-utiful beeswax candles. Many craft suppliers carry flat sheets of man-made bees was. Punch out patterns or roll up a wick. Either way you have a lovely, useful candle!
Chocolate
Period to some countries and a great source for some creative play time!
Did you know they make different colored chocolate wafers? Did you know can melt those wafers in a microwave then use them as "paint" to create edible art? All you need is a few candy molds, some chocolate, paintbrushes and a fun imagination. You can paint preformed brown chocolates or you can paint the inside of the molds then fill it in with brown chocolate to produce some very pretty sweets. How about painting cookies? There is no limit to the yummy fun you can have with this idea.
Glass Painting
A very period idea indeed.
It’s not hard to find plain glass plates and bowls and since most supply stores carry paints designed to be used on glass, this is what I like to call a last minute project. Simply pick up your supplies, then tap into your local scroll herald for some good designs printed on paper and ready to trace and your ready to go! Tape your design to the INSIDE of your bowl or plate then turn it upside down and begin painting. Remember, these can must be hand washed!!
Herb Gardens
No kitchen would be complete with out a little herb garden to add food flare.
Use the dish bottoms of Terracotta pots to hold your herb garden.(sold separately at garden shops) Add a little potting soil and a nice assortment of baby plants or seeds and before you know it you will have a bunch of tasty herbs to add to your stew or soup!
Mosaics
A very period art form that is easily adapted for kids!
For more than 6,000 years people have used colored tiles, glass and pottery to decorate their world, why not keep a good thing going? The modern world has supplied so many wonderful mediums to use for the creation of Mosaic Art. Round and flat glass marbles, Fun Foam, tissue paper. Even an old broken ceramic plate can be smashed into smaller pieces and pressed into grout, Plaster of Paris or even heavy paste, to make a Mosaic. Turn a simple Terracotta pot into a treasure by adding grout and marbles. Turn a plain glass votives into a stained glass wonder with tissue paper and glue. Make a simple picture frame an elegant gift fit for King and Queen with nothing more than a hot glue gun, a few well placed plastic jewels and some femo dough to fill things in. Take simple items found in any craft section of a store and create a perfect setting for a period lesson.
Paper Lanterns
A very Asian idea.
Plain paper lanterns can be bought in a variety of sized and for a very good price if purchased by the gross. They are usually formed to accommodate a small electric bulb set up. Simple water based markers or watercolor paints and brushes can create the look of the Masters of China and Japan with very little effort. This is so much more fun than painting on a flat piece of paper. With nothing more than a wee bit of research and a few example you may find your have some very talented artists on your hands.
Sachets
I don’t know a stinky fighter who would welcome a nice sachet for his amour bag.
Potpourri is so easy to make and can cost practically nothing if your creative enough. Simple wood shavings mixed lightly with scented oils produces a lovely potpourri. But don’t forget nice dried herbs, flowers or tree bark can also add to the fragrance. All you need to do then is to take scraps of material, cut into rectangles, and fold them in half with right sides together. Hand stitched around the edges leaving one end open. Turn right side out, fill with some nice potpourri and whip stitch shut. Tie a piece of ribbon around like a pretty package and you have a great gift for the fighter in your life—okay for get the fighter, give them to Mom and Granny, they love stuff like this!
Soap
A period project chocked full of creative ideas!!
Where to start: There are a dozen places that sell glycerin you can melt in the microwave or over a low heat and pour into molds. You can use just about any sort of mold too! I have even made little tiny guest soaps out of candy mold! After determining what color and sent of soap you are making, then decide how to make it a bit more interesting for the kids. While the glycerin is still liquid, everyone can add a few things to make their soap more special. Try little dried flowers, ribbons, and charms or plastic flowers, letters, and bugs. Or how about those great erasers you can find at Stationary and Party supply store? Forget as the glycerin begins to cool a bit, you can swirl more than one color together to produce a very unique soap creation.
Stepping Stones
Stone carving is an age old art and can easily be adapted to our modern times.
Cement mix is easy to find and cheap to work with. An old cake pan, lined with plastic wrap, makes a fine mold to pour your mix into. Then, while the cement is setting up, kids can draw or carve their designs into the piece and/or add glass nuggets or plastic creatures to their stone to create a truly individual piece. Makes a nice addition to any garden.
Trinket Boxes
Everyone needs somewhere to hide their precious little things, don’t they?
Simple wooden boxes found at any craft store can become elegant treasures. You need noting more than a paint, some glue, a few rhinestones, some ribbon and those great helping hands, then poof! You have a lovely little gift to give someone special. |
