Family Craft Boutique

My brother recently got back from a year-long tour in Iraq. We missed him horribly and were so excited to have him back home. A couple of weeks before he arrived home my mom and I decided we would redecorate his room for him. We thought it would be really cool to follow a patriotic theme.

We started by hiring a local artist to paint a mural of the American flag on the wall. Next we found a throw rug with a bald-headed eagle embroidered on it. Then we replaced his boyhood curtains with more masculine navy blue ones. We even found light switch covers that matched out patriotic home decor theme. When he got back he couldn’t believe it! I knew he would love it.

Household odds and ends like bottle caps and wine corks that would normally just get thrown away can be used and recycled by making craft projects. Craft projects are a great way for parents and kids to bond while learning new art skills. For younger kids it’s best to start out with a simple activity. One suggestion is to make a pumpkin magnet. This is a timely suggestion since Halloween is right around the corner.

Here’s what you need:

• Bottle Caps
• Orange pipe cleaners
• Green pipe cleaners
• Black seed beads
• An adhesive-backed magnet
• Glue

Directions:
1. Bend the orange pipe cleaner into a zigzag shape and then gather the folded edges together.
2. Stick on side of the folded edges so they catch on the inside of the bottle cap.
3. Stick the other folded edges inside the opposite side of the bottle cap.
4. Fluff the center part of the pipe cleaner to make it look like a rounded pumpkin.
5. Cut a 1-inch piece of the green pipe cleaner and stick it in the top of the pumpkin like a stem.
6. Cut two small leafs out of felt and glue them near the stem.
7. Use black seed beads to form the eyes, nose, and mouth.
8. Stick a small piece of the magnet strip on the back of the pipe cleaner.