3 weekend DIY projects for your kids

3 weekend DIY projects for your kids

Weekends, rainy days and long summer or holiday vacations are wonderful opportunities to get the kids involved in do-it-yourself projects. Any do-it-yourself project is a wonderful opportunity to recycle items that would otherwise be thrown out. A lot of the materials for kids' do-it-yourself projects can be saved and cleaned from normal, household throw-away items. Kids' do-it-yourself projects tend to be simplified and some projects are not appropriate for all ages, but a lot of activities can be done together as a family.

Terrariums

Materials:
Wide mouth jar with top or plug
Sand, seed starter or peat
Plants or seeds
Rocks and decorations

Glass bottle terrariums are great educational projects for children. Because terrariums are enclosed systems, they need very little care after the project is finished, but they will continue to fascinate for some time to come. Each kind of terrarium is its own unique bidome.

The first thing that you need to do is decide on the kind of plants that you and your child want to grow. Cacti and other succulents require sandy soil. Leafy plants need seed starter. Carnivorous plants should have moist peat moss.

Find a container that is wide enough to be useful and has a neck big enough for little hands to fill with soil, decorations, rocks and plants. When the plants, soil and decorations are placed, add a little bit of water and seal the jar.

T-Shirt

Materials:
T-Shirt
Cardboard or Newspaper
Dye pastels or markers
Iron for setting the dye (adult use)

All children love to draw. What better canvas is there than a t-shirt that your child can wear? T-shirt paints work well enough but they are often messy and the painting process can be unfamiliar to some children. Dye companies have come out with dye markers and crayons. These are much more familiar tools for a young child. Line the t-shirt with a piece of cardboard or paper bag to prevent bleed through and follow the manufacturer's instructions to set the dye when your child is finished. Most instructions suggest heat setting with an iron.

Sock Animals

Materials:
One pair of socks
Polyester fibre fill
Felt, beads and buttons
Scissors
Needle and thread

Sock animals are fun to make and fun for play. Your kids will love them. Any size socks will do for a sock animal. Smaller socks will make smaller animals. Larger ones will make bigger ones. The best socks for sock animals are mid calf length. Cut the sock just in front of the heel. Set the heel and calf part aside. Stuff the toe with fibre fill and sew up the open end. Depending on the child's age and skills, the sewing can be parent's job. Cut eyes, nose and mouth from felt or use buttons and beads. Attach them to the sock animal with fabric glue. Cut the calf part of the sock in half lengthwise then trim off an inch or two of the length. Sew the two long pieces into long tubes and sew up the ends. Stuff them with fibre fill and sew them to the sock animal to make arms. Sew the two short pieces into feet, stuff and attach them to the sock animal. Glue on felt pieces to make paw pads. Sew or glue any ears or other details.

Do-it-yourself home projects can help occupy kids on weekends and holidays. They are great sources of entertainment for the whole family. Try a science experiment or make something fun. Do-it-yourself will give your child the experience of making something worth the effort, while at the same time giving a lasting keepsake to watch, wear or use in playtime.

Isaac is a blogger and home improvements guru working for Cliq Studios, Cliq’ are a wholesale cabinets specialist who design, manufacture and sell the finest oak, cherry and maple kitchen cabinets. Cliqs' easy to use website can help visualise your new kitchen!