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. Why not join in the fun?
Greeting cards for kids: For pop-up cards and more easy to make greeting cards that children can create, see the projects listed in Greeting Cards Kids Can Make.
Also, check out Gifts Kids Can Make for Dad and Gifts Kids Can Make for Mom.
Browse down this page for descriptions and illustrations of the projects in date order, then select a project and have some crafting fun!
Jelly Bean Carrots - A sweet addition to your Easter treat basket, jelly bean carrots are simple to make and fun to eat! Orange jelly beans, plastic wrap, and a little creativity help kids and grown-ups create this satisfying springtime candy treat.
EASY
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
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 sealing them for a shiny finish and durability, the beads can be strung into bracelets, necklaces and even beaded room dividers!
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
Purim Crown - Make this royal crown decorated with six-pointed stars for Purim. It is a fun party craft with a group of children. Just a few simple supplies are needed to create this very special crown featuring Stars of David.
EASY
Finger Paint Recipe - Why bother with a brush? Cavemen didn’t mind getting messy in pursuit of their art, and you won’t either with this simple finger paint recipe.
EASY
Easy Valentine Cards - Simple, easy, and effective. Draw hearts freehand for this Valentine card, and just fold, cut and glue! Cutout cards are a great Valentine’s Day craft for children and classroom groups.
VERY 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
Heart Shaped Cards - Make simple and fun Valentine cards in the shape of a heart or with a heart-shaped top. Most of the cards have a circus theme and one is especially designed for giving to your sweetheart.
VERY 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
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
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
Clip-Art or Photo Stick Puppets - Nothing is off-limits in this creative puppet project. Craft simple stick puppets from magazine photos, clip art, coloring book cutouts, or other paper images! You can even use photos you’ve taken to put on a special play starring you and your friends—just make sure to ask Mom first.
VERY EASY
Gift Tags from Recycled Cards - 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
Cookie Cutter Felt Ornaments - Simple and durable ornaments can be made with cookie cutters, felt and imagination. No sewing is required! The cookie cutters are used as templates for making the ornaments or use Aunt Annie's printable pattern with Christmas-themed templates.
VERY EASY
Miniature Christmas Tree Ornament - A simple cone of green paper can be made into an ornament in the form of a Christmas tree that everyone will enjoy. With just a few common craft supplies, you and your children can make and decorate these little paper Christmas trees. Make cones from other colors of paper to create bell and Santa hat ornaments.
EASY
Shaped Cards for Christmas - Make simple and fun holiday cards in the shape of a pine tree, Santa, or an angel. These cards are easy enough for younger children and people with special needs to make. While the cards are very simple to make, they are easily enhanced with glitter, cotton balls, sequins, and other creative touches. Let your imagination soar!
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
Fall and Thanksgiving Refrigerator Magnets - See how easy it is to make seasonal refrigerator magnets for fall and Thanksgiving with Homemade Modeling Dough. Make the dough in less than 15 minutes, and then use your fingers to shape magnets using ideas in the project or design your own creations.
EASY
Miniature Turkeys - In this project, you'll make miniature turkeys modeled from Homemade Modeling Dough, or air-dry clay, to use as playing pieces for the game of Turkey Trot. Or make the turkeys for a diorama, to decorate for Thanksgiving, or just for fun!
EASY
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
Colorful Tissue Ghosts - What could be cuter than little ghosts in a bowl? Tissue ghosts are an easy, inexpensive way to decorate for Halloween. In this project, you'll see how to make a colorful version of the traditional tissue ghost by adding fading color accents.
VERY EASY
Silly Faces 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 silly faces. Giggles are a sure thing!
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 one of the visual concepts behind movies and videos.
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
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
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
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-colored prints of soap bubbles on paper that then can be used for other craft projects.
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
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, Mother's Day, or 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
Finger Painting on freezer wrap using homemade finger paints is fun and easy!
Make designs on tissue paper in any colors you like then use it to cover boxes or wrap gifts.
