Shell Creature Craft

Here is another simple craft idea that Mia made at her school's Art Night tonight. She dubbed this little friend a "shell creature." I love the smoochy lips and long eyelashes that she drew. This craft reminded me a bit of when we painted rocks, although there was no paint involved tonight, which made it even simpler and less messy. This is definitely a good craft for kids of almost any age to enjoy.

{Shell Creature by Mia, Age 6}

Materials:

• sea shells
• googly eyes
• glue dots
• craft foam
• permanent markers
• scissors (optional)

Directions: 

1. Use glue dots to adhere googly eyes to a clean, dry shell. I think a smoother surface would work better, but we didn't test this on a bumpy shell, so I don't know for sure. Tip: Instead of trying to peel off the glue dot with your fingers, place the back of the googly eye directly onto the glue dot and then peel it off and place it on top of the shell.
2. Draw the creature's face. Permanent markers work well for drawing noses, mouths, eye lashes, and other features.
3. Add more decorations as desired. Mia included some craft foam hearts, which were also attached with glue dots. You could add many other items such as other possible materials: beads, buttons, sequins, yarn, ribbon, small pebbles, and construction paper, for example. Use scissors to cut shapes from paper or foam, or trim lengths of yarn for hair. 
4. Make several shell creatures and find a fun way to display your new friends.

Bottle Cap Stamps

Got milk? If you're like me, you save all the bottle caps in case you need them for a project. Here is a fun way to get some use out of all those milk bottle caps you have collected. (Caps from pop, water, or juice bottles will work, too.) I found this idea on Pinterest and decided we had to try it. The blogger who originated this says to use self-adhesive foam, but we had more of the regular foam shapes, so we just applied them with glue. This turned out to be ideal for making letter stamps, which are the perfect crafting tool for a preschooler.

Materials Needed:

• bottle caps
• craft foam shapes
• glue (unless using self-adhesive foam)

Directions:
If using self-adhesive foam shapes, simply peel off backing and adhere to the back of a bottle cap. If using regular foam, apply a small amount of glue and then affix to the bottle cap. Allow glue to dry before trying out your stamps. 

Tips:

• If you want to use foam letters (or numbers), I recommend not using the self-adhesive kind. Unless you want your letters to be read backward, you will need to apply glue to the front of the letter (or number) --as you would normally see it-- and then attach to the bottle cap. This way you will get the reverse (correct) image of your letter (or number).
• While ink pads are the simplest way to use your newly created stamps, you can also try them with paint or even markers. (With markers, you have to work quickly, before the pigment can dry. Breathing some little "huffs" of hot air on the ink can temporarily re-moisten it if you need a bit more time.)
• Can't find craft foam shapes that you like? Purchase adhesive foam sheets from a craft store and create your own shapes.
• For more ideas on DIY craft foam stamps, see my previous post.