5 Easy & Inexpensive Gifts and Crafts
If the holiday season is not busy enough, the winter vacation from school just adds to an already hectic day. After spending the budget on holiday shopping, there is usually little or no money left over to spend on entertaining children all week. Why not keep the children busy with inexpensive homemade crafts that cost far less than if they were purchased in a store? In fact, most of the ingredients are everyday items that are usually found in the kitchen. Instead of spending money on gifts from the children to relatives, why not have them make snowflake ornaments or a personalized trinket made from clay? Not only will the children keep busy and have fun, the gifts they give will be inexpensive keepsakes to be cherished forever. The following are 5 frugal and fun ideas for your kids!
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1. Crystal Snowflake Ornaments
Ingredients
-3 pipe cleaners
-string or fishing line
-a glass jar that is larger then 6 x 6 inches
-a pencil or pen
-3 tablespoons Borax (laundry detergent)
-blue food coloring (optional)
-1 cup boiling water
Directions
Cut the pipe cleaners into 3- 5 inch pieces. Arrange them in a star formation and twist a small piece of pipe cleaner around the center of them to hold them together. Tie the string or fishing line on one point of the star and then wrap the other end of the string around the pencil. Pour the boiling water into the glass jar, add in the borax, and food coloring. Stir for a minute and the insert the pipe cleaner star into the liquid. Leave overnight and by the next day the borax crystals will have adhered to the star, simply remove from the jar and the ornament is ready to hang.
2. Home Made Children’s Slime
Ingredients
-1/2 cup of white school glue (Elmer’s)
-1/2 cup water
-food coloring (optional)
-1 teaspoon of Borax (laundry detergent}
-another cup of water
Directions
Mix the first 1/2 cup of water with the school glue. In a larger bowl mix the 1 cup of water, borax and a couple of drops of food coloring (optional). Slowly stir the glue mixture into the borax mixture. Pick up the “slime” that is forming (this is half the fun) and knead it until it feels dry. Store in a plastic bag and refrigerator when not being played with.
3. Easy To Make Play Dough
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1/2 cup salt
-2 tablespoons cream of tartar
-1 cup boiling water
-1 cup flour
-food coloring (optional)
Directions
Simply mix all the ingredients together kneading with your hands, add a little extra flour if needed for consistency. When not in use store refrigerated in a plastic bag.
4. Home Made Silly Putty
Ingredients
-3/4 cup of warm water
-1/2 teaspoon of Borax (laundry detergent)
-1 cup of white school glue (Elmer’s)
-food coloring (optional)
Directions
Simply mix together all of the ingredients. Store in a plastic bag when not in use.
5. Modeling Clay Made Easy
Ingredients
-2 cups baking soda
-1 1/4 cups cold water
-1 cup cornstarch
-food coloring (optional)
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan, stirring while over a medium heat until it becomes a thick (but not stiff) consistency. Spoon out onto a plate and cover loosely with a damp cloth until it cools. Knead gently until it is smooth. To dry out the object that was made just leave sitting out overnight, no baking is required. This clay is able to be painted after it dries.
About the author: Monica Hall likes to save money by recycling, couponing & visiting www.homeequityloan.net.
