Home-Dzine - Childrens arts and crafts for kids of all ages

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Home-Dzine is your online source of ideas and inspiration

"Launched in 2005, Home-Dzine was created to realise a dream; to express my love of home DIY and decor and share with other South Africans. As a non-commercial website I am free to express my own opinions and pass on valuable information to readers. I feel that more people can benefit by being able to DIY home improvement and home repairs. And we're not talking about major DIY home repairs, but those that anyone with a bit of DIY savvy can do themselves."

Janice Anderssen

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home-dzine@iburst.co.za

Kids Crafts

	'Handy' crafts for Mother's Day We thought it might be nice to put together a collection of 'handy' crafts for our DIY Kids for gifts they can make for Mother's Day. So we looked for crafts using your hands that you can easily make... with a little help from dad.
	Colourful crayon wreath for wall decor Although not originally designed for the purpose, I think this crayon wreath would make a perfect wall hanging for a nursery or child's bedroom. - and it won't cost a fortune to make.
	Mother's Day rose bouquet Here is a wonderful project that you can make for Mother's Day. These roses are made using polystyrene trays cut into petals and glued together. If you want to paint the polystyrene roses after you have made them, use craft paint.
	Fun and learning game for kids Here's a fun way to keep young children occupied when you are busy - or they are bored - plus they can learn at the same time. Make this game with to let your child learn about colours, shapes, numbers or letters of the alphabet.
	Make a rainbow clock with recycled materials The kids will love to make this rainbow clock for their bedroom. The clock can be made out of stiff cardboard and other parts out of polystyrene container trays. Not only can kids start learning the time, they can also discover more about recycling.
	Plastic containers with zipper You've seen them all over the Internet and I have been promising to make a few of these zipper containers made from plastic bottles, but still haven't found the time to get round to it, so in the meantime here are the instructions and a few creative ideas for turning plastic bottles into zipper storage containers. If the kids are bored on a weekend - this is a fun project to keep them occupied.
	How to make wooden hopping toys I cannot believe that I have found so many wooden toy projects - and just after Christmas to boot. These wooden hopping toys, movable wooden dinosaurs and ping-pong gun would make great gifts.
	Wooden dinosaurs that move Now that Christmas is over and you've had chance to discover just how expensive children's toys have become, here's a much cheaper alternative that kids will love to play with - and you can make them out of scraps of pine, supawood or plywood.
	Make a ping-pong ball gun Here's an instructables project I came across that is ideal for boys aged 8 upwards. This simple wooden gun is designed to use ping-pong balls as ammunition. Large enough not to take out an eye and soft enough not to cause bodily harm, kids can play for hours and you can even make up a target for them.
	DIY gift ideas you can make for kids If you're stuck for gift ideas for small children, there are some truly amazing and wonderful projects on the Internet. Here are a few of my favourites that you can easily make as a gift for a young child.
	Make angel wings for a little girl If you're stuck for gift ideas for a little girl, grab some feathers or boa trim and make these angel wings. You will need a Dremel glue gun and clear glue sticks for this project.
	Holiday crafts for teenagers Teenagers are not as easily occupied as younger children. They need an incentive to get stuck in, so we've put together some crafts that they can make as gifts, or for their bedroom.
	Holiday crafts for tweens Children at primary school level need plenty of creative crafts during the holidays to prevent the boredom from creeping in. After the first week parents become tired of hearing, "I'm bored" - "What can I do?" If you line up of selection of crafty projects they will not only be kept occupied, they will have lots of fun as well.
	Holiday crafts for pre-schoolers Here's a selection of crafts for pre-schoolers that will keep them occupied during school holidays, especially if you have older kids at home during the holidays.
	Dress up an old pair of takkies Hey kids... don't throw out your old takkies - use Crayola Fabric Markers to add funky colours and fun designs.
	Monster paper clips Small pebbles or gemstones make really scary monsters that you can glue onto paper clips. Take them to school and the BIG kids will never touch your stuff again...!
	Monster fridge magnets If you are going doing to the coast for the year-end holidays, bring back some small beach pebbles and turn them into rock monster fridge magnets. You can post important notices on the fridge so you - or mom - won't forget...!
	Cardboard tubes make great pencil holders Instead of throwing out cardboard paper towel tubes, let the kids use them to create these wonderful pencil and crayon holders for their desk or bedroom. Transforms simple cardboard tubes into practical pencil holders with some coloured thread.
	Make fashion jewellery with porcelain clay buttons In this feature you will find out how to make your own buttons using cold porcelain clay, whether for sewing and decor crafts, or for creating your own unique button bracelets.
	How to make colourful pom-poms They're cute, they're cuddly and you can use pom-poms in so many ways. This one is courtesy of Mini Eco, and you simply must visit this website if you are looking for colourful ideas for paper projects.
	Start a craze with poms! These amusing birds are made body scrubbers that you will find at your local supermarket. wBeads are threaded onto a piece of satin cord for legs. Funny eyes and a beak made from carboard cones are glued on at the end with a glue gun.
	Wheat grass project for kids I really do like the wheat grass projects that keep popping up. This one is wonderful for kids to do and they get to be involved in recycling as well. Here's how to use tin cans to create wacky characters.
	Cute little cardboard bird cages Make your own cute this bird cages out of a recycled container, cardboard and coloured wrapping paper and then let them sit on a windowsill, shelf or cabinet to give your room a small splash of colour.
	Skipping rope from plastic bags What young child doesn't love to skip, and you can easily recycle plastic shopping bags into a fun skipping rope and provide the kids with hours of fun.
	Decorative coat hangers Love this idea for prettying up wooden coat hangers. This is a wonderful idea for a little girl's nursery or bedroom, for having clothes on display.
	Make a card for Father's Day The card will stand proudly on a desk or bureau with the assistance of bent paper clips. The photographs, trimmed to show kids' faces, peek through the holes of the letters.
	Make a toss-and-catch games Here's a great idea to make a toss-and-catch game using some old milk containers for some indoor fun and energy-burning!
	Make a card for Mother's Day Here's an affordable way for you to make a great gift for Mother's Day. All you need is a hardcover exercise book that you can buy at your local supermarket, some wrapping paper and Mod Podge, or clear acrylic sealer.
	Glow in the dark jars They may not be bright enough to light up a room, but these glow-in-the-dark glass jars will certainly create an unusual feature. Try them as a centrepiece for an evening meal with friends - they are sure to get conversation flowing!
	How to make a box kite This box kite design flies well in moderate winds. Run into the wind to launch the kite and add a tail to the spar where the line connects if it needs extra stability. While your dad cuts all the pieces needed to make this box kite, you can use craft paints to decorate the fabric for your kite.
	Use tin foil to decorate a box It's a nice gift to make for someone you love, for a special day, or to keep for yourself.
	Make a gift for Mother's Day Although this project is very quick and easy to make, it takes a long time to dry. If you start now, you will be finished in plenty of time to make this hanging decoration for your mom.
	Weaving for kids Use a home made weaving loom to craft scarves, iPod and cellphone covers, hats, doll clothes and more. Use this weaving method to make gifts for Mother's Day. Ask around to see if anyone has any spare wool for you to use.
	Rocking cradle for baby doll Mom, dad, granny or grandad - This is a rocking crib and it only took a couple of hours to make and then paint. It's not a difficult design, but does look lovely once finished.
	Crown for a little princess What little girl wouldn't like to own her very own princess crown. These simple and inexpensive crowns are easy to make using lace and homemade fabric stiffener.
	Make a necklace with coloured pencils You can make several different variations of this necklace and they only require a few basic tools. The pencils you probably already have at home and you simply chop a few centimetres from the end…if you do this neatly then they will be none the wiser!!
	Make a secret Valentine gift Do you have a secret Valentine? Someone you really like and would like to send them a Valentine's gift? Make up a pencil topper and leave it on his or her desk. They will spend the whole day wondering who sent it!
	Make these quick and easy play tents I have always been fond of the fabric teepee tents seen in catalogs but thought a 'pup' tent would be a little more fitting for our 'camping' theme. Coming in at just under R30 per tent, these little pretend play structures are sure to provide hours of make believe fun!
	Rainy days activity centre School holidays are great fun - when you've got plenty to do. But when you start getting bored it's time to look at new things to do. These rainy day activity sticks will provide you with plenty of ways to keep occupied.
	Colourful flower box Add a splash of colour to a bedroom with our fun flower stand. Mom or dad will need to help you with some drilling for this project.
	Herb or plant markers If the kids are bored during the school holidays, let them decorate stones or pebbles as herb markers or for plant names.
	Jellyfish in a bottle With school holidays just around the corner, here's a fun project that you can do to add some fun to your days. This jellyfish in a bottle looks so real, your friends will be amazed.
	Paper plate frisbees Sit down and make these fun frisbees from paper plates, and even on days when it’s too hot, you can play a summertime game! Because these frisbees are made from paper plates, they are reasonably safe to use inside.
	Wool tree ornaments This simple project is a fun craft to do with the kids over the school holidays and a great Christmas tree decoration. Decorative balls like this cost almost nothing to make and you can make them in different colours.
	Make a kite What’s better than heading down to the park or beach on a bright summer day and flying a kite? Well…how about flying a kite that you’ve made yourself! With these super simple paper crafting kite instructions, you can make dozens of fun kites to fly high!
	Recycled tin robots I came across these fun recycled tin can robots on the Internet and thought it would be a really fun craft for the kids. To make the robots you will need lots of items that you will find in and around the home - ask mom or dad to help you source everything you need.
	Cupcake flowers Colourful cupcake liners make beautiful flowers for your bedroom. If your mom can't find colourful liners, use crayons and pencils to colour them in bright colours.
	Ride-on toys A piece of pine, a bucket and a few odds and ends are all that you need to make a ride-on toy for your son or daughter.

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	Recycled tin stationery holder I love designing projects out of empty tin cans. This is one of my favourites. Use tin cans to make a stationery holder for your bedroom. Paint it in colours that match your bedroom and then put in on your desk or a craft table.
	Wood burnt spoon Christmas is only a few months away and we're going to be showing our DIY Kids various craft projects to make gifts for mom, dad or other family members. In this project we are using a Dremel VersaTip soldering iron to burn lovely designs onto a wooden spoon.
	Farm animal money box Recycle plastic bottles into cute farm animal money boxes. A 2 litre oil bottle works best - the top is large enough for all coin sizes.
	Make a bowling alley Now you can invite your friends around for a game of 6 pin bowling with your very own bowling alley.
	Pole pony Make a pole pony with mom or dad's help with cutting out and drilling and then decorate it yourself.
	Travel tray Next time you climb in the car for a long trip, take along your very own Travel Tray and have lots of fun along the way!
	Cardboard rocket Recycle toilet roll holders and cardboard tubes to make this space rocket for your bedroom.
	Rocket wall clock This project is for our budding DIY Kids, or for mom or dad. Make a rocket wall clock for a boy's bedroom.
	Cardboard castle Hey kids! Ask mom not to throw away cereal boxes and toilet roll holders so that you can make your own cardboard castle.
	Teach kids about power tool safety Teaching power tool safety to children is essential for preventing accidents. Even if your son or daughter shows no interest they will still need to learn how to protect themselves while other people are using power tools.

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	Hikaru Dorodango Grab some dirt and a bucket of water and start making your own hikaru dorodango !
	Recycled pallet chair Use scrap timber pallets to make your own chair for the garden.
	Funky Photo Frames This is a craft project where you can recycle glass jars into funky photo frames. All you need are a few clean jars and some photographs of your family or friends.
	CD Photo Frames Recycle CD cases into frames that you can hang on your walls or place on shelves in your bedroom.
	CD Disco Ball Make a dazzling disco ball for your bedroom with old CDs. Be sure to check with mom or dad before you cut up any CD's.
	CD Desk Calendar Make your own desk calendar every year and pop it into a CD holder.
	Emergency Kit With mom's help you can make this gift for your dad: for his birthday, for Father's Day or as a Christmas gift. Fill it up with essentials for dad to keep in his car.
	Decorative Photo Frames Transform old photo frames with a glue gun. Ask mom or dad for their help to set everything up.
	Make your own play dough You only need flour and a few other items to make your own play dough.
	Bird feeder from plastic bottles Here’s a great project that the kids can do over the holidays. We used empty squash and fruit juice bottles to make these bird feeders.
	Paper butterfly wreath Little girls love butterflies and fairies. You can make this butterfly wreath to decorate a little girl's bedroom. If you want to make a fairy wreath - or any other type of themed wreath - change the image.
	Dollhouse for Barbie Let mom or dad help you to make this house for Barbie. The dollhouse is easy to assemble, and because of its lightweight design, it can be carried to any location and easily packed away when not in use.

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Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of craft projects

Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of home decor & design and home decorating projects

Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of DIY projects

Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of DIY projects

Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of home improvement, home repair and home maintenance projects

Submit your DIY queries to our Q & A page. We will try our best to answer your queries or get in touch with an expert for advice.

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter and monthly online magazine

Home-Dzine is your online source of ideas and inspiration

Get in touch

Kids Crafts

We thought it might be nice to put together a collection of 'handy' crafts for our DIY Kids for gifts they can make for Mother's Day. So we looked for crafts using your hands that you can easily make... with a little help from dad.

Although not originally designed for the purpose, I think this crayon wreath would make a perfect wall hanging for a nursery or child's bedroom. - and it won't cost a fortune to make.

Here is a wonderful project that you can make for Mother's Day. These roses are made using polystyrene trays cut into petals and glued together. If you want to paint the polystyrene roses after you have made them, use craft paint.

Here's a fun way to keep young children occupied when you are busy - or they are bored - plus they can learn at the same time. Make this game with to let your child learn about colours, shapes, numbers or letters of the alphabet.

The kids will love to make this rainbow clock for their bedroom. The clock can be made out of stiff cardboard and other parts out of polystyrene container trays. Not only can kids start learning the time, they can also discover more about recycling.

I cannot believe that I have found so many wooden toy projects - and just after Christmas to boot. These wooden hopping toys, movable wooden dinosaurs and ping-pong gun would make great gifts.

Now that Christmas is over and you've had chance to discover just how expensive children's toys have become, here's a much cheaper alternative that kids will love to play with - and you can make them out of scraps of pine, supawood or plywood.

If you're stuck for gift ideas for small children, there are some truly amazing and wonderful projects on the Internet. Here are a few of my favourites that you can easily make as a gift for a young child.

If you're stuck for gift ideas for a little girl, grab some feathers or boa trim and make these angel wings. You will need a Dremel glue gun and clear glue sticks for this project.

Teenagers are not as easily occupied as younger children. They need an incentive to get stuck in, so we've put together some crafts that they can make as gifts, or for their bedroom.

Here's a selection of crafts for pre-schoolers that will keep them occupied during school holidays, especially if you have older kids at home during the holidays.

Hey kids... don't throw out your old takkies - use Crayola Fabric Markers to add funky colours and fun designs.

Small pebbles or gemstones make really scary monsters that you can glue onto paper clips. Take them to school and the BIG kids will never touch your stuff again...!

If you are going doing to the coast for the year-end holidays, bring back some small beach pebbles and turn them into rock monster fridge magnets. You can post important notices on the fridge so you - or mom - won't forget...!

Instead of throwing out cardboard paper towel tubes, let the kids use them to create these wonderful pencil and crayon holders for their desk or bedroom. Transforms simple cardboard tubes into practical pencil holders with some coloured thread.

In this feature you will find out how to make your own buttons using cold porcelain clay, whether for sewing and decor crafts, or for creating your own unique button bracelets.

They're cute, they're cuddly and you can use pom-poms in so many ways. This one is courtesy of Mini Eco, and you simply must visit this website if you are looking for colourful ideas for paper projects.

These amusing birds are made body scrubbers that you will find at your local supermarket. wBeads are threaded onto a piece of satin cord for legs. Funny eyes and a beak made from carboard cones are glued on at the end with a glue gun.

I really do like the wheat grass projects that keep popping up. This one is wonderful for kids to do and they get to be involved in recycling as well. Here's how to use tin cans to create wacky characters.

Make your own cute this bird cages out of a recycled container, cardboard and coloured wrapping paper and then let them sit on a windowsill, shelf or cabinet to give your room a small splash of colour.

What young child doesn't love to skip, and you can easily recycle plastic shopping bags into a fun skipping rope and provide the kids with hours of fun.

Love this idea for prettying up wooden coat hangers. This is a wonderful idea for a little girl's nursery or bedroom, for having clothes on display.

The card will stand proudly on a desk or bureau with the assistance of bent paper clips. The photographs, trimmed to show kids' faces, peek through the holes of the letters.

Here's a great idea to make a toss-and-catch game using some old milk containers for some indoor fun and energy-burning!

Here's an affordable way for you to make a great gift for Mother's Day. All you need is a hardcover exercise book that you can buy at your local supermarket, some wrapping paper and Mod Podge, or clear acrylic sealer.

They may not be bright enough to light up a room, but these glow-in-the-dark glass jars will certainly create an unusual feature. Try them as a centrepiece for an evening meal with friends - they are sure to get conversation flowing!

This box kite design flies well in moderate winds. Run into the wind to launch the kite and add a tail to the spar where the line connects if it needs extra stability. While your dad cuts all the pieces needed to make this box kite, you can use craft paints to decorate the fabric for your kite.

It's a nice gift to make for someone you love, for a special day, or to keep for yourself.

Although this project is very quick and easy to make, it takes a long time to dry. If you start now, you will be finished in plenty of time to make this hanging decoration for your mom.

Use a home made weaving loom to craft scarves, iPod and cellphone covers, hats, doll clothes and more. Use this weaving method to make gifts for Mother's Day. Ask around to see if anyone has any spare wool for you to use.

Mom, dad, granny or grandad - This is a rocking crib and it only took a couple of hours to make and then paint. It's not a difficult design, but does look lovely once finished.

What little girl wouldn't like to own her very own princess crown. These simple and inexpensive crowns are easy to make using lace and homemade fabric stiffener.

You can make several different variations of this necklace and they only require a few basic tools. The pencils you probably already have at home and you simply chop a few centimetres from the end…if you do this neatly then they will be none the wiser!!

Do you have a secret Valentine? Someone you really like and would like to send them a Valentine's gift? Make up a pencil topper and leave it on his or her desk. They will spend the whole day wondering who sent it!

I have always been fond of the fabric teepee tents seen in catalogs but thought a 'pup' tent would be a little more fitting for our 'camping' theme. Coming in at just under R30 per tent, these little pretend play structures are sure to provide hours of make believe fun!

School holidays are great fun - when you've got plenty to do. But when you start getting bored it's time to look at new things to do. These rainy day activity sticks will provide you with plenty of ways to keep occupied.

Add a splash of colour to a bedroom with our fun flower stand. Mom or dad will need to help you with some drilling for this project.

If the kids are bored during the school holidays, let them decorate stones or pebbles as herb markers or for plant names.

With school holidays just around the corner, here's a fun project that you can do to add some fun to your days. This jellyfish in a bottle looks so real, your friends will be amazed.

Sit down and make these fun frisbees from paper plates, and even on days when it’s too hot, you can play a summertime game! Because these frisbees are made from paper plates, they are reasonably safe to use inside.

This simple project is a fun craft to do with the kids over the school holidays and a great Christmas tree decoration. Decorative balls like this cost almost nothing to make and you can make them in different colours.

What’s better than heading down to the park or beach on a bright summer day and flying a kite? Well…how about flying a kite that you’ve made yourself! With these super simple paper crafting kite instructions, you can make dozens of fun kites to fly high!

I came across these fun recycled tin can robots on the Internet and thought it would be a really fun craft for the kids. To make the robots you will need lots of items that you will find in and around the home - ask mom or dad to help you source everything you need.

Colourful cupcake liners make beautiful flowers for your bedroom. If your mom can't find colourful liners, use crayons and pencils to colour them in bright colours.

A piece of pine, a bucket and a few odds and ends are all that you need to make a ride-on toy for your son or daughter.

I love designing projects out of empty tin cans. This is one of my favourites. Use tin cans to make a stationery holder for your bedroom. Paint it in colours that match your bedroom and then put in on your desk or a craft table.

Christmas is only a few months away and we're going to be showing our DIY Kids various craft projects to make gifts for mom, dad or other family members. In this project we are using a Dremel VersaTip soldering iron to burn lovely designs onto a wooden spoon.

Recycle plastic bottles into cute farm animal money boxes. A 2 litre oil bottle works best - the top is large enough for all coin sizes.

Now you can invite your friends around for a game of 6 pin bowling with your very own bowling alley.

Make a pole pony with mom or dad's help with cutting out and drilling and then decorate it yourself.

Next time you climb in the car for a long trip, take along your very own Travel Tray and have lots of fun along the way!

Recycle toilet roll holders and cardboard tubes to make this space rocket for your bedroom.

This project is for our budding DIY Kids, or for mom or dad. Make a rocket wall clock for a boy's bedroom.

Hey kids! Ask mom not to throw away cereal boxes and toilet roll holders so that you can make your own cardboard castle.

Teaching power tool safety to children is essential for preventing accidents. Even if your son or daughter shows no interest they will still need to learn how to protect themselves while other people are using power tools.

Grab some dirt and a bucket of water and start making your own hikaru dorodango !

Use scrap timber pallets to make your own chair for the garden.

This is a craft project where you can recycle glass jars into funky photo frames. All you need are a few clean jars and some photographs of your family or friends.

Recycle CD cases into frames that you can hang on your walls or place on shelves in your bedroom.

Make a dazzling disco ball for your bedroom with old CDs. Be sure to check with mom or dad before you cut up any CD's.

Make your own desk calendar every year and pop it into a CD holder.

With mom's help you can make this gift for your dad: for his birthday, for Father's Day or as a Christmas gift. Fill it up with essentials for dad to keep in his car.

Transform old photo frames with a glue gun. Ask mom or dad for their help to set everything up.

You only need flour and a few other items to make your own play dough.

Here’s a great project that the kids can do over the holidays. We used empty squash and fruit juice bottles to make these bird feeders.

Little girls love butterflies and fairies. You can make this butterfly wreath to decorate a little girl's bedroom. If you want to make a fairy wreath - or any other type of themed wreath - change the image.

Let mom or dad help you to make this house for Barbie. The dollhouse is easy to assemble, and because of its lightweight design, it can be carried to any location and easily packed away when not in use.

Home-Dzine offers a wide selection of home improvement, home repair and
home maintenance projects