5 craft projects for children

Scrapbooking, bracelet making and more fun activities to fill in a wet afternoon in Warwick

CRAFTY CREATIONS: A few special bits and bobs can be turned into creative sensations with just a bit of imagination. Picture: bozhdb

WET weather has hit Warwick today but there are plenty of projects that can keep children occupied inside.

Whip out the paper, scissors and markers and take on a few fun craft projects this afternoon.

1. Scrapbooking

Print out a few favourite holiday snaps and recreate the scenes in a scrapbook.

Pick up some stickers, coloured paper, sequins and other bits and bobs, arranging them around the chosen pictures.

A notebook from the supermarket would act as a great base, arranging coloured paper as borders for the pictures or to add speech bubbles to recreate memorable moments.

The Reject Shop have a great range of craft items at affordable prices.

2. Friendship bracelets

Pick up a bit of coloured string, beads and scissors.

Measure the width of a wrist and cut three lengths of the string, ensuring there's enough excess to tie the bracelet up at the end.

Tie the three pieces of string in a knot at one end, still leaving enough room to tie the finished bracelet together, then start threading the beads onto the string.

Lettered beads can be used to write names to add a personal touch, or patterns can be made with textured beads.

Once the beads have filled about three quarters of the string, tie it up after the final bead.

It can then be tied around the wrist of its new owner.

3. Balloon friends

Blow up a balloon and then let the air out, this will stretch the plastic.

Fill the balloon with sand until it is about the size of the palm of a hand and tie it off.

Grab a different coloured balloon and cut a few holes in its surface, then stretch it around the sand-filled balloon.

This should create a squishy stress ball with a few colourful spots.

Add some googly eyes and the ball suddenly develops its own personality.

4. Pom-poms

Start getting into the Jumpers and Jazz spirit by making a few woollen pom-poms.

Cut out two pieces of cardboard in the shape of doughnuts (circles with a small circle cut out of the middle) that are identical in size.

Put the two discs together and wrap wool around the edges, pushing it through the centre circle and winding it around the outer edge.

When the discs are covered in a think layer of wool and no cardboard can be seen, slowly cut the wool along the outside edge of the cardboard.

After carefully cutting all the way around, grab another piece of string and wrap it between the two disks of cardboard and tie all the pieces together tightly.

Once all the wool has been tied, pull off the cardboard and a bouncy pom-pom should be left.

5. Slime

Put two cups of cornflour into a bowl and gradually add water whilst stirring.

When the mixture has turned into a thick paste, add food colouring.

Green is always a popular choice.

The slime should be solid to punch and hold together when moulded in little hands but stop moving and it'll turn back into a liquid.