Eco-Crafting with Kids

When I was little I always had dreams of being an art teacher. I was very creative and still suffer from the creative bug quite often (just not as often as I would like). My son has always enjoyed crafting with me but never fully L-O-V-E-D it like I did as a kid. I’m so excited to see a little bit of my craftiness in my daughter. She can sit at a table and play with dough for hours. Her teachers tell me that she is the only one who sits still for painting and begs to keep painting when the project is done. Yes – I think she’s my child!

There are a few craft related blogs that I read often to keep my mind creative even if I’m not actively crafting myself. I absolutely love Make and Takes blog by Marie LaBaron. She usually gives simple craft idea for kids or for the home that don’t require the obscure materials. I still have quite a craft stash in my closet and there is never a shortage of glue! You can imagine my excitement when I received Marie’s new book in the mail a few weeks ago.

Make and Takes For Kids is her first book and it’s filled with 50 craft projects, recipes, and fun activities for kids (or moms) of all ages. The book is divided into chapters by month with a few themed projects for each season or holiday. This weekend the kids and I will be making some edible art – Oat Cereal Wreaths – to nibble on for the holidays (think Rice Crispie treats with Cheerio’s – yummy!).

You know what I absolutely love about many of the projects in this book? You can use trash or found items from around the home! How eco-smart is that? We are always looking for projects to make using toilet paper rolls, scrap paper, scrap fabric, cardboard (cereal mostly) boxes, aluminum cans, and milk jugs. The book is loaded with ideas like:

egg carton sea creatures
milk jug bean bag toss
bubble wrap raft

With Christmas just a few weeks away this would be a perfect additional for any school teacher, home schooling parent, or general crafty mama looking for fun projects to create with their kids. I think my son would be excited if I gave it to him – even though he’s not my creative sprite! He still has fun and likes to find new uses for household items.

More about Make and Takes for Kids: http://www.makeandtakes.com/book
‘Like’ Make and Takes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makeandtakes
Follow Make and Takes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/makeandtakes

Here is a picture from our most recent crafting day where we were playing with homemade playdough (recipe not in the book but she does have it on her blog).