Easy and Fun Arts and Crafts Birthday Party for Kids

My daughter loved to draw and paint, bead, work with clay, and generally do a lot of artsy creative things, so preparing for this party was super easy. We started by digging through our art cabinet, and taking stock of the supplies we already have. In our house we have loads of crayons, markers, and paint boxes, as I stock up on them at Back to School Sales. We also have lots of different type of paper. There are boxes of beads, containers of clay, stamps and ink pads, yarn, tissue paper, stencils and bunch of little boxes and bags full of sequins, feathers, buttons, ribbon and other bits and pieces that somehow find their way to the cabinet. Seems like I never throw ANYTHING away.

You'd be amazed at all the things that can be turned into an art project. Coffee filters can be turned into colorful flowers, clear contact paper and colored tissue or a drawing make a great bookmark, and wax paper and crayon shavings look like stained glass when put together and ironed. I've described just how to do these projects below.

In the house and the yard I set up stations. We have an art easel, so that went up with paper on both sides, and pots of paint, brushes, and pre-cut sheets of paper. On another small table I put bowls of beads and pre-cut pieces of plastic string in both necklace and bracelet lengths. As an extra bonus, I bought some alphabet beads so the guests could string their names. Crayons, markers, stencils, stamps, stamp pads and paper went on another table, along with bowls of buttons, glitter, ribbon, sequins and tubes of glue. I also added some old magazines and scissors. The kids made wild collages with the supplies.

I also set up a few specific projects that needed to be monitored. For these I hired a neighborhood teen to help me out. The first was a "stained glass" pencil cup. The second was a bookmark made with clear contact paper, a picture and yarn.

The kids went to the different projects as they felt like it, and created some really neat pieces.

I made a drying rack for painted projects using my laundry drying rack and clothes pins, and laid a sheet out for the 3 dimensional projects to dry.

The kids were able to keep their clothes semi-clean by wearing cover ups made from my husband's old workshirts- worn backwards with the sleeves cut short.

Goodie bags were simple- boxes of crayons, a box of watercolors and some stickers.

The birthday party was a success. The kids all went home happy, and loaded down with projects that they had made, and a few supplies to do more at home.

Birthday Party Invitations were easy. We printed them up ourselves using card stock.

My daughter added a special drawing to each one.

You can even have your child draw a picture, scan it up onto your computer, and print it out on the invitation. Be creative!

Also, let the guests know that things might get messy! The kids will be using markers, glue, paint and glitter, so comfy play clothes are best.

The birthday cake was super easy to make. Just bake your favorite box mix cake in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Cut it out in the shape of an artist's palette- an oval with a bit cut out for the thumb. I frosted it white. Then put dabs of food colored gel frosting around the edge.

I finished it by laying a clean paint brush across the top. (One of the kids wanted to paint with it!!) Then topped it with candles.

The rest of the food planning was simple, besides the cake and ice cream, I put out a big bowl of grapes and some colorful goldfish crackers for snacking. .

This one is best done with a little supervision if the kids are very young.

supplies
Jars- either buy a set of canning jars, or use cleaned out glass jars from the recycling bin
colored tissue paper- like the kind that comes with presents- you can buy, or recycle used paper
White glue
Paint brush

Preparation
Cover the table with an old plastic tablecloth (maybe one from the last birthday party) newspaper won't work, since it sticks.
Cut or tear the colored tissue into small bits, different shapes are ok, no bigger than 1 inch square. Put the pieces in a big bowl.
Pour glue in a bowl.

Each child gets a jar and a paint brush. Dip the brush into the glue, and paint it onto a part of the jar, not too thick. And it's good to work with just a few square inches at a time. Stick different colors of tissue paper onto the glue. When the glue is covered with paper, go to the next space and do it again.
Once the whole jar is covered with tissue paper, go over the whole jar with the glue brush again, remember, not to thick. Be careful about doing the bottom, or it will stick to the tablecloth. Maybe work the top, then when it dries, work the bottom.
Once it's dry, use the jar for pencils, or whatever.

This is such an easy project, but the results are beautiful.

Supplies Needed
white coffee filters- the round fluted kind, not the triangular ones
felt tip markers
pipe cleaners

additionally-
water- either in an eye dropper or in a spray bottle set to mist

Have the kids color the coffee filters with the markers. Simple patterns work best as the design will be spread.
Once they finished coloring, they can drop water onto the coffee filters. The ink will spread to sort of a tie dye design.
Play with the amounts of water and marker, there is no wrong way. Every time will be different.
Set them to dry on some newspaper or paper towels

When they are dry, grab them at the center, and squeeze the outside up so it looks like a flower. Bend the end of the pipe cleaner around the center bit to act as a stem.

Let the kids make a bouquet. They can even use the stained glass pencil holder as a vase.

This project is so dang easy, and my daughters friends LOVED doing it. They even asked to do it at later play dates.
You can be as creative as you want to be.

supplies needed
CLEAR contact paper
yarn
scissors
hole punch

and this is where you can get creative-

tissue paper- cut or torn into small pieces
colored construction paper
photos
pictures from magazines
pressed flowers
markers or crayons

There are a few different ways you can do this-
The first is to make a sort of stained glass out of bits of colored tissue paper. Peel away the backing on a piece of clear contact paper, around 3 by 8 inches. Cover the sticky contact paper with bits of tissue. They can overlap. Peel open and lay a second piece of clear contact paper on top of the first. Press together. Trim the edges up so that it's about 2 by 7 inches. Using the hole punch, pop in a hole around an inch from the top. Fold a 12 inch string of yarn, and feed it through the hole. Tie a knot in the yarn at the top of the bookmark. Done.

other suggestions-
Cover a piece of decorated construction paper with the contact paper
Make a collage of magazine pictures
Dried flowers are beautiful when covered
put a photo of the child on a piece of construction paper, have them write something along the lines of "I love you grandma", and instant present

go crazy, let them put whatever they want under the contact paper.
you can even go big, and let them make place mats using photos or old greeting cards or christmas cards.

Super Easy!!

This birthday party project needs an adult or responsible teen to help with, because you are working with a hot Iron. It is, however, a FANTASTIC way to get rid of all of those old crayon bits that hang around.

Supplies Needed
Crayons- the old broken ones that no one wants to use anymore are perfect
Crayon or Pencil sharpener
Wax Paper
Construction Paper or Card Stock

additionally
Iron- set to medium hot
Ironing board- cover it with an old pillowcase
scissors
glue

First put the kids to work sharpening all of the crayons out of existance. The bits should be shaved into different bowls by color.
Tear off a piece of wax paper, and lay it on the ironing board.The size of the paper is up to you. If it curls up, tape it down. Let the kid put the shaved crayon bits in thin-ish layer on the paper. Cover it carefully with another piece of wax paper. Iron them together. Let cool.

When it is cooled, trim the project to whatever size or shape you want. You can make a frame out of construction paper or card stock, glue it to both sides. Hang in the window to catch the light.

You can also use this method to make greeting cards. Just fold the cardstock in half, cut a window in one half, and write on the other side.