Want to get your kiddos off their screens during the holiday break? A little crafting project makes for a fun break in routine! Offerpad’s SEO Manager, Spencer Hesseltine, guides us through nifty/thrifty Fourth of July crafts.
So, Spence… tell us how it went.
SH: I got off work from the awesome new Offerpad office (thanks for the plug) Friday evening and made my way over to Target. I had some craft ideas in mind for ‘Red, White and Blue’ ahead of Independence Day, but I found even more inspiration from the DIY section at the store.
Offerpad: That’s a great point! Seems like the DIY section is a great place to find some inspiration if you’re not sure where to start but you’re in the market for a craft.
SH: Yes, definitely. Anyway, before we jump into the crafting, I want to take a step back and give you a quick little introduction to my children. Jasmyne is 14, a great young woman and smart as heck! She’s very interested in school and cheerleading for her new high school. Lucas is 11 and is a total gamer. It’s my fault, I started him on video games to create some boy time when he was 3. Well, he never put the controllers down. Colton, my youngest son just turned 6 in May and is totally my mini-me. He’s too competitive for his own good and loves sports, being active with whatever we do. Yes, my kids are spoiled and I’m okay with that, it leads for living a good, healthy and positive life. Here are some of the crafts we did last weekend to get our home ready for the Fourth of July:
Craft #1: Wooden Stars
This one was by far my favorite craft to do with my kids. I purchased three wooden stars, some paint and paintbrushes, and let them go to work. Once they painted their stars, I went online and printed a picture of each of them for the center of the star. Each one of them had their own idea on how they wanted to paint their star – it’s absolutely perfect as it gives them the ability to add some of their own personality.
Craft #2: Tie Dye Shirts
So, painting the stars was my favorite craft, but tie-dying the shirts was by far their favorite activity. They were all so excited to wrap up the shirts and start pumping them full of dye. Even the simplest of crafts can bring out the imagination in children, Colton was running around throwing the shirt like Ryu from Street Fighter repeating ‘Hadouken.’ I told you the boys are into video games, and this definitely got them out from in front of the television and into the spirit of the 4th. By the way, make sure you take a trash bag or something to cover your table, so it doesn’t leak through the shirt and ruin your table.
Craft #3: RWB Pet Rocks
By far the easiest and most affordable. Our front yard has a stream of rocks from the door to the sidewalk, you know, those smooth river rocks that can be easily painted. Three colors of paint and as much imagination as they can handle and you could fill the stream with red, white, and blue for the upcoming holiday.
PRO TIP: You can do this for basically any holiday. Green for St. Patty’s, spring colors for Easter, orange for Halloween, you get the idea. The red, white, and blue paint can be doubled up for crafts for Memorial Day or Labor Day as well. If you don’t want the rocks in your yard after the holiday passes, you can pack it away for next year, or even have them sign their names and the current year and send it to the grandparents, it’ll be sure to put a smile on their faces!”
Craft #4: Patriotic Flowerpots
Okay, so this was a really cool, cheap, fun and easy – that is one better than a trifecta! Simply pick up a few small flowerpots from the craft or gardening section and let the kids go to work. It can also provide a good segue to talk about how planting trees and other plants provides oxygen for people to breathe and a good way to promote saving the environment.
Craft #5: Mason Jars
Painting the mason jars was a bit challenging for Colton as he had trouble keeping the paint off of his fingers while he spun the jar around to make the American Flag. He’s only six so it pretty much looks like the stripes, but it’s the imperfections that makes it unique. There are tons of things you can do with these jars once they’re painted up: you can put sand in them, shells, candles, flowers, etc. The possibilities are limitless with these patriotic mason jars!
OP: Sounds like you had a lot of fun putting these together. Any final thoughts for the folks at home?
SH: We had a blast. With a quick trip to Target, a bill for under $50 for three kids to have multiple crafts, unlimited fun and some memories that will last a lifetime, I have to say it was worth it, 100%. If you’re looking for a positive way to connect with your kiddos, just go crafting, they’ll probably enjoy it more than you! I had a blast doing these crafts with them, here are a few more pictures from the night that put a smile on my face, transfer that to you and your kids for upcoming holidays.
However you choose to spend the day, have a safe and happy 4th of July!
