Friday Fun

About the projects

Friday Fun is all about simple craft projects for family, classroom and group craft time. Some families are setting aside a time each week for family crafting fun. In some communities Friday Craft Nights have become quite popular. Why not join in the fun?

The projects range in difficulty from VERY EASY to AVERAGE.

Browse down this page for descriptions and illustrations of the projects, then select a project and have some crafting fun!

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  Square Petal Envelope - Learn a surprising technique for making square petal envelopes. These simple envelopes are inspired by Japanese gift wraps and require little or no adornment. They are great for wrapping flat packages or gift cards.

  AVERAGE

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  Patriotic Star Garland - Cut five-pointed stars from red, white and blue paper and string them to make a garland! Use the garland to decorate for Memorial Day, Flag Day or the Fourth of July.

  EASY

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  Seal Gum Recipe - Learn how to make homemade seal gum for stickers and envelopes. With this adhesive you will be able to make your own stickers from ordinary paper. Make stickers from drawings or stamped images, clipart or pictures cut from wrapping paper—the sky's the limit! This lick and stick adhesive also works great on handmade envelopes.

  VERY EASY

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  Memory Game - Make a set of cards for the game of memory. This is a fun and very easy project that young kids really love doing! It is great for families or groups, and with a little preparation by the adult or teen leaders, this project is fast and fun.

  VERY EASY

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  Origami Flying Bird - A bow isn't the only way to top off a gift package. All it takes is a square of paper and a few folds to make an origami bird to decorate your present.  The flying bird has fewer folds than most origami birds. This makes it an ideal origami craft project for beginning folders and children.

  EASY

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  Sticker Fun - Not only does every child love stickers, but stickers are also an easy way to decorate and personalize any of your handcrafted cards or printed output. Whether it's a card, letter, certificate or photo, a sticker is a fun way to liven things up! Use Aunt Annie's sticker sheets or design your own stickers to use, share and trade!

  VERY EASY

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  Washcloth Bath Bags - Sew up a nifty bag for your bath from a washcloth and ribbon. Put soap or bath salts inside and relax in a sudsy tub of warm water. But don't stop there! The bath bags also double as bath mitts for the kids. They also make great gift bags for handmade soaps!

  VERY EASY

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  Homemade Modeling Dough Recipe - Squishable, squeezable, and versatile, this easy to make modeling dough can be crafted into paintable masterpieces or reused many times as a play dough. Add color with a few drops of food coloring and see what sculptures you can create!

  EASY

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  Layered Soaps - In this project, learn how to make soaps with different colored layers using the melt and pour soap making technique. You can create guest soaps in colors to match your kitchen or bath decor or to give as a special gift. The whole family can have fun making soaps.

  EASY

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  Clip Art Bag Puppets - More puppet fun! This time using clip art to make paper bag puppets. Quick, easy and fun activity for families and groups.

  VERY EASY

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  Jumping Origami Bunny - This funny bunny paper craft can be folded in just a few steps. Press down on his back to watch him "spring" up! The bunny is a twist on the traditional origami leaping frog.

  AVERAGE

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  Easy Paper Snowflakes - Learn an easy way to make snowflakes from tissue paper. With this technique you can make a whole flurry of snowflakes in a hurry! Using tissue paper makes cutting through many layers easier, but you can use any lightweight paper you like.

  EASY

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  Paper Flowers - See how easy it is to make paper flowers. It requires no patterns and uses simple materials. This is a skill well worth learning!

  EASY

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  Paper Mosaic - Learn how to make paper mosaics to decorate crafts and give as gifts, while recycling the paper scraps from other projects. Make one for Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa.

  VERY EASY to EASY

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  Valentine's Day Pins - Create plaster of Paris pins using simple candy molds, pin backs and paint. Choose a candy mold with heart shapes to create beautiful Valentine's Day pins to give as presents to your loved ones.

  EASY

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  Keepsake Booklets - Gather those stacks of school papers together and make them into a quick and easy booklet. This simple technique can be used to make booklets of all sorts—diaries, collections of articles and clippings, school reports and more.

  EASY

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  Punched Bookmarks - Recycle those paper scraps! Turn leftover paper into simple and beautiful bookmarks using a hole punch. This project is great for family, classroom or group craft time. It requires no patterns and uses simple materials.

  VERY EASY

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  Snowflake Window Stencils - Paper snowflakes and a little dab of paint go together to decorate your windows. Even the youngest children in a family or group can help with this project by dabbing paint on the stencils.

  EASY

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  Candy Cane Reindeer - Children will enjoy transforming a candy cane into a reindeer using a few craft supplies and a bit of glue. This reindeer is a great decoration for the tree or a fun party favor. It's a craft that has long been a holiday favorite for kids and teachers alike.

  EASY

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  Chocolate Spoons - It's easy and fast to make these tasty treats, then wrap them up with ribbon and cellophane. Use these fancy spoons to add a special touch to a dinner party, make a unique hostess gift, or brighten someone's day! Make mocha coffee in a flash by using a chocolate spoon to stir hot milk into your coffee!

  EASY

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  Paper Angel Chains - Create a chain of paper angels by cutting folded paper strips. It's just like folding and cutting paper doll chains! The angels stand on their own and can be used to add some sparkle anywhere you are doing some holiday decorating!

  VERY EASY

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  Tissue Paper Painting - Make colorful tissue paper with this super easy technique. Simply pleat a piece of tissue paper and paint the folded edges. Repeat the process once or twice to create an even more exciting design! The painted tissue paper may be used to wrap packages, to cover box lids, line envelopes, and in greeting cards, suncatchers, collages, and much more.

  EASY

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  Miniature Christmas Tree Ornament - A simple cone of paper can be made into an ornament in the form of a Christmas tree that everyone will enjoy. With just a few standard supplies, you and your children can make and decorate these little paper Christmas trees.

  EASY

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  Pine Cone Turkey - Turn a pine cone into a colorful turkey to brighten your Thanksgiving table. This is an easy craft project for children that can be combined with some outdoor fun. Take a walk in the woods to find pine cones; then, with a little pipe cleaner and glue magic, turn them into little turkeys.

  EASY

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  Thanksgiving Napkin Rings - Thanksgiving is a time for the family to gather and share experiences. You can start the sharing by making these simple napkin rings with your child. Not only will you have fun, but you will also make something special for the Thanksgiving table. Use the same basic idea with simple variations for other holidays. 

  EASY

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  Stained Glass Leaves - The colors of fall are warm and cheerful. Capture these colors with this stained glass-like decoration! Combine the craft with a walk through the woods for an enjoyable fall afternoon.

  EASY

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  Halloween Trick or Treat Bags - It's quick and easy to make trick or treat bags in any size you like to collect treats as you go from door to door. All it takes is a stack of books and a sheet of paper to make the basic bag. You can also create smaller bags for Halloween party goodies or to hand out to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door!

  EASY

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  Halloween Treat Bags - Give your Halloween trick-or-treaters a colorful handmade bag filled with treats! Each bag holds several pieces of candy, two cookies, some caramel corn or a small toy. They are great for Halloween party favors, too!

  VERY EASY

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  Creepy-Crawly Spider Bracelet - Make a creepy, crawly spider that can wiggle and twist about with a few movements of the wrist. Traced fingers are the basis for this animated spider toy, and a paper fastener allows it to swivel around. This is a fun and easy Halloween project that is especially good for mixed-age groups of children. 

  VERY EASY

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  Pencil Toppers - It’s fun and easy to make original pencil toppers with Homemade Modeling Dough. Make a simple dough in less then 15 minutes, and use your fingers to shape fun, fanciful, or beautiful creations of your own design. Aunt Annie has included suggestions for creating easy, silly and cute pencil toppers.

  EASY

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  Paper Doll Chains - Create a chain of paper dolls by cutting multi-folded paper strips. Learn this basic paper cutting technique with paper dolls then, let your imagination run wild! Cut paper chains with themes for every season and every special event. They make great decorations for parties, classrooms and your home.

  VERY EASY

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  Shiny Paper Beads - See how easy it is to recycle paper scraps and magazines to make colorful paper beads. After winding the paper into beads and varnishing them for a shiny finish and durability, the beads can be strung into bracelets, necklaces and even beaded room dividers!

  EASY

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  Thaumatrope (or Mini-movie) - Kids will have fun making this spinning toy known as a thaumatrope (or mini-movie.) It appears to magically create one picture from two and demonstrates one of the visual concepts behind movies.

  EASY

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  Clip Art or Photo Puppets - Create simple puppets using clip art, magazine photos, cutouts from coloring books or photos you have taken.

  VERY EASY

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  Ring Toss Game - Make rings and stakes for the game of ring toss. Find out how far and how accurately you can throw a set of rope rings with the classic game of ring toss. Play it inside at a party, or outdoors at a picnic or cookout! Aunt Annie includes a set of rules so everyone knows how to play.

  EASY

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  Chinese Paper Lanterns - Chinese paper lanterns make colorful and inexpensive decorations. Best of all, they are so quick and easy you can get the kids involved in making them. Follow the simple instructions in this craft project to make colorful lanterns using a single sheet of paper.

  VERY EASY

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  Trinket Box - Use recycled materials to make this trinket box. All it takes to make this cutie are empty cardboard tubes, a cereal box and scraps of ribbon or paper. You are sure to want to make more than one!

  AVERAGE

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  Finger Painting - Follow this simple recipe for making finger paints and then get creative! The kids (and grown-ups, too) will have great fun smearing paint on paper and creating fanciful pictures.

  EASY

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  Mix-and-Match Cards - Just a few simple materials and a little instruction is all it takes to make a set of mix-and-match cards. Cut all the cards into three pieces and mix them up to make funny faces. Giggles are a sure thing!

  VERY EASY

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  God's Eye - If you are looking for a craft that kids love and is great for groups, look no further. God’s Eyes are made with just a few supplies and even small children get wonderful results.

  VERY EASY

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  Picture Puzzles - Turn drawings, photographs or any image you love into a picture puzzle. This is a simple craft for groups of children. Why not have each child make a puzzle and then trade the puzzles back and forth so everyone has the chance to work several puzzles.

  VERY EASY

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  Bubble Print Paper - Use paint and bubble blowing liquid to make this kid-safe alternative for marbled paper. With this technique you will make pastel prints of soap bubbles on paper that then can be used for other craft projects.

  EASY

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  Spy Glass Color Wheel - Use red, blue and yellow cellophane to make a color wheel that teaches about combining the primary colors. Have your child see how many colors can be made by overlapping the cellophane layers. To see even more colors, the color wheel doubles as a spy glass that your child can look through to make the colors around them change.

  EASY

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  Fourth of July Crackers - Make a Fourth of July cracker that goes POP! See how to make this novelty box that is shaped like a firecracker and makes a pop sound without any fire. Best of all, you can use it over and over again! It makes a great party favor or fun gift box. Use it for any celebration, not just the 4th.

  AVERAGE

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  Stars and Stripes Pennant Banner - Make red, white and blue pennants with stars and stripes, then string them together to create a banner. The banner can be used to decorate inside or outside for the 4th of July or anytime you have a patriotic theme party.

  EASY

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  Simple Father's Day Cards - Don’t yell it, spell it! Handmade cards for Dad that spell out “D-A-D” are an easy Father’s Day craft project with results that Dad will cherish. Kids will have fun making these simple paper cutout cards and giving them as gifts, and Dad will appreciate the love and effort put into them.

  VERY EASY

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  Tic-Tac-Toe Travel Game - Make a reusable tic-tac-toe game board to play on long car rides, at a park or on the beach.  This simple to make game board, and playing pieces, easily packs in a backpack to play any time or place!

  VERY EASY

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  Circly Snake  - Link rings of construction paper together to form a long multi-colored snake that makes a terrific decoration hung from the ceiling, draped around the room, or framing a bulletin board. Turn the activity into a contest to see who can make the longest snake, create the funniest (or scariest) snake, or the most creative snake.

  VERY EASY

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  Easy Mother's Day Cards  - Mom will love these pretty cards with simple paper cutouts that spell out "M-O-M." Use whatever crafty things you have on hand to add your special creative touch.

  VERY EASY

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  Bath Buddies - In no time flat, you and your kids can make enough soap buddies for weeks of bath time fun! Kids of all ages enjoy the squishy fun of making little soaps in a variety of shapes and colors. Shape them into balls or create cute shapes with soap molds.

  VERY EASY

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  Sweet Strawberries - Make strawberries from walnuts in the shell that are painted red. This is a quick and easy project that both kids and adults will have fun doing! The strawberries can be used as decorations on gifts or around the house and make a wonderful gift to brighten anyone's day!

  VERY EASY

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  Doorknob Hangers - In this project see how easy it is to make doorknob hangers to communicate with your family and friends. Create a hanger with any message and pictures you like. You might put 'Do Not Disturb' on one side and 'Wake In Time for School' on the other side. Use your imagination!

  VERY EASY

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  Simple Folded Bouquet - In this project make a pretty bouquet out of construction paper and tissue paper. No pattern is needed: just fold, cut, tape and glue! When finished, the bouquet will be stand on its own and be ready to display.

  EASY

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  Jelly Bean Carrots - This is a quick and easy craft that is sure to delight. All it takes is some jelly beans, plastic wrap, and a few odds and ends to make this sweet carrot. Add them to Easter baskets, use them as gift decorations or as party favors.

  EASY

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  Peek-a-boo Easter Egg - See how easy and fun it is to decorate the inside of an Easter egg. Lots of odds and ends can be used to make these eggs. With a little help from an adult or teen to do the snipping, children can make unique creations as an extra special Easter treat.

  AVERAGE

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  Basic Egg Dyeing - Follow the instructions in this project for a basic dye bath to color your Easter eggs. You can leave the eggs plain or marble them.

  VERY EASY

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  Washcloth Bunny - What could be more fun than making a cute little bunny for Easter? Start with a washcloth and in no time you'll have a little sweetie to  add to an Easter basket, give as a gift or as a decoration that doubles as an Easter egg holder!

  VERY EASY

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  Easter Chick Cards - See how easy it is to make an Easter card by tracing your child's hands. This is a fun project for kids of all ages. Even toddlers will enjoy this project since cutouts of their traced hands are used for the wings.

  EASY

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  Easy Pinwheel - Just in time for a breezy March day, make this colorful paper pinwheel with nothing more than paper, a pencil and a straight pin. Children of all ages will be delighted with this whirling windmill. Make several as party decorations or favors!

  EASY

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  Coin Barrettes - Use a few pennies and a store bought hair barrette back to make  these lovely hair holders. The craft is quick and simple and the results are very attractive!

  VERY EASY

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  Seed Catalog Garden - Make a garden in the middle of winter by cutting up seed catalogs. Cutting up the catalogs, making the garden, and playing with it will keep kids busy for hours.

  VERY EASY

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  Artwork Bookmarks - These bookmarks are simply made from artwork that you are willing to cut up and two pieces of clear contact paper. This is a great way to recycle your less than perfect artwork or preserve your child's treasured drawings.

  VERY EASY

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  Valentine Crown - Make this royal Valentine crown for that special someone, or as a fun party craft with a group of children. Just a few simple supplies are needed to create this very special Valentine. This craft can be used for any holiday.

  EASY

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  Love Bugs - Make cute little bugs to give as gifts. They are molded in plastic spoons using plaster of Paris. This craft is great for Valentine's Day and any gift-giving occasion. Children of all ages, even as young as two, will enjoy making these love bugs as pins or magnets.

  VERY EASY

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  Woolly Octopus - In this craft project learn the British way of making a yarn octopus. This technique is a disarmingly simple way to make a cute toy with items found in most people's homes, and it will use up those leftover scraps of wool (yarn).

  EASY

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  Snow Scene in a Jar - Whether you have snow where you live or not, you can have wintertime fun by making a wintry snow scene in a jar. All it takes is a few plastic toys, rocks, glue, glitter and water to turn a small jar into a winter wonderland where a gentle shake makes it snow.

  AVERAGE

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  Yarn Octopus - See how easy it is to make a little yarn octopus that is the perfect size, about 5 inches, to hang on your backpack. It also makes a terrific gift or craft bazaar sale item.

  EASY

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  Paper Cup Party Favor - Half the fun of giving a party is selecting a theme and making the decorations. You can easily and quickly make party favors for any theme by decorating paper or foam cups with ribbon and images printed from your computer.

  EASY

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  Gift Tag Fun - Recycle greeting cards and paper scraps into fun and unique gift tags. The whole family can join in on the cutting and pasting to make these special additions to your holiday gifts. The tags can even be grouped into packages for sale at a Christmas bazaar or for a fundraiser.

  VERY EASY

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  Milk and Cookie Placemats - Kids of all ages will have fun making these placemats that are sized for a snack of milk and cookies. Just cut out images from old greeting cards, calendars or magazines that relate to the theme for the placemat and cover with clear contact paper. That's it! Simple as eating a chocolate chip cookie. Yum!

  VERY EASY

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  Turkey Place Card  - Make a turkey for displaying Thanksgiving dinner place cards. The turkey is made with an apple, a paper napkin, some nuts and candy, and wiggly eyes. It’s fun and easy to do and all your guests will be delighted with this colorful turkey.

  EASY

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  Halloween Mobile - Mobiles of ghosts, jack-o'-lanterns, witches, bats and black cats make great decorations for Halloween. Follow the instructions in this project to make a quick and easy mobile using simple materials. After completing this project you will be able to make mobiles for any holiday or theme. 

  EASY

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  Dracula's Blood Recipe - Here's a recipe to make fake blood for Halloween. Drip some from the corners of your mouth, and in your best imitation of Dracula say, "I want your blood."

  VERY EASY

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  Vegetable and Fruit Printing - Learn how to make simple relief prints using vegetables (and fruits). This printing technique is simple enough for very young children, while being versatile enough for older children and adults. The project features the classic potato print, as well as, vegetables and fruits that are a bit less traditional in printing.

  VERY EASY

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  Magazine Holder - Here’s a craft that is fun to do, recycles empty cereal boxes, and organizes those stacks of magazines, paperback books and miscellaneous papers around the house or in your child’s bedroom.

  AVERAGE

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  Sponge Stamps and Art - Do you know that ordinary kitchen sponges can be used to make stamps? Children will want to make a variety of stamps to create artistic masterpieces for display in the refrigerator door gallery. Follow these simple instructions and you will be able to make stamps of your own design in minutes.

  EASY

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  3D Refrigerator Magnets - In this project learn how to make refrigerator magnets by painting molded shapes created by pouring plaster of Paris into candy molds. This is an ideal project for groups of varying ages and skills, and the finished magnets make great gifts!

  EASY

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  Quick Papier-mâché Pulp - Use this craft recipe to quickly make a colorful papier-mâché pulp that can be molded into shapes. This paper pulp doesn't require glue and you can skip painting the finished pieces. This is a great craft material to use for family, group or classroom crafting time.

  EASY

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  Ice Cream in a Bag - What goes best with kids and a hot summer day? Well, ice cream, of course! With this recipe and technique each child gets to make an individual serving of ice cream, and it only takes a few minutes from start to finish. Go ahead get going, you’ll have a ball!

  EASY

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  Homemade Bubble Solution - Playing with soap bubbles is pure fun and fascinates even the youngest child—cats and dogs, too. It's amazingly simple to mix a bubble solution from just a few ingredients.

  VERY EASY

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  Marbled Eggs - Here’s a technique for making marbled eggs that requires no special materials, and produces beautiful results with very little effort.

  VERY EASY

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  Easter Pennant Banner - Make colorful pennant flags then string them together to make a banner for Easter. Use these banners to decorate around your home or in the classroom. The pennant flags are also a nice addition to an Easter basket.

  VERY EASY

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  Valentine Garland of Hearts - Make this delightful tissue paper garland that is sure to brings smiles. Drape it over doors, in windows, over furniture, along stairs. It is quick and easy to make.

  VERY EASY

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  Easy Valentine Cards - These easy to make Valentines are based on hearts that are cut freehand. This project requires no patterns and uses simple materials.

  VERY EASY

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  Valentine Flag Banner - These flag banners can be hung in doorways, on fireplace mantels, in windows or on bulletin boards. After some simple prep work, this project is as easy as fold, cut and glue.

  VERY EASY