Valentines day is such a fun time of year.  I love showing my loved ones how much I care about them.  And it’s even more fun to teach my kids to show love to others!  These easy Valentine day crafts for kids are the perfect activities for a fun February day.

Consider helping your kids make a few crafts to give to their friends and family.  Or they can make some to help decorate the house with a little bit of festivity.  Whichever you choose, make sure to enjoy this fun time together making easy Valentines crafts!

Fun Valentine Day Craft Ideas

Have fun making these easy Valentine Day crafts!  Let me know which one is your favorite!

1.  Clay Valentine Magnets

Check out these adorable Clay Valentine Magnets!  You only need three ingredients and some paint to make them!  They are the perfect craft for kids both young and old.  I can’t wait to make some and hang them on our fridge.

2.  Panda Valentine Craft

This Panda Valentine craft is not only the cutest thing ever, but it also comes with a free template!  Which for someone like me (non-expert crafter), a template is a must!  Your kids will have so much fun making this craft to give away or keep for themselves, and they will be able to work on their fine motor skills at the same time!

3.  Conversation Heart Bookmarks

I’m in love with this next easy Valentine day craft!  These conversation heart corner bookmarks are so fun and make a great gift for book lovers!  All it takes is a little bit of folding and glue and you have the cutest bookmark ever!  This is a craft that anyone can do!

4.  Valentines Foam Pencil Toppers

Here’s another fun craft for Valentines, Foam Pencil Toppers.  This tutorial comes with a template to help your kids make a hedgehog, owl, penguin and racoon pencil toppers.  The instructions are easy to follow and the results are absolutely darling!

• Related:  Chocolate Dipped Valentine Cookie Recipe

5.  Valentine Yarn Hearts

My kids love making these easy valentine yarn hearts each year.  They are quick, cheap and so cute!  All you need is some cardboard (thank you leftover Amazon box!) and some yarn.  The colors are so fun to customize and mix and match.  They make cute decorations and gifts.

6.  Heart Paint Chip Garland

If you want simple and cheap Valentine decor, I have the thing for you!  You can quickly make this Heart Paint Chip Garland.  It’s very easy to customize and make with your favorite love-day colors.

My kids love having a few holiday decorations in their rooms, and this would be the perfect craft for them to make and hang over their bead.

7.  Heart Suncatcher

I love hanging crafted suncatchers in my windows.  The light that comes through is so pretty.

Your kids will love making their own heart suncatcher following this tutorial.

• Related:  Easy Easter Craft for Preschoolers: Egg Sun Catcher

8.  Valentines Day Toilet Paper Roll Vase

Crafts that repurpose are just my favorite type of crafts!  They are frugal through and through!

That is one of the reasons why I love this Valentines Day Toilet Paper Roll Vase craft.  It turns something that would have been tossed into the trash, a toilet paper roll, into something beautiful and useful.  Your kids will love making these vases and placing pretty flowers inside!

• Related:  Easy Toilet Paper Roll Crafts

9.  Valentines Pom Pom Painting

Here’s the perfect Valentines day craft for toddlers and preschoolers, Valentines Day Pom Pom painting.  The activity introduces a new way to paint, using pom poms and a clothespin!  This method results in a fun, easy to create heart art!

10.  DIY Valentine Felt Heart

If you are looking for an easy Valentines Day craft for older kids, try this DIY Valentine Felt Heart! 

Felt is very budget friendly, making this craft a perfect option for the frugal conscious.  The hearts are perfect for giving to others or to use as a decoration around your home.

11.  Love Bug Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Your kids will love making this adorable love bug….and again…I love that it’s repurposing something that would have been thrown away!  This is a very easy and cute project, perfect for young kids!

12.  Origami Heart

Folding origami is so fun, and with the right instructions can be very simple.  Here is a great tutorial for folding an easy origami heart that make great corner bookmarks!  Make your corner bookmarks in a variety of colors to giveaway and use in all of your favorite books.

13.  Valentines Day Frame

Alright, I have the perfect craft for any non crafters out there!  Seriously, anyone can make this Valentines Day frame craft….and it’s the cutest thing ever!  So, basically a win-win all around!

I love the idea of using this frame as a decoration, you can put a picture of your family inside of it.  Or, it can be a great gift with a picture of you and your loved one together.

• Related:  Fun Family Valentine Traditions

14.  Gnome Paper Craft

Another fun valentine paper craft is to make this darling gnome.  It comes with a free template, for easy cutting and designing and it is just so cute!  I want to make one just for me!

15.  Love You To Pieces Wreath

I’m so in love with this fun puzzle piece wreath!  It’s so creative and simple to make!

• Related:  25 Free Things To Do In Winter

16.  DIY Heart Crayons

My kids use to make these heart crayons all the time.  It’s a great way to use up half used crayons, and create something new and fun.  The silicone molds come in a lot of different shapes and designs too!

17.  Tissue Paper Heart Craft

Crafting with tissue paper is always affordable and kid friendly.  The tissue paper heart craft is perfect for helping young ones work on their fine motor skills while creating something new.

18.  Popsicle Stick Heart Garland

This popsicle stick heart garland is so cute and unique!  It’s something that I haven’t ever seen before, and that just makes me love it even more!  I love trying new projects like this with my kids.

19.  Mess Free Smush Painting

Want to craft with your kids, but hate the mess??  Try the mesh free smush painting method! 

All of the painting is done within a contained plastic bag!  This is especially a great craft idea for toddlers!

20.  Love Code Bracelet

How cute is this love code bracelet?!  I think it’s the perfect craft for kids who love coding….but also need a break from a screen!

21.  Crystal Hearts Science Experiment

There just isn’t much better than turning a craft into a science experiment!  It will get your kids fingers and creativity working, all while helping them learn! 

The Crystal Hearts Science Experiment is the perfect Valentine craft turned experiment to do with your kids this year!

22.  Valentine Hugs

I use to make these Valentine Hug crafts all the time when I was young, and they always made me so happy!  It’s a very easy craft to make, and this tutorial even provides a free template you can use!  I love free templates!

23.  Pom Pom Love Bug Craft

Here’s another super cute and easy Valentines day craft idea that kids can do, make a Pom Pom Love Bug!  It will only take a few minutes to whip up a few of these darling bugs, and they are super easy to customize just the way your child wants them!

Have Fun With These Easy Valentine Day Crafts for Kids!

I hope this articled helped you to find a few fun crafts to do with your kiddos this year.  Crafting with kids is one of the best ways to make memories and build bonds.  And, with the ideas listed here you won’t need to spend hardly any money at all!

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There are so many easy Valentine day crafts for kids to make!

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Last month my youngest turned ten (I can’t believe how fast he is growing up!).  He asked for a Harry Potter themed birthday party.  I’m pretty sure he decided on this idea from our recent Universal Studios trip….but I wasn’t complaining!  Once we decided on the theme I knew we couldn’t have a Harry Potter themed party without having wands (amiright??).  So, with a little bit of DIYing and patience we whipped up a few budget friendly wands!  My son and I had so much fun making these DIY Harry Potter Wands!  They are SO easy and addicting to make!  I seriously didn’t want to stop creating!

These homemade Harry Potter wands with chopsticks are the perfect craft for any Harry Potter lover, including kids and adults!  And, do you want to know the best part????  They were also really cheap!  The only thing I had to buy were the chopsticks and some hot glue!  Fortunately, I had paint and paintbrushes at home, but luckily they are both really cheap to buy if you need some!

How to Make DIY Harry Potter Wands

The first thing you need to do before making these homemade wands is to gather your supplies.  You will need:

• Wooden Chopsticks
• Hot Glue Gun
• Glue Sticks
• Acrylic Paint
• Paintbrushes

1.  Squeeze Hot Glue Onto Chopstick

The first thing you will need to do to make your DIY Harry Potter wand is to warm up your hot glue.  I like to place the hot glue gun over a paper plate, so that the melty glue will drip onto the plate as it warms.  This makes for easy clean up!

Once your hot glue is warm and melty, it’s time to make the design of your homemade wand.  I love this part!!

All you have to do is take your hot glue gun and slowly squirt hot glue onto the handle part of one chopstick.

This is the part when you can let your creativity shine!  You can put a lot of hot glue on the end for a nice, thick handle.  Or, you might choose to only put on a small amount of glue.  Feel free to add some swirly glue designs too.   I tried to cover about 1/3-1/4 of the chopstick with glue, just depending on the design I was going for. Whatever you think will look good!  

One of my favorite things about these homemade wands is that no matter how your glue comes onto your chopstick, the finished product will still look good!  I worried a few times that I had messed up a wand with clumps of hot glue, but once I was done, it always looked just as good as all of the other wands!

2.  Let The Hot Glue Dry

Next, you will need to set your chopstick onto a paper plate and let the glue dry.  Hot glue dries fairly fast, so it shouldn’t take very long before being able to move to the next stop.

3.  Paint Chopstick

Once the hot glue is dry, you can start painting your chopstick/wand!  We all decided we preferred the dark and moody colors for the wands, but really anything goes!  It was so fun to mix colors together and make something magical and unique!

This step is so easy, just dab a little bit of glue onto your paintbrush and paint the wand!

Once you are done painting your wand set it onto a paper plate to dry.

Most of our wands needed two coats of paint.  So, make sure to check the wand once the paint is dry to see if it will need to be painted again.

Enjoy!

That’s it!  Your DIY Harry Potter wand is complete!  See how easy that was???  It’s the perfect craft for adults and kids and everyone in between!  All that’s left to do is to spend hours casting magical spells (Acio wand!).

You might like these other easy crafts:

• Easy Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial
• Nature Bookmark Tutorial
• How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

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Have fun making your own DIY Harry Potter wand!

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Are you looking for some easy toilet paper roll crafts for kids to do?  Because I have you covered in this article!

Start saving your toilet paper rolls because there are SO many fun creations you can make with them.  This list includes some amazing kid friendly toilet paper roll crafts.  Not only will you get to repurpose that toilet paper roll, you will also get to have fun crafting with your kids.

1.  Toilet Paper Roll Pirate

How cute is this toilet paper roll pirate from Two Kids And A Coupon?!?!  It’s the perfect craft for any pirate lover and will be easy to customize however you want!  All you need is a toilet paper roll, some craft paper and glue!

2.  Toilet Paper Seedling Pots

Get your kids excited about gardening with these Toilet Paper Seedling Pots from The Forked Spoon.  It will only take 10 minutes to put this craft together, and your kids will love getting to watch their seedlings grow in their homemade pots!

• Related:  9 Easiest Vegetables To Grow In First Garden

3.  Butterfly Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Here’s a super fun toilet paper roll craft idea from Fun Money Mom perfect for preschoolers.  This butterfly toilet paper craft requires a few more supplies than some of the other craft projects, but it is still quick and easy to throw together.

4.  Toilet Paper Roll Pillow Box

I love these toilet paper roll pillow boxes!  What a fun, functional craft project for kids to make with a toilet paper roll.  They can use them to give gifts to their friends or store their special objects.  

5.  Toilet Paper Roll Princess Bracelet

Here’s a unique craft idea!  Use a toilet paper roll to make a princess bracelet!  The little girl in your life will love getting to decorate her bracelet to match her personality!

6.  Toilet Paper Roll Hedgehogs

Simple Every Day Mom has the most adorable toilet paper roll hedgehog template!  You will only need a few supplies in addition to the template and toilet paper roll to make your own hedgehog!

7.  Marshmallow Shooter

We made these marshmallow shooters last summer and they were so much fun to play with!  You could make them using a patriotic theme like Big Family Blessings does, or customize them to fit your personality!

8.  Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder

Your kids will have so much fun learning more about birds with this easy toilet paper roll bird feeder craft from Honey and Lime.  It doesn’t take very much time at all to put together your bird feeder, so you can just sit back and enjoy watching the birds!

9.  Toilet Paper Roll Monster

Here’s another fun toilet paper craft idea for the kids!  Make toilet paper roll monsters and read the book to go with it!  It’s a great activity for teaching kids about emotions and how to handle the way they feel!

10.  Toilet Paper Roll Shaker Instrument

Start a family band with these toilet paper roll shaker instruments!  The instrument is made by filling a toilet paper roll with pasta and closing it off with masking tape.  Plus, the kids will get to decorate the outside however they would like!

• Related:  At Home Preschool Activities

11.  Astronaut Toilet Paper Roll Craft

I love this easy craft idea!  The tutorial includes a free astronaut template for your kids to color and attach to the toilet paper roll.

12.  Toilet Paper Roll Dragon Blower

You can even use a toilet paper roll to make a dragon blower!  This is a great tutorial from Ruffles and Rain Boots about how to make a toilet paper roll dragon blower.  It is sure to provide hours of fun for your little one to run around with and watch the tissue paper blow.

13.  Snowman Toilet Paper Roll Craft

These snowmen toilet paper rolls are so cute!  Plus, they are a very simple craft project…..which to be honest are my favorite kind of crafts!  You can even make a whole family of snowmen to play with!

14.  Toilet Paper Roll Fireworks Stamp

Our family loves to turn toilet paper rolls into fireworks stamps.  Then, with a little bit of paint you can use the stamp to make a fun firework painting!

15.  Toilet Paper Roll Unicorn

Check out this adorable toilet paper roll unicorn!  It’s seriously the cutest thing ever, and so easy to make!  It’s sure to bring a smile to any little girls face!

16.  Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt with these toilet paper roll binoculars!  Go Places With Kids shares a full tutorial and adorable template to help you whip up a few darling binoculars for your kiddos.

17.  Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

If you make the astronaut that I shared earlier in this article then you must also make the rocket ship to go with it!  It’s so easy to make with a little bit of paper, cutting and gluing!

18.  Toilet Paper Roll Fairy House Luminaries

These Fairy House Luminaries are such a creative way to use up your toilet paper rolls.  I love the idea of setting a battery tea light inside!  So fun!

19.  Toy Car Storage Out Of Toilet Paper Rolls

If you have a car lover in your house you must make him a car garage out of toilet paper rolls!  It’s such a cute way to display your toy cars and use up some toilet paper rolls while you’re at it!

• Related:  Easy Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial

20.  Feelings Learning Activity With Toilet Paper Rolls

Teach your kids about their feelings with this toilet paper roll learning activity/craft. It’s so important for young kids to learn how to handle all of their many feelings, and Two Pink Peonies teaches exactly how to do that with a few toilet paper rolls, markers, and paper.

21.  Toilet Paper Roll Pencil Case

Can you believe how awesome this toilet paper roll pencil case is?!?!  It’s such a genius way to repurpose toilet paper rolls.  You will have to put in some effort and patience to make the pencil case, but it is the perfect craft for summer to prepare for back to school!  Your kids will feel so proud bringing their very own handmade pencil case to school.

22.  Toilet Paper Roll Fish

Kid Friendly Things To Do shares the cutest fish craft tutorial using a toilet paper roll!  I would love to make these in a lot of different colors!

In Conclusion

We all go through so many toilet paper rolls each week, so instead of letting them go to waste, try one of these fun craft ideas!  It’s a great way to spend an afternoon with your kiddos, without having to spend a lot of money!

Check Out These Other Craft Ideas:

Easy Craft With Nature Items: Nature Bookmark Tutorial

How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

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Enjoy these easy toilet paper crafts!

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Are you looking for a fun craft to do with your kids this Christmas?  You have to try this easy homemade Christmas ornament!  I bought all of the supplies at the Dollar Tree, making it a very budget friendly activity!

I always add a craft to our Christmas bucket list each December, and these are the perfect Christmas ornaments to make with kids, because they only take a few minutes, and the kids can easily customize the colors however they want.  Plus, there is nothing better then getting to see your child’s art hanging on the tree each year.  Every piece is full of sweet memories and make me so happy!

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Gather Supplies

The first thing you will need to do is gather your supplies.  I bought all of my supplies at Dollar Tree, but you can also get them on Amazon or any craft store.

Clear Christmas Ornaments

Craft Paint

And that’s it!  Such an easy, budget friendly project!

How To Make This Easy Homemade Christmas Ornament

Now that you have your supplies, let’s get crafting!  One of my favorite things about this Homemade Christmas ornament is that it is fast and easy.  If you worry that you aren’t a “crafter”, do not worry anymore!  This craft is perfect for you!

The first thing you will need to do is take the cap off of the ornament (easy enough right?)

Next, take one of your paints and squeeze a small drop into the outer rim of the ornament.  Allow the paint to pour down the sides.   Remember, you can never add to much paint.

Then, take another color of paint and do the same thing, squeeze a small drop into the outer rim and allow it to pour down the sides.

Continue dropping paint into the ornaments, alternating the color each time.  I recommend 2-3 colors in each ornament.

Make sure to add plenty of paint so that it will cover the entire ornament.

And you are almost done!  See, I told you this was easy!

Lastly, just turn your homemade Christmas ornament upside down and place it in a plastic cup.  Let it sit there for 24 hours.  Do not skip this step or shorten the time.  The bulb needs to let all of the paint drain out and fully dry.  Gravity is an important step in this craft!

Finishing Touches

After letting your ornament dry for a full 24 hours, pick it up from the cup, admire the beautiful, colorful design you made, attach the cap and then proudly hang it on your Christmas tree to enjoy.

So pretty, right?!?  I love experimenting with different combinations of colors, and especially watching what my sweet kids come up with.  No two ornaments ever turn our the same, and that’s the best part!

More Christmas Activities:

Easy Cinnamon Candy Recipe For Christmas

Best Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas Tree Cookie Recipe

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I hope you love making this easy homemade Christmas ornament as much as we did!

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Yesterday I pulled out all of our fall decorations and had fun getting the house looking a little more festive.  After that I decided I wanted a few more small decorations, but didn’t want to spend very much money.  So, I decided to make this easy toilet paper pumpkin craft!

My friend showed me how to make these toilet paper roll pumpkins a few years ago, and I knew they would be the perfect addition to my house this fall.  The best part about these pumpkins is that they cost less than $1 to make!  Yep, you read that right, $1!

The only item I bought for this easy fall craft was the fabric.  I bought three fat fabric squares from Walmart for 97 cents each.  If that’s not frugal, I don’t know what is!  If you already have scrap fabric at home, these will be even cheaper to make!

Not only are these crazy cheap to make…..they are also one of the easiest crafts ever!  Most importantly, I spent less than an hour making all three of these darling Halloween Pumpkins.  If you aren’t a crafter, this is the craft for you!

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Supplies

First, let’s gather the supplies.  You only need three items to make these cute pumpkins, and you probably already have most of them at home.

Supplies Needed:

• One roll of toilet paper
• One fat fabric square of fabric (or fabric cut to 18″x22″)
• Hot glue gun (optional)
• A twig for the stem

Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Instructions

Now that you have all of your supplies, the fun part can begin!  Let’s start crafting!

First, lay the square of fabric right side down on the table. 

Next, place your toilet paper roll right in the middle of the fabric square.

Now, take the ends of the fabric and tuck them into the middle of the toilet paper roll.   As you tuck the ends, make sure to pull the fabric tight, this helps make some cute textures and creases for the pumpkin.  Sometimes it takes me a few tries before I get it looking just right.

Keep stuffing the ends of the fabric into the toilet paper roll until all the ends of the fabric are hidden and the toilet paper is completely covered with fabric.

You are almost done! 

For the stem, just go into your backyard, or a local park and find a small twig.  I had to break my stick to get the perfect twig size.

Next, just hot glue a small amount of glue into the middle of your pumpkin and then stick the twig into the hot glue, making sure it is sticking up correctly.

If you don’t have a hot glue gun, that’s OK!  Just stick that stick inside the pumpkin and you are ready to go!  The twig will usually stand up straight without the glue.

And that’s it!  You are done!  Just beware, these toilet paper pumpkins are so addicting!  You might end up making thousands.  They make great gifts for friends and neighbors.

A Few Tips

Try playing around with the toilet paper to make different shapes and sizes.  You can change the pumpkin look just by taking off some toilet paper.

For the polka dot pumpkin, I took off about 1/4 of the toilet paper to make a smaller pumpkin.  I also wrapped some toilet paper loosely around the entire roll.  This gives it a slightly more rounded look.  So cute, right???

I wanted my other black pumpkin to be a little bit larger so, I added extra toilet paper to the roll, and tried to give it a rounded loose look.

I loved the way this one turned out!  There really are some many possibilities!  And for a whopping 97 cents…..you can make a dozen of these without breaking the bank!

Have you ever made a toilet paper roll pumpkin before???  It truly is such a fun and easy pumpkin craft! Let me know if you try it out, I would love to hear how they turned out.

Happy frugal crafting!

YouTube Tutorial

Check out my YouTube toilet paper roll pumpkin tutorial for even more tips for making this easy fall craft!

You might also like:

–Rice Krispie Halloween Monsters Recipe

–No Sew Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

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Enjoy your toilet paper pumpkin!

The post Easy Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial appeared first on Sweet Frugal Life.

Have you ever wondered how to make tissue paper pom poms?  I LOVE to make them!  They are one of the easiest, cheapest DIY decoration around.  I have made some for my daughters rooms, and they are always a staple at all my kids birthday parties. 

A lot of stores sell pre-made pom poms, that just need to be fluffed up, but I’m telling you…..those are not worth the money.  You can easily make them yourself for a much cheaper price!  I promise you can even do it if you are NOT a crafter, these are that easy!

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Supplies for Tissue Paper Pom Poms

You only need a few supplies to start making tissue paper pom poms.

• 6 sheets of tissue paper.  You can use more tissue paper if you want to, the more sheets you use the fluffier your pom-pom will be.
• String
• Scissors

And that’s it!!  Make sure to check your local Dollar Tree for great prices on tissue paper.

How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

First, unfold your tissue paper and layer each of the sheets on top of each other.  Smooth it out and make sure all of the sides are even with each other.  This doesn’t need to be perfect, just do the best you can!

Starting at the shorter end fold the tissue paper (all sheets together) accordion style.  Your finished product should look similar to the pictures below.

• Related:  How to Make Your Very Own Pom-Pom Garland

Take some string, (I just used thread because it’s what I had) and tie a knot in the middle of the folded tissue paper.  Leave a long piece of string, this is what you will use to hang your pom-pom with.

Now, snip two small cuts on both ends of the tissue paper.  This is what gives the flowery shape to the pom-pom.  This is not a necessary step!  There have been plenty of times I’ve forgotten to do it, and they still turned out super cute!

You are almost finished! 

Now, gently separate each sheet of tissue paper from each other.  This will fluff out the pom-pom.  Fluff one side of the pom-pom and then the other side.

The tissue paper might begin to tear during this step.  Try to go slowly, so if you do notice a tear you can stop it before it gets bigger.  The rips usually blend into the pom-pom, but they still aren’t fun to get.

Adjust the fluffs until you get it just right, and you are done!  It only takes about 10 minutes to make your own tissue paper pom-pom!  Quick and easy at it’s best!

I used these pom-poms for my daughters Pancake and Pajamas birthday party.  It’s such a fun, cheap decoration.  My favorite part of making these pom-poms are that their are so many fun and beautiful colors to choose from.  The look can be very different depending on the colors that you choose.

Make sure to check out my video below for another tissue paper pom-pom tutorial!

Related Articles:

How to Make a Rice Bag Heating Pad

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

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I hope you love these DIY tissue paper pom-poms!

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Halloween is just around the corner!  I love this time of year; I love the pumpkins, the crisp cool air, the changing leaves, and the excitement in my children.  My kids love to dress up and run around the neighborhood trick or treating.  The urge to craft came on strong the other day and I decided it would be so fun to make my kids new bags for trick or treating.  I wanted to create something cute, but also simple and frugal (because that’s how I roll!).  I came up with the idea of this DIY trick or treat bag.  I’ll be honest with you….it was even EASIER than I originally had planned!  (win!)

Disclosure:  “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

My favorite thing about this tutorial is that it is an easy craft projects for non sewers, but comes out looking professional!

The first thing you will need to do to make this no sew Trick or Treat bag is to gather all of your supplies.

Supplies Needed:

• –Canvas Craft Tote
•  Scrap fabric (I chose Halloween colors)
• Wonder Under
•  Iron/ironing board
•  Pattern for tracing

Find Your Pattern

Now that you have gathered your supplies it’s time to find your pattern.  You can choose any design, picture or pattern.  It doesn’t even need to be Halloween related!  

When we were choosing patterns I asked my kids what picture they wanted on each of their bags.  My daughter requested a cat and my son asked for a spider, so those are the patterns I searched for.

You can easily find patterns by searching on google, they are fairly easy to find.  Just type in the pattern that you want.  For example, if you want to use a spider just type in, “spider tracing pattern.”  You will find many different patterns to choose from!

Another great option for patterns is to look at clip art in Microsoft Word.

Once you have found the pattern you want to use, print it and cut it out.

Prepare Your Design

Next you will need to transfer the pattern onto your chosen fabric.  I recommend following the directions on your wonder under fusing, they are all a little different.

When I transferred my pattern I cut out a large square of wonder under (large enough to cover the entire shape), and ironed the rough side onto the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I used my tracing pattern to trace the shape onto the paper side of the wonder under.

Once the pattern is traced, cut the picture out (fabric and all), fabric scissors are really helpful to cut out the fabric.

Lastly, gently pull off the paper backing of the wonder under.

Iron On The Picture

Now, center your cut out fabric picture on the bag where you want it.  Use a warm iron to iron the picture to the bag.  The wonder under fusing will fuse the fabric to the bag, making it stick.

I have found that holding the iron steady for 5-10 seconds over each section of the picture helps give the applique a nice firm hold.

That’s it!  You’re done!  See, I told you it would be easy!!  It probably took me a total of one hour to finish both bags!  Quick crafting, is my type of crafting!  Imagine all the fun designs and fabric you could iron onto a bag!  So many fun ideas!

In Conclusion

Use your imagination when making this DIY Trick or Treat Bag.  There are so many fun possibilities.  You could iron on a pumpkin, ghost, witch hat, bat, skeleton, or fun lettering.

I can’t wait to watch my kids go trick or treating with their new bags!

Related Articles:

Easy Pumpkin Craft Tutorial For a Fun Fall Decoration

Fall Bucket List for Families

Monster Rice Krispie Treats

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I hope you love this DIY Trick or Treat Bag as much as we did!

The post DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial appeared first on Sweet Frugal Life.

I just spent a wonderful week with my sister in the mountains.  We took walks, watched movies, played games, and enjoyed getting out of our daily routines.  There is really nothing I love more than a quiet week away.  My sister planned such a fun craft with nature items, a nature bookmark!  I loved it so much and felt like it would be perfect for camping craft or a home school nature study.

This nature craft got the kids outside exploring and kept them quiet inside for a few hours creating.

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Nature Bookmark Supplies

To make this easy craft with nature items you will need to collect a few supplies.  You will need:

• Self Laminating Pouches
• Nature items, such as flowers and leaves.
• Ribbon
• Paper towels
• Scissors

First, a Nature Walk

Before making your bookmark you need to go on a nature walk.  This is my favorite part!!

As you spend time exploring outside collect a few flowers, leaves, and any other beautiful thing you find.  Make sure to get a good variety to help you design the perfect bookmark.

Press Flowers

After your nature walk, bring your treasures back home to begin making your bookmark. 

This first thing you will need to do is press your flowers for a full 24 hours to allow them to dry out.

No worries, this is really simple to do!

Just lay your flowers and leaves out on a paper towel and then put another paper towel on top.  Layer books on top of your paper towel to help press them flat.

Keep your flowers under the books for at least 24 hours.  This is important!  We weren’t patient enough and skipped this step.  Which resulted in flowers that weren’t dry.

Making Your Bookmark

Once you have finished drying your flowers for a full 24 hours it’s time to design your bookmark, this is the fun part!

Get out the self laminating pouches and lay them flat on the table.  Cut it in two, this way you will get two bookmarks from each pouch.

Lay your nature collection down on the non sticky part of the pouch.  You can play around for a few minutes until you have the perfect design.  My kids really loved using their creativity for this part.

Once you have your flowers laid exactly how you want them (be sure about this!), put the sticky part of the pouch on top. 

This part was tricky!  It is hard to redo any mistakes, so you will want to take your time and be exact.  Our kids needed a lot of parental help with this part.

Slowly peel off the backing of the pouch as you gently place the sticky side on top of the flowers.  Press and seal as you are gently peeling it off.

• Related:  Easy Fourth of July Craft: Fireworks Stamping

After you are done laminating and sealing, cut the bookmark to your ideal shape, punch a hole through the top and thread a ribbon through the hole.  That’s it, you’re done!

In Conclusion

This was a really fun craft with nature items.  My kids have all been so proud of their bookmarks and I can’t wait to try this craft again.  It was the perfect way to get outside and preserve the beauty in nature.  I hope your kiddos enjoy it as much as we did!

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Pin this craft so you can do it again!

Have fun making this craft with nature items!

The post Easy Craft With Nature Items: Nature Bookmark Tutorial appeared first on Sweet Frugal Life.

The other day my son asked me how to make a rice bag heating pad.  I was so excited he asked!  It was a fun sewing project to do together.  A rice bag heating pad is so quick and easy to whip up, I knew this would be the perfect project for a beginner sewer.

We love to use these rice bags in the winter to warm up the beds or as a heating pad for body aches and pains.  All you have to do is heat the bag in the microwave for a few minutes and you have a heating pad!

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Easy Rice Bag Heating Pad Tutorial

Here is how to make a rice bag heating pad.  Don’t worry, it’s easy!

1.  Gather Your Supplies

Before starting to sew your rice bag, gather up all of your supplies.

You will need:

• 1/4 yard fleece fabric (For the outer shell.  You can use cotton, but we like the bag to be soft and cozy.)
• 1/4 yard plain cotton fabric (this will be your inner shell)
• Uncooked Rice (we eye balled the amount we used, but it was probably around 4 cups)
• Sewing Machine
• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Ruler

2.  Cut Your Fabric

Now that you have found all of your supplies, it’s time to start making the rice bag heating pad.

With your rotary cutter cut two pieces of fleece fabric and two pieces of cotton fabric to a size of  6 inches by 12 inches.  You will have 4 cut pieces of fabric in all.

3.  Sew Cotton Fabric

The cotton fabric will be the lining that goes inside of your bag.  

Lay the two cut pieces of cotton fabric on top of each other, so all sides match up.  You won’t see this fabric once the bag is finished, so it doesn’t matter if right sides are together or not.

Pin the two pieces together to help it not to shift while sewing.

Sew together, leaving one of the smaller sides open for the rice.  We sewed around the bag twice to make sure there were no holes.  You don’t want any rice to fall out!

4.  Sew Fleece Fabric

Next, you will need to sew your fleece fabric.

To do this, just follow the same steps you followed in step 3.

Pin your two cut pieces of fleece together, but this time make sure the right sides (pretty side) of the fabric are touching.

Now, sew three sides of the fleece fabric together.  Leave one of the smaller edges open.

5.  Putting it Together

Now, it’s time to put your bag together.

Turn your fleece fabric bag right-side out, so that the seam is on the inside of the bag.

Next, insert your cotton bag inside the fleece bag.

Open up your un-sewed side of the cotton bag and fill it with rice.  We just kept dumping until the bag was about 3/4 full.  You can eye ball this part until you think the bag is mostly full.

Take your rice bag to your sewing machine and sew the unfinished side of the cotton bag.  This does not need to look good, no one will ever see it, but do make sure it is sewed well by stitching over it a few times.

Once the cotton bag is all sewed up, it’s time to finish up the fleece bag.

Push the unfinished edges of your fleece bag into the bag to form a nice fold on top.  Pin the folds down to keep them in place.

Sew over the folds to give the bag a nice closure.  Make sure to back stitch thoroughly so the bag doesn’t come apart.

Your bag is now finished!

See how easy that was?!?!

My son was so excited and proud of himself.  We have already used this bag multiple times.

These rice bag heating pads make the best gifts for teachers, neighbors and friends.

How to Heat Your Rice Bag

It’s so easy to heat up your rice bag!  Just put it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  That’s it!  Enjoy your nice, soft heating pad to ease those sore muscles or to help warm up your bed.

Let me know if you have any questions about how to make a rice bag heating pad.  I hope you love them as much as we do.

Rice Bag Heating Pad Easy Instructions

Print

Rice Bag Heating Pad Tutorial

Easy DIY Heating Pad

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 1 rice bag

Equipment

• 1/4 yard fleece fabric
• 1/4 yard plain cotton fabric
• Uncooked Rice
• Sewing Machine
• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Ruler

Ingredients

• 1/4 yard fleece fabric
• 1/4 yard plain cotton fabric
• Uncooked Rice
• Sewing Machine
• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Ruler

Instructions

• With your rotary cutter cut two pieces of fleece and two pieces of cotton fabric to a size of  6 inches by 12 inches. 
• Lay the two cut pieces of cotton fabric one on top of the other, so all sides match up.
• Pin the two pieces together to help it not to shift while sewing.
• Sew together, leaving one of the smaller sides open.
• Lay the two pieces of fleece fabric one on top of the other with the right sides of the fabric touching in the middle.
• Pin fleece together to help it not shift while sewing.
• Sew fleece fabric leaving one of the smaller sides open.
• Turn the fleece fabric bag right-side out.
• Insert the cotton bag inside the fleece bag.
• Open up your unsewed side of the cotton bag and fill it with rice.
• Sew the cotton bag opening shut.
• Fold the opened side of the fleece bag in to make a nice seam. Sew it shut.

Notes

To use rice bag heat it in microwave for 2 minutes.

This can be used and used again.

Enjoy!

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How to Make A Yarn Pom-Pom Garland

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Pin For Future Reference:

I hope this helped you understand how to make a rice bag heating pad.

The post How to Make a Rice Bag Heating Pad appeared first on Sweet Frugal Life.

Are you looking for some easy rock painting ideas for kids?  I have you covered with this fun twist on painting rocks for kids.

If you have been reading for a while you know that I am all about simple and frugal activities for kids.  Mom life is HARD and BUSY and did I mention HARD.  So, if I can come up with fun activities for my kids that require very little prep, I am all for it!  Which is exactly why I love this easy rock craft.  It checks off all the boxes for a fun, cheap craft for the kids.

This activity of “painting” rocks is one of my favorites.  It gets the kids outside and lets them use their creativity at the same time.  Plus, it’s totally free!

How To Make Hot Rocks Craft

This easy rock painting idea for kids starts with an old fashioned rock hunt.  I encourage my kids to find a large and smooth rock, they usually just grab whichever one catches their eye first!  Either way totally works.  (See, simple right?!?!)

After finding the perfect rock, it’s time to bake it!  And yes, I totally mean you bake it!

Place the rock into a hot oven and let it “cook” until the rock gets hot.  I usually turn the oven on to about 400 degrees and bake them for about 15 minutes.  There really is no science here, you just want the rock hot.

• Related:  50 Free Screen Free Summer Kids Activities

Once the rock is hot, take it out of the oven using a hot pad and place it on a paper plate, paper towel, newspaper, etc. 

Now, let your kids color on the hot rock with crayons.  The crayons will melt as they are colored onto the rock.  It is so fun to watch the colors mix together, they make such pretty designs.

After you are done “painting” let the rock cool and dry.  You will be left with a fun colored rock, we have a collection of these outside.  My kids are always eager to add a new rock to their loved collection.

Another thing that we enjoy doing with our painted rocks is to hide them around the city for others to find.  It is a popular activity in our area.  My kids love hiding their rocks and checking to see if they have been found, and we love finding others rocks in local playgrounds and areas.

Happy Rock Painting!

That’s it!  See how easy this rock painting idea is!  No paints required!  Let me know if you try this easy rock painting idea for kids.  I would love to hear how it went!  Your kids will love this new take on painting rocks.

You might be interested in these other articles:

How to Make Your Very Own Pom-Pom Garland

Yarn Hearts: An Easy Valentine Craft for Kids

Peanut Butter Play Dough Recipe

Don’t forget to pin for future reference:

What other easy rock painting ideas for kids do you have?

The post Easy Rock Painting Ideas For Kids appeared first on Sweet Frugal Life.