by Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team
Member since:
February 19, 2008

Gather Mom Chat, Tonight @ 9PM ET. Let's Talk Arts & Crafts! Win 250 Gather Points!

August 25, 2008 04:43 PM EDT (Updated: January 22, 2009 12:38 PM EST)
views: 245 | comments: 155

Gather Moms,

Math, science, social studies and English are essential for your child's learning. But don't overlook arts and crafts!

In the comment field below, you're invited to discuss the topic of arts and crafts for your children. Do you have any great ideas for arts and crafts projects for kids? Do you have any projects you've worked on as a family? Are there any television shows, books, websites, or clubs you'd recommend? Tell us about your child's school arts programs.

We're giving all of you Gather moms a chance to talk live with each other on this topic. Join other Gather moms within the comment field of this article for a chat tonight from 9PM-10PM ET. This is an open forum for you to relax, sit back, and talk with other hard working moms. You'll need to refresh your browser to see new comments. Two Gather members who participate between 9-10PM ET will be randomly selected to receive 250 Gather Points and the book Make It!

DK Publishing's book Make It! has everything a creative child needs to find fun in every corner of his own home. It's this month's featured book in Parenting.gather.com.
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Comments: 155

Andrea (Ms. Conservative) L. Aug 25, 2008, 4:45pm EDT
wonderful promotion
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Aug 25, 2008, 4:47pm EDT
does sound great!
j - Frugal Mom - r. Aug 25, 2008, 4:52pm EDT
That's great, I'll do my best to make it to the chat.
Laura Cushing Aug 25, 2008, 4:57pm EDT
Ooh, fun! I'm glad we've been having these weekly chats- they're neat.
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 5:11pm EDT
just bookmarking my place.
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 6:04pm EDT
Bookmarking my place to
Wonderful! Last week's chat was so much fun!
☆ ƒåitĥ ☆ Aug 25, 2008, 7:25pm EDT
I agree that last week's chat was a lot of fun... not sure if I'll be around this time or not, but this is awesome. Thanks Stephanie!
member 1234 Aug 25, 2008, 8:01pm EDT
hi do u have to be a mom to join this chat??
Dropping in to say hello to everyone tonight
anyone here yet?
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:01pm EDT
hey, everyone!

my children should be working this keyboard because they are arts & crafts experts!
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:01pm EDT
im here. how are you, priscilla?
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:02pm EDT
Hi everyone!
Well, I was here anyways~
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:03pm EDT
hi, jan! how are you?
Hi Jan & Lori Cee!
We love different crafts at our house too
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:03pm EDT
I should have invited my daughter to this chat. She taught arts and crafts at Michael's and also at a summer camp. She has great ideas.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:03pm EDT
Hi Lori and Priscilla!
We do a lot of scrapbooking
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:04pm EDT
One of our favorite fun crafts was making sock puppets. We had to make scenery for the puppet shows, too, of course. Sock puppets are great for using up craft scraps and they're lots of fun.
and we like to make jewelry too
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:06pm EDT
I love giving parties. When my daughter was little, a large part of the fun was the planning - making games and decorations, name cards, etc.,
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:06pm EDT
What do you make jewelry from, Priscilla?
I have to run everyone - have fun in the chat~
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:07pm EDT
we havent gotten into scrapbooking yet. but im looking forward to reading up on it within the next few months.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:08pm EDT
When my daughter was teaching arts and crafts at the summer camp, we raided the craft sections at the resale shops. They are a gold mine for beads, ribbon, yarn, and various abandoned projects.
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:08pm EDT
sock puppets are a wonderful craft. we basically try to make anything with whatever we find around the house.
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:09pm EDT
i know thats right, jan. i working on getting my daughter a sewing machine for Christmas. i want to buy her a trunk full of scraps and ribbon to see what she comes up with.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:09pm EDT
I've also got some toilet paper rolls stashed away to make Christmas crackers. I found directions at a craft website and it looks quite simple. I hope it is.
Heather ~of the Whippets~ M. Aug 25, 2008, 9:10pm EDT
Big Yellow Box used to offer some great crafts kits, but Crayola eliminated BYB (which was its direct sales division)-- right after I had joined it!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:10pm EDT
Lori, check out the resale shops, for sure. You can fill that trunk with all sorts of supplies.
kate :] d. Aug 25, 2008, 9:11pm EDT
my newest family project is redoing the house so we like to have fun painting!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:11pm EDT
A lot of teachers' sites have free downloadable craft templates and instructions, too.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:12pm EDT
Kate, my mom was always redecorating and we all painted. She said that anyone who can hold a fork can hold a paintbrush, so we worked as a family.
Heather ~of the Whippets~ M. Aug 25, 2008, 9:13pm EDT
Jan, I like your mom's philosophy.
Heather ~of the Whippets~ M. Aug 25, 2008, 9:14pm EDT
It reminds me of my one friend's mother who has always said that she "had children to make her life easier."
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:15pm EDT
One good site is http://www.billybear4kids.com/ They have crafts, games, clipart, and much more. It's a kid friendly site that parents and teachers can use, too.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:15pm EDT
LOL. Kids did not make my life easier, but they sure made it more fun!
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:16pm EDT
Chat still going on??? I love doing crafts with my kids!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:18pm EDT
Here's another site with things to make and a list of other sites for kid crafts. http://www.kidsturncentral.com/links/clipartlinks.htm
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:18pm EDT
We do small and large crafts together. We also redid our kids rooms and let them pick the color schemes! Drake is red sox colors, baseball room and Lily has bright yellow walls, pink furniture and a fairy mural on one wall and a butterfly mural on the other and everything looks really good together. Both kids have a great eye for color. Both kids are really creative too!
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:19pm EDT
We get a lot of craft books from our local library too, and go to library craft activities they have for the kids
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:19pm EDT
Kimber, kids also like doing crafts with their moms. Making things together is special mom and me time.
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:19pm EDT
Plus if they do something at school the like (a craft) we will let them "teach" us how to do it at home too!
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:19pm EDT
jan, which arts & crafts stores do you frequent? im thinking about getting the scraps and ribbons from jo anne's fabrics.
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:20pm EDT
They both love the time as much as I do. Thanks Jan!! They both love cooking with me too!! I have certain kid friendly meals I will make that they help me with, like a pizza casserole!
Sherry W. Aug 25, 2008, 9:21pm EDT
Hi all. Just coming by for a minute.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:22pm EDT
http://familyfun.go.com/ <--this is a great site for printables, recipes for special cakes, parties, back to school and seasonal crafts and decorating. It's a Disney owned site, so it's family friendly.
Sherry W. Aug 25, 2008, 9:22pm EDT
I canh't say that we do a lot of crafts yet... kids are 2 and 3 and baby, so I'm sure we'll work up to it. Probably things involving TP rolls. :)
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:23pm EDT
We get our supplies from Michaels, Joanne Fabrics, even dollar stores and anywhere we can find them. At work they had cloth swatches from the different designs available for xray aprons. We took them home and cut them into squares for a patchwork quilt.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:23pm EDT
Lori, I like JoAnne's and Michaels, but be sure to check the resale shops. People donate tons of craft supplies that they're tired of and you can buy them for a tiny fraction of the cost of new.
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:23pm EDT
Thanks Jan that Disney owned site sounds great
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:24pm EDT
Sherry, Sesame Street magazine has fun ideas for simple things to make with really young kids.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:25pm EDT
I think decorating for holidays with kids is fun. They really get into cutting and pasting and now that my youngest child is 21, I treasure the memories of the time we spent making paper pumpkins and turkeys.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:27pm EDT
If your kids like animals, this is fun: http://www.thetoymaker.com/Otter/1Otter.html
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:28pm EDT
Our kids love decorating for holidays too!!! Every year we cut down our own Christmas tree and then we cut a piece of it off to make into a special Christmas ornament out of it to symbolize that year and that tree. We also pay to have our used trees made into mulch and we only buy from the farm that plants trees to replace the trees taken.
Rebekah S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:28pm EDT
A great way to do arts and crafts is to save scrap objects and pieces of fabric for crafts. We used to make paper daffodils with cupcake liners as the center of the flowers or a little baby out of a clothespin wrapped in a "blanket". The simplest little things are the best for sparking creativity!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:28pm EDT
Preschool teachers encourage parents to allow their kids to cut up the funny papers or other scrap items, to master the small motor skill of using scissors. Paper dolls are a great way to practice.
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:29pm EDT
That paperdoll site is adorable!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:29pm EDT
It's great when things can be enjoyed, recycled and enjoyed again!
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:30pm EDT
I always give my kids my magazines when I am done with them after I rip out all the inappropriate stuff! The parenting magazines are best. Travel ones are fun too for them.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:30pm EDT
My daughter was very partial to otters ; )
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:31pm EDT
Mine likes butterflies and fairies right now, my stepson loves bunnies. Both kids love dogs too!
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:34pm EDT
Our Super Walamrt store has an impressive craft and fabric selection. They have a very tempting remnants section, too. I've found wonderful stuff in the remnants and clearance bins.
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:34pm EDT
Well it was nice talking to everyone!!! Thank you for all the good ideas!
Kimber L. Aug 25, 2008, 9:34pm EDT
I get stuff there too Jan!
j - Frugal Mom - r. Aug 25, 2008, 9:35pm EDT
Hi everyone, I just remembered about the chat.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:36pm EDT
I'm really late but I just read about the chat
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:37pm EDT
I tried to scroll to see what I have missed
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:38pm EDT
jan, i like michael's too. but we try to catch them when things go on sale.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:38pm EDT
anyone still here?
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:39pm EDT
other than Hobby Lobby and what you can get at Wal Mart we don't have any craft stores here anymore,
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:39pm EDT
all of the fabric stores have closed
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:40pm EDT
I will be right back
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:40pm EDT
OMG I almost forgot to come back! WhatI missed?
j - Frugal Mom - r. Aug 25, 2008, 9:41pm EDT
I hate to admit it, but I also go to Walmart for fabrics, but I do find something in the clearance section of JoAnn's once in a while.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:42pm EDT
You don't like Walmart?
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:43pm EDT
I love Walmart for fabrics and Joanne Fabrics for the sales
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:43pm EDT
im still here, marsha. how are you?
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:44pm EDT
My favorite craft is srapbooking. But I make tons of crafts with my grand kids
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:45pm EDT
thanks, ladies. i didnt even know walmart had a fabric section.
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:45pm EDT
I try every year to make all my Christmas presents. This year I am making christmas tree ornaments out of wine corks & Tassels with some beads thrown in
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:45pm EDT
I don't have a JoAnne's near here since we've moved. I find most of my craft supplies at the local resale shop. I got a huge bolt of red satin ribbon for 10¢ and a big plastic carton of assorted beads for 50¢. Can't beat the prices.
☃ Aunt Shanny Aug 25, 2008, 9:46pm EDT
I was a strange kid, I always like making insect collections. Do kids do that anymore?
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:46pm EDT
Here is the web free site I found to make the ornaments
http://www.allthingschristmas.com/crafts/corkornaments.html
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:46pm EDT
april, do you do all of your scrapbooking by hand? like the measuring and cutting? i saw an infommercial for a gadget that does all of the work for you.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:46pm EDT
I've learned to make body butter using pure shea butter and I plan to make more for Christmas gifts and also some bath salts.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:47pm EDT
I am back
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:48pm EDT
YEp I do all the cutting by hand. I have not found a cheap emough gadget
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:48pm EDT
we're going to try making ornaments this year.
April H. Aug 25, 2008, 9:49pm EDT
Every once in awhile ebay offers scrapbooking stickers and odds & ends in Box lot sets reasonable Just recently I won a bid for $5 and got an 8x8 box of stickers
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:49pm EDT
If you're an online shopper, you can get lots of good craft supplies on ebay.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Aug 25, 2008, 9:49pm EDT
Wow, Jan that sure is some great deals. I usually only go through the clearance bins, but I find some great stuff for myself and for the boys.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:49pm EDT
I had a thought today...there used to be a couple of ladies with an online store and I bought some magnets from them....when I got them they were nothing more than magazine pitures of food and stuff pasted on to thin cardboard, little magnet on the back and glues over on the top
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:50pm EDT
jan, my first year as a SAHM i sold jars of bath salts. it was great for keeping extra money in my pocket for quick trips to the store.
Jan S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
Sometimes people sell bags of fabric scraps on ebay, too. Hi Marsha!
Lori Cee Aug 25, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
shan, cameron just caught his first fly last week to add to his microscope slides.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
I thought how we have loads of magazines and I can put the kids on a project to find me different types of pictures, and I am thinking pasting them to thin cardboard and covering them with clear contact paper then putting the magnet on the back
j - Frugal Mom - r. Aug 25, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
I got some great scrapbooking paper and other craft items at Target the other day. The usually cost 1 - 2.50 dolllar in the dollar area by the entrance, but I was lucky to get there when they marked it down to 75 percent off. I also got some great stamps for the kids to play with. Most often we just use recycled cardboard, paper rolls etc., but it was nice to get something fresh to work with.
Marsha S. Aug 25, 2008, 9:52pm EDT
do you think this would work just as well as the thin board since I have no way to cut board and that it would be something that would sell on my website and on blujay?