Kids will soon be on vacation and waiting for the snow to arrive. With a house full of guests and lots of cooking in the kitchen, quick magnets will keep the kids entertained in another room  Any office supply store will have business card magnets available, this doesn’t mean the magnets you make need to be square. A little clip art and a lot of imagination will go a long way!

You will need:

• Business card magnets
• Tacky craft glue (glue dots work great)
• Downloaded clip art
• Spray starch
• Markers or puffy paint
• Paper plates

Directions:

1. Have the clip art cut out and available
2. The idea is to create a scene or use characters to glue on to the magnet
3. The children can use the markers and paint to enhance their clip art
4. The clip art can easily stick over the edges of the magnet as long as they are glued to the magnet at some point
5. Once everything is dry including the glue and paint or markers have an adult spray the starch on the magnets evenly from a distance of 6-8 inches away to stiffen them up.

 Transfer paper and tracing paper are exciting staples for crafters. The more creative you are the less guidance you will need and you can modify these recipes any way you see fit. For any super crafters that modify the recipe we would love to hear the variations you discover.

You Will Need:

• Cotton Napkins or Kitchen Towels (prewashed)
• Your favorite clip art from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
• Transfer paper for color printers
• Puffy Fabric Paint
• Iron

Directions:

Print out the clip art on to the transfer paper and let in dry. You need to decide the layout of the clip art. It is best to have the transfers near one of the edges of the napkins. Simply iron on the transfers to the cloth napkin and allow cooling. Next use complimentary colors of puffy paint to embellish your favorite features.

 Clip art is a very flexible and fun staple to have available. Clip art is a great way to occupy the minds of children. It has always been a challenge to get children to read voluntarily. Clip art can help. It has been said if you want to be a great writer be a great reader, well if you are a child and don’t like to read than perhaps you would like to write about something that does interest you. 

Children can usually be extremely creative especially when prompted. Clip art is exactly what the doctor ordered. Any Clip art image can become the theme of a book. There is no real recipe needed for this activity, simply download interesting clip art from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/ and attach 3 or 4 pieces of age appropriate lined paper. Once the clip art is stapled to the paper cut it out to define the shape.

Encourage the children to let their imaginations wander and to choose their favorite clip art images and create a story. The object is to make the featured clip art part of the primary theme of the story. By encouraging freethinking and imagination, you may find that your students pick up books more often, even if only for inspiration. Great readers make great writers, great writers make great speakers and isn’t communication the key to success?

Clip art door hangers are the perfect way to help houseguests feel welcome and personalize a room for fun. The clip art should reflect the personality of the room or its owner. These foam door hangers are available in almost any color at the local superstore or craft store. Decide on the message you want for each side of the hanger and you are ready to get started.

You Will Need:

• Foam door hangers (one for each room you want to personalize)
• Craft or hot clue (Glue dots work well)
• Your favorite clip art downloaded from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
• Your message printed in your favorite font and cut out
• Clear contact paper or a laminator

Directions:

The first step is to “laminate” your message and the clip art. If you have a laminator then simply, follow the instructions that came with it. If not you can use clear contact paper to “laminate” your message and clip art. You could also go to the local print shop and have them laminate it for you.

 If you are using clear contact paper, you will need two sheets. Place the first sheet on your work area and then place your clip art and message on the contact paper’s sticky side.

Next place the other sheet of the paper over your clip art and message so that the sticky sides are facing each other. You will then need to cut out your clip art to fit your door hanger; use as much detail as possible.

Glue the message on the top half of the door hanger where is can be easily seen. Place your clip art designs on the door hanger, as they will fit. Repeat the process on the other side.

 There is nothing as exciting as having a great dinner with friends and family and then receiving the recipe to your favorite dish. Using Clip art to make place cards is a great idea but adding a recipe to the back of the card makes it a wonderful take home gift.

Often the family recipes remain private until someone gets married or the recipes are passed on. These cards are a great way to start a tradition of adding one new recipe for each special occasion. When choosing the clip art I always try to reflect either the recipe or the personality of the person the card is for.

If you have special guests that cannot attend, you can always send them a copy of the instructions (from this blog) and your favorite recipe to share and they can create their own recipe card.

You will need:

A4 or 8.5×11 cardstock – 1 piece for each guest

Your favorite clip art downloaded from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/

Glue Sticks

Recipes printed or handwritten on separate sheets of paper not cardstock

Name of guest in your favorite font printed and cut out

Directions:

It is better to use A4 or letter size paper as it will be more compact when setting the table. It is not necessary for each person to receive the same recipe. Once your clip art is printed and precisely cut out you are ready to begin.

•  On the front of the cardstock, glue your guest’s name and the clip art in any lay out that works for you.
•  On the back, glue your recipe
•  Place on table on the dinner plate.

Clip art to be thankful for

This month we will be focusing on Thanksgiving and providing craft recipes that get the kids involved and make the holidays more festive. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we are grateful for and one of the ways to do this is by creating a Gratitude List Frame.

On Thanksgiving, there are usually many friends and family gathering in one place, and many pictures taken, so this is a perfect time for this activity. There are a couple of different ways to do this activity and here is my favorite:

Make sure there are a couple of disposable cameras available so that other people can take pictures as well.

Gratitude List Frame

You will need:

•  1 piece of lightly colored picture frame matting- the larger number of guests the larger the matting
•  Non-Acid dark colored permanent scrapbook pens
•  Your favorite clip art downloaded from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
•  Your favorite pictures from after the Thanksgiving Day gathering
•  Double sided tape or rubber cement
•  A complete frame including glass

Directions:

•  On Thanksgiving Day, place the matting and the scrapbook pens on a table away from food or drinks

•  Leave a note on the table that says- sign your name and write what you are most grateful for on this matting

•  Make sure everyone signs!

•  Outline each piece of clip art (use fall or thanksgiving themed clip art) with a precision scissors

•  In between the signatures, strategically rubber cement or use double sided tape to glue clip art to matting. Place matting on glass and take a look to make sure everything fits

•  Place pictures on glass and tape backs together so there is no space in between

•  Once you are finished place the back on frame and hang

Added bonus: since most photo developers offer double prints you may want to send the duplicate copy to the person in the pictures and tell them what about them makes you feel grateful.

You have probably seen the papier-mâché lunch bags that hold tea lights for decoration. The lunch bags pricked with a pin to display a design when the lit candles are placed inside the bag.
As a last minute clip art idea, we have created a fun and crafty clip art recipe.
You will need:

• A roll of aluminum foil
• Paper bags
• Your favorite clip art from www.graphicsfactory.com
• Tea light candles
• Glue
• Sewing needle or pin
• Stapler

Directions:

• Carefully and smoothly, line each bag with aluminum foil down the vertical sides; secure each piece of foil with a staple at the top
• Cut out your clip art to show detail
• Glue clip art to outside of the bag -whichever side you glue the clip art to is now the front
• Take the pin or sewing needle and prick the clip art every two inches all the way around
• Place the tea light on a small rectangular shape of foil a bit smaller than the bottom of the bag
• Once you are ready to show off the design use a fireplace match to light the candle

This works best in a darker area
PLEASE NOTE : NEVER LEAVE CANDLES NEAR CHILDREN OR UNATTENDED, ALWAYS BLOW OUT FLAME BEFORE LEAVING THE ROOM OR GOING TO SLEEP!

Once Halloween is over it will be on to Turkey and Santa. Clip Art is so adaptable it is truly a staple among crafters and especially if you have children in the house.
It is always nice to personalize gifts. It is easy to buy gifts that last a minute but some of the most treasured gifts are all homemade works of art.

To help my son get over a recent loss of our family dog we created a memory quilt. It was full of pictures of my son and the dog and various clip art cartoons that would replace the memories of the loss with happy memories.

All you need to make a quilt, blanket, set of napkins, or towels is a color printer, transfer paper, clip art, an iron and the fabric of your choice.

www.graphicsfactory.com and downloaded it to your computer, you will need to follow the instructions that come with the transfer paper to print the clip art on the transfer paper and then to iron the art on your selected fabric.

Okay so it was a really long title but you are still reading so it must have worked!

TOP FIVE LIST

5. You can save popsicle sticks to paste your clip art puppets to and that will save money on apples
4. You can paste clip art on a plain white t-shirt instead of springing for an real costume
3. By handing out clip art instead of candy you will be confirming the rumor that you are cheap so the neighbors can stop talking about you
2. After handing out clip art instead of actual treats you will probably save plenty of money on toilet paper
and the number 1 way that clip art helps cheap people at Halloween is by ensuring that no one knocks on your door expecting candy next year!
Seriously, to contribute to a safe Halloween for neighborhood children create clip art popsicle stick invitations and host a trick-or-treat party to get the kids ready to go trick-or-treating in groups.

You will need:

• Your favorite downloaded clip art from www.graphicsfactory.com
• Scissors
• Glue
• Popsicle Sticks
• Permanent Markers

Directions:

STEP 1) Print and Cut out your clip art images
STEP 2) On the front of each piece of clip art write the words “Trick or Treat Party @ Add the time of your party (see example)”
STEP 3) Glue each piece of clip art to a popsicle stick
STEP 4) Repeat until there is one for every child that is coming
Trick-or-Treating is a great way for parents and kids to explore their neighborhood and celebrate Halloween.

TRICK OR TREAT PARTY SAMPLE INVITATION:

Trick or Treat Party

4-5 pm Oct 31st

404 Elm Street

Bring your friends!

With Halloween parties for older kids on the way we thought we would share a few party ideas!

Guess Who?????

Guess who is a new twist on an old guessing game.

As each of your guests arrive you tape a piece of paper to their back with your favorite clip art that describes their character.

As they mingle with their friends they ask yes or no questions until they discover their character that is taped to their back.

The older the children are the more complicated the characters and clues can be.

If the party is for adults use characters from “monster” or “vampire” novels, or actual authors like Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice, and Bram Stoker.

Character Cards

You Will Need:

• Your favorite Halloween Clip Art downloaded from www.graphicsfactory.com
• You can either use word to create the names of the characters or use marker or gel pens to write by hand
• If the party is for children you may want to type some character hints

 Directions:

• Downlaod your clip art and save

• Go into Word and create one character card for each expected guest

• Open a new document in Word and insert a picture from file on the first page

• Type the characters name in bold

• Type five clues under the character name

• Insert a page break and repeat until you have a character card for each guest

   Character Card Sample

Character: Dracula

 Clues:

1. Sleeps all day
2. Drinks blood instead of juice
3. Allergic to the sun
4. Always wears a cape

Have a Howling Good Time!