Aunt Annie's Crafts: Friday Fun for family, classroom and group craft time

Share these crafts

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!

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Conical Tree Ornament - Paper in a simple cone shape can be made into an ornament that everyone will enjoy. With just a few simple supplies, you and your children can make these miniature Christmas tree ornaments.

EASY
Candy Cane Reindeer - Children will enjoy transforming a candy cane into a reindeer using a few craft supplies and a bit of glue. It 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
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
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
Pine Cone Turkey - Turn a pine cone into a colorful turkey for the Thanksgiving table. This is an easy craft for children and can be combined with some outdoors 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
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
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
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
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
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
Stained Glass Leaves - The colors of fall are warm and cheerful. You can capture these colors with this stained glass-like decoration. Combine the craft with a walk through the woods for an enjoyable fall afternoon.

EASY
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Ring Toss Game - Make rings and stakes for the game of ring toss. Rules for the game are included. This is a terrific activity for families or groups and can be played indoors or outdoors. Make a set to have on hand for picnics, cookouts and parties.

EASY
Memory Cards - 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
Tissue Paper Painting - Learn this easy painting technique to make colorful tissue paper. 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.

EASY
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
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
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
Modeling Dough - Follow this recipe to make a simple modeling dough in less than 15 minutes. This recipe makes a dough that is easy to work into shapes that can be air dried and painted or use it time and time again as a play dough.

EASY
Sticker Fun - Not only does every child love stickers, but stickers are also an easy way to decorate and personalize any of your printed output. Whether it's a card, letter, certificate or photo, a sticker is a fun way to liven things up!

VERY EASY
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
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
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
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
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
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 the visual concepts behind movies.

EASY
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 for Mother's Day.

VERY EASY to EASY
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
Jumping Origami Bunny - With a few folds, create a paper bunny that you can make hop! It is a twist on the traditional origami leaping frog.

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

VERY EASY
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
Snowflake Window Stencil - 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
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
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
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