July 4th Crafts

BALD EAGLE TOILET PAPER ROLL 

Materials:

toilet paper roll,

printer,

glue,

scissors,

something to color with,

paper
 

Instructions:

Print out the template of choice.
 Colour the pieces as appropriate and cut them out.
 Glue the large rectangular piece around the toilet paper tube.
 Glue the tummy onto the front of the tp roll.
 Glue  tail onto the back of the tp roll.   I glued it to the inside back and then folded it upward.  I think it looks nice that way, but be creative!.
 Glue the head onto the front of the tp roll.
 Glue the wings onto the back of the tp roll to make it look like the eagle is flying.
 Fold the feet and glue the tabs to the inside of the tube.

July 4th party pot 

WHAT YOU NEED:

terra cotta pot - size doesn't matter.  We used 4 1/4" pots when we made ours.  They're the perfect size for napkins or plastic utensils.  Alex's photo looks a bit bigger...  An 8" pot maybe.
 Optional:  terra cotta pot bottom (another 89 cents...  Though you don't really need it if you're just making the pot to hold utensils and such).
 Printer, paper and scissors.
 white glue or mod podge

white glue works just fine for affixing the stars.  But mod podge is water resistant (though not water proof), white glue isn't.

Having said that, it's also very smelly...  I can just feel the brain cells popping when I use mod podge.  If doing this project with younger kids, just stick with white glue.

A parent can always go back in the evening when the kids are asleep and coat the whole project with a coat spray varnish.  My girls are convinced there's a spray varnish fairy out there covering special craft projects with magic varnish in the middle of the night.  They're always so excited to see if their latest project was special enough to warrant the spray varnish fairy's finishing touch.
 red, white and blue paint. 

acrylic paint is the best choice if you want this project to last forever.  But, if you get it on your clothes, the paint lasts forever there too!

tempra paint works just fine, but it isn't water proof.

The spray varnish trick works over tempra paint!  Make sure you coat the inside of the pot as well as the outside.
 

WHAT I DO:  I "bulk paint" terra cotta pots white or light grey.  I often do this when we're painting the house or the fence...  I just use the same paint or stain I use for the house and fence.  I paint about 20 of them, stick them in the spare room and pull them out as needed.  The white/light grey are easier to cover with tempra paint than the terra cotta color.  When a project is finished, the spray varnish fairy comes along to seal in the outside.
 

How to:

Paint the pot white, up to the rim.
 Paint the rim of the pot blue.
 Paint the pot holder bottom blue if you choose to buy one.
 Set the pot aside to dry (it takes about an hour).
 Print out the template of stars.
 Cut out the template pieces.  It took me about 7 stars for my 4 inch pot, though you could space them closer.  There are extra stars on the template.  You can use them to decorate additional pots or just discard them.
 When the pot is dry, add a second coat of white/blue as necessary.  Let dry again.
 When the pot is dry and you're happy with the coverage of the white and blue, glue or mod podge the stars around the rim of the pot (the blue).
 Paint a couple of red stripes around the pot.  I tried to tape the lines with the same kind of masking tape you use for painting walls, but the pot is tapered so it doesn't work very well.  We ended up just doing it by hand.

Fill the pot with utensils and napkins or with treats for your guests.
 Optional:  After the party, put a plant in it.

Those are just a couple ideas and you can finds more at http://www.dltk-kids.com/usa/crafts-other.htm