Paper Mache Mini-Mannequin

The Artful Crafter bring us this darling jewelry holder craft. Using a paper mache mini-mannequin, you basically decoupage the outside, add wire, and embellish as you like. This is a great camp craft, though, you will have to search hard for the paper mache mannequin base.

I searched on etsy, and found one here.

I love this craft. It's pretty, it's simple and most of all, it's USEFUL!

Click here for full tutorial.

Jagged Necklace

I'm working so hard trying to complete my programming and projects, that I lost track of time today, just in time to miss taking my daughter for a check-up! Oh no! (I guess I'm not going to earn the Mother of the Year award this year) . We've already rescheduled for next week, plus I found this wonderful project idea along the way.

This would take at least 4 days to complete, and is really more appropriate for our older campers, but the end product is really, really pretty!

Click here to see full tutorial on Beadage.net

Stamp-a-Pin

Envirotex Lite is one of my very favorite products. Pour it on any project, and it gives a clear resin-like finish. Colors POP...and it just gives a very finished, professional look to your crafts.

I came across this little project for pins made with Rubber Stamp. It seems simple enough. Stamp a design onto card stock, color it in, cut it out, and then watch magic happen by adding Envirotex Lite with a paint brush.

Click here for project instructions.

For the Real Girlie Girls

I actually really think this is a great little craft, appropriate either in a jewelry program, or a general arts and crafts program.

Decorate silk flowers with rhinestones and beads, and then attach to a barrette, for a stylish hair flower.

I love to shop at Walmart, where I always find super cheap silk(ish?) flowers.

Project directions can be found here.

Flower Pot Pen

I kid you not, this is one of my favorite classic crafts. The "flower" you see here is really a pen in disguise. Totally cute, right?

For this craft, you'll need:

Artificial flower
Plastic encased ball point pen
Floral Tape
Mini Clay Pots
Beans or rice to fill pot
Little Plastic Bags to wrap craft
Paint or rub-ons to decorate pot

Before your campers join you, prepare flowers by removing stems. Discard stems. Remove little cap from back of your pen (depending on the brand of pen you choose, this can be a little tricky...pliers help). With a glue gun, use a drop or two of glue to adhere the flower into the pen.

Have your campers choose their favorite flower, and wrap floral tape around their pen, stretching the floral tape as they wrap.

Decorate the flower pot as you please. We've done decoupage, paint (that can be really a mess!), stickers, rub-ons, etc.

Fill the inside of the pot with dried beans,then insert the pen.

Helpful hint: So you don't spill the beans (literally!), The Camp Art Lady recommends wrapping these in plastic favor bags tied with ribbon or raffia. Makes a really pretty gift, too!

Uses: We made these once for a Girl Scout Mother Daughter Dinner. The girls each made slightly larger pots than pictured, and filled each with 3 pens. They served as centerpieces, and then each mother was given one as a party favor. So CUTE!!!

Collage with Resin and Found Objects

We haven't worked intensively with resin, but we used a wonderful product last summer called Envirotex lite. It added a sheen to a couple of our projects that was astounding and simple. I'm ordering decorate your own trays from Oriental Trading, and a bunch of fun objects, beads, cool papers, fabrics, and we're going to do a version of the project below. I'm VERY excited about this one!

Paper Lantern

I searched high and low for a paper lantern to decorate, and what do you know...Oriental Trading strikes again!!

Link

Paper Posies

Link
From Accu-Cut

Another nice tutorial - Link
From Gabriela Delworth

Carnival Scratch Mask

From Blick Art Supplies
Link

Fairy Wand

This would probably not go over well with our older campers, but I think our younger girls would enjoy making their very own magic wands. Okay, actually, I want MY very own magic wand.

I have shyed away from this project in the past, since I wanted to appeal to all ages, but I think this could be a really fun activity for our junior girls...and also...me.

Instructions can be found here.

An Oldie But a Goodie - Paper Clay Bowl

This was our first project EVER at camp. In fact, the bowl pictured above was created by my daughter when she was 8 years old. It is so simple and useful, and considering this one was made in 2003, it has held up pretty well after all these years.

The bowl above was made with Paper Clay, we softened with our hands, and then folded in glitter specs. We eventually started adding tempera paint right into the clay. When you work the paint into the clay, the clay changes color. Super cool. We rolled the clay out and molded around little plastic bowls from the dining hall. They dry overnight, feather light, yet surprisingly sturdy.

I found instructions for a similar project from Crayola.com

You can find project instructions here.

Sculpey Swirley Frame

We have used Sculpey clay every year. The colors are vibrant, the clay is easy to work with and the funnest part is when you can mix the colors to make new beautiful marble-y patterns.

Sculpey has come out with a new product called "Studio" by Sculpey. The colors seem richer, the finish is suede like, and they say that the finished product is more durable than projects made with traditional Sculpey.

Picture frames are always divine, everyone can use and enjoy them, and this project seems simple enough. Even though this is shown with the new Sculpey, I'll bet the good old classic Sculpey will work just fine.

Instructions for Sculpey Frame