The 4th of July is nearing once again, and it's time to show your patriotic spirit. Kids can get into the fun with a ton of craft ideas over at
Kaboose.com. Here are some of the best crafts that will let your kids be creative while showing their fondness for the red, white, and blue. For more detailed instructions, including pictures, check out the link to each craft.
Crepe Paper Flag
What you'll need:
- 11" x 14" piece of white poster board or cardstock
- 4 24"-long pieces of red crepe paper streamer
- 3 24"-long pieces of white crepe paper streamer
- 1 20"-piece of blue crepe paper streamer cut into 4 equal strips
- 1 extra piece of white crepe paper streamer, approximately 8" long
- 6" x 6" square of white or blue construction paper
- Scissors
- Ruler
- White craft glue
- 18" long piece of white yarn
- Shipping tape
How to make it:
- Trim the poster board to 9 ¾" x 14".
- At the 9 ¾" end of the poster board, measure out ¾" segments, you should have 13 all together.
- Use a pencil to draw a line upward from each measurement to use as a guide for your flag's stripes.
- Cut the four strips of red crepe paper streamers in half (lengthwise) to create a total of 8 24"-long strips.
- Cut the three strips of white crepe paper streamers in half (lengthwise) to create a total of 6 24"-long strips.
- Apply glue the first section of the poster board using your penciled line as a guide. Take one of your strips of red streamer and position it about a ½" of the streamer so that it hangs over the top of the poster board. (See photo.) Place the streamer over the glue on the poster board, patting it down flat. You will have a considerable amount of streamer left hanging over the edge of the poster board.
- Repeat step 6 using a white strip, overlapping the red strip slightly.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all strips are in place. You will have one extra red strip left over. Save for another project.
- Glue the blue strips of crepe paper onto the 6"x6" construction paper and trim off excess. (See photo.) Glue the blue covered square to the upper left-hand corner of the flag.
- Use white glue to add "star" dots onto the blue square. (See photo.) If you want to be historically accurate, add 50 stars, alternating rows of 6 and rows of 5. There should be 5 rows of 6 stars and 4 rows of 5 stars.
- Tear the last piece of white crepe paper into 1" squares and wrap them around the end of a pencil eraser. Press each one onto the glue dots and allow to dry.
- Turn flag over and apply some glue to the top, then bend over the excess crepe paper and glue in place.
- Attach yarn hanger by using shipping tape.
Parade-Day Water Bottle Holder
What you'll need:
- 2 sheets felt any color
- Old T-shirt(s)
- Scissors
- Hot glue
- Needle and thread
How to make it:
- Glue the two sheets of felt together.
- Place the water bottle on to the felt (see photo) and fold felt up and over the bottom of the bottle. Tack sides together with hot glue. (See photo.)
- Fold one side of the felt around the bottle, then fold the other side and tack with glue. (See photo.)
- Reinforce seam with needle and thread.
- Cut or tear t-shirt material into three separate strips. Braid together to form the handle. (See photo.)
- Hot glue the ends of the braids inside the bottle and reinforce with needle and thread.
USA Wreath
- Foam wreath
- Wood letters (USA)
- White craft paint
- Paintbrush
- 3 sheets white felt
- 2 sheets red felt
- 1 sheet blue felt
- Scissors
- Red, white, and blue glitter glue
- White craft glue
- Patriotic star garland
How to make it:
- Paint the letters white and set aside to dry.
- Cut white and red felt into strips approximately 2" wide.
- Cover a 3" section of the wreath with white glue. Begin wrapping the white felt around the wreath, overlapping as you go. You can secure the beginning of your felt with a thumbtack if you like. Continue wrapping and glue until you run out of white felt. Finish wrapping with the red felt.
- Now that the letters are dry, paint each one with glitter glue, using a different color for each letter. Set aside to dry.
- Insert the beginning of the star garland under a piece of the wrapped felt. Wrap the garland around the wreath, inserting the end of the garland into the felt. Secure both ends with some white glue.
- When the letters are dry, glue them to the top of the wreath.
- Cut the blue felt into 1" wide strips and glue them together end to end to create a ribbon. When dry, tie it into a bow then glue to the bottom of the wreath and trim the ends.
- Cut some more of the patriotic star garland into 6" long pieces and glue them under the blue bow. Let everything dry.
