Here are some fun ideas for kids to get involved with and they'll love having something to show off at the end.  As always we've tried to keep your investment to a minimum.  

EASY TASSLE FLOWERS

You can help your grandkids make a beautiful bouquet for their Mum with just some knitting yarn, pipe cleaners and a fork. Courtesy of Brendid.com.

You'll need

• yellow yarn
• green yarn
• green pipe cleaners
• fabric glue or hot glue gun
• scissors
• serving fork, 1-1.5 inches wide

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Tassles are easy to make with a fork, but it may take a little practice to get the hang of the technique. Don't get discouraged, you’ll soon be a tassle-making pro!

• Gather materials.
• Place a pipe cleaner along one side of your fork.
• Wrap the fork and pipe cleaner with yellow yarn. Be careful to keep the area of wrapped yarn about 1 inch wide.
• Wrap the yarn 25-30 times around the fork.
• Twist the pipe cleaner together around the end of the yarn. Wrap it 3 times down the stem and then back up toward the flower ( you are forming the base of the stem).
• Cut a 4-inch piece of green yarn and tie it around the base of the flower (between the last tine of the fork). Remove the tassle from the fork.
• Knot the green yarn tightly two (2) times.
• Trim the ends of the green yarn close to the knot.
• Cut an 8-inch piece of green yarn. Add a dot of glue near the green knot and attach the green yarn. Wrap the flower from the green knot down to the stem, wrapping the yarn close together so no yellow yarn shows.
• Wrap the green yarn until it is about 1/4 inch from the end, add a dot of glue to the flower base and secure the end of the yarn.
• Cut the loops of the yellow yarn with scissors.
• Use a fork or metal tool to fray the yarn slightly.
• Fluff the top of your flower and trim any stray threads.
• Enjoy your dandelion!

You can make different flowers by changing the colour of the yarn.  Think blue for cornflowers, pink for carnations, white for daisies or just about any colour for chrysanthemums. ​

PAPER FISH

Here's a very simple paper craft that is very effective.

You'll need:

• Coloured paper of various shades.
• Scissors
• Glue
• Felt pen

What to do:

• Start by cutting a piece of card a little more than twice as long as it is wide.
• Fold the piece in half and the cut one end to a point and the other in a curve.
• Now cut five parallel lines from the pointed end three quarters of the way toward the curved end.
• Fold the centre two strips you have produced on over the other and glue them together.
• Repeat with the next two strips at a more acute angle and glue.
• Finally fold the two outside strips across at a greater angle again and glue.
• Draw on some eyes and fins with the felt pen and you have your cute coloured fish.

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UNICORN PUPPETS

Courtesy of iheartcraftythings.com.

​You'll need:

• white heavy cardstock
• silver cardstock
• 3/4-inch circle punch
• small googly eyes
• multi-colored yarn
• hole punch
• pink marker
• scissors
• tacky glue
• glue stick

What to do:

• From your white heavy cardstock, cut out a unicorn body, neck and head, and two ears. See the picture collage below for reference. Cut out a shiny silver horn from your silver cardstock.
• Punch four 3/4-inch holes in the bottom of the unicorn body with your circle punch. These are the puppet holes for your fingers.
• Glue the unicorn head and neck onto the body. Then glue on your ears and unicorn horn.
• Cut several small pieces of multi-colored yarn. Put a line of tacky glue along the back of the unicorn neck and right at the top of the head and glue on all of your yarn pieces.
• Punch out a hole at the end of the unicorn body with your hole punch so you can attach a tail. Cut a strand of yarn, probably about a foot long. I just cut it to a length where I had several different colors showing. Fold the piece of yarn in half. Thread the folded end of the yarn up through the tail hole so that you’ll have a loop. Thread the other end of the yarn through the loop and pull it closed tightly around the tail hole. See picture collage above for reference. Cut off any excess yarn at the end of the tail.
• Finish your playful unicorn puppets by gluing on a googly eye and using your pink marker to draw a nostril and mouth on your unicorn.
• Place four fingers into the holes on the bottom of the unicorn body and gallop, gallop your gorgeous and magical unicorn puppets all over your house. 

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