SpookyMrsGreen

Do you need suggestions for simple craft ideas with household items?

We are deep into our third month in lockdown here in the UK, and trust me, I am feeling the strain of keeping the children entertained at home. Never mind the fact that they get bored easily, they eat everything in sight, and they have so much pent-up energy, but now we have to give them something to do!

Craft Activities for Kids

We had all but used up our craft stash, and then I had an email from Viking Direct. I have heard of Viking office supplies, but I didn’t realise that they offer so much more for the home office and home school. Viking Direct sell stationery and craft supplies (we got Sharpies!), and most important right now, they sell cleaning products. If you are like me, and you refused to join the madness of hoarding toilet rolls and hand sanitiser back in April, you are probably still searching for supplies. You can order them from Viking Direct!

Online Craft Event

I was incredibly pleased to receive a box full of goodies from Viking Direct that we were going to use in an online craft event. The workshop was hosted by Jane from Tea & Crafting, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We made toilet roll dragons, bubble wrap chocolate and moving feet using packaging tape! It was awfully hard not to eat the Aero chocolate bars that were included, but I hid them in the salad drawer in the fridge, so we still had them in time for the Zoom event. Jane led the workshop very well and we will try these crafts again, maybe on a rainy day. Here is the list of craft projects, with instructions so you can try them at home:

Three Great Craft Activities for Kids from Viking

Finding activities to keep the kids entertained that don’t involve a games console or staring at television can be tough. At Viking, we’ve got three great ideas to beat the boredom with crafty and creative ideas.

Fire Breathing Dragon

1. Clean your working area and wash your hands or use some hand sanitiser before starting.
2. Take a sheet of A4 paper. Measure how high your toilet roll tube is and then cut a strip of paper along the long side of the A4 using that measurement.
3. Spread glue over your toilet roll holder and then glue your paper to the toilet roll tube and cut where the paper overlaps. Trim off any edges that overlap the opening if needed.
4. Add eyes and a nose to your dragon’s body, do this by using a Sharpie to draw the eyes and then draw a little square under your eye. This square will fold back and be glued down so that the dragon eyes stay upright. Do the same for the nose and glue the eyes and nose down.
5. Cut tissue paper into strips no longer than about 10cm in length and about a finger’s width. Glue the strips to the top (this would be where the dragon eyes and nose are placed) and bottom of the inside of the toilet roll tube. There’s no need to add tissue paper to the sides of the toilet roll, at this point it’s fine if the tissue paper overlaps.
6. Hold your dragon at an angle in front of you and breathe into the toilet roll tube – you’ll see its tissue paper fire breath come to life!

Chocolate Bubble Wrap 

1. We loved using Aero chocolate for this activity as it was so easy for little hands to break this apart. It just crumbled with little pressure, making it the perfect chocolate to use.
2. As we’ll be touching food products everyone should wash their hands or use some hand sanitiser.
3. Clean your working area thoroughly.
4. Cut a small piece of bubble wrap about A4 size and just give it a quick wash and dry it.
5. Crumble about 3-4 chocolate bars into a small bowl using your fingers to squash the Aero and watch it crumble beautifully into the bowl.
6. Wash your hands to clean away all the chocolate bits left on your hand.
7. Melt in the microwave at 30 second increments. Ensure you stir after each 30 second blast, so you can evenly distribute the heat and help it melt quicker.
8. Pour the melted chocolate onto the bubble wrap and then spread it over evenly with a spatula or knife, making sure it’s not too thinly spread.
9. Pop it into the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.
10. Whilst the chocolate is setting clean your working area again wiping away any spilt chocolate etc.
11. After its set peel back the bubble wrap from the chocolate and be amazed at your homemade chocolate bubble wrap.

Parcel Tape Feet

Make sure to clean your working area and wash your hands before starting on this activity.

1. Cut a straw in half and tape it (using the parcel tape) to the inside of the parcel tape roll making sure the straws stick out of the edge of the tape on opposite sides (i.e. left and right) and that they are placed on opposite ends (i.e. top and bottom) inside the parcel tape roll. Take a look at the image to help you place the straws. You only need a finger’s width of straw coming out of the tube so trim off any excess.
2. Remove the cotton wool from the cotton buds on both ends. If you’re using a kebab stick, there’s no need to trim at all.
3. Take a sheet of A4 paper and fold it half. Then trace around your child’s foot or get siblings to help each other to do this. Cut two little feet out of the paper.
4. Place your feet (ensuring it’s a left and right foot side by side) and tape the cotton bud to the inside of each foot (using image as a guide).
5. Slot the cotton buds into the straw, roll the parcel tape and watch your feet walk!

#CraftingWithViking

I just want to say a huge Thank You to Viking Direct for sending us those lovely supplies, which will keep my children busy for quite some time. I also thank Jane for her craft workshop. If you want to see more from Viking Direct, follow them on Twitter or follow #CraftingWithViking.

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