Arts and Crafts

How to make a Bracelet Kit
Nothing could be easier or more inexpensive than this colorful bracelet kit of a hollow bracelet cord and some fun beads. Any girl would enjoy making her own bracelet. So add this simple craft kit to your Operation Christmas Child shoe box.

Supplies: Package of Jelly Bracelets with 100 pre-cut hollow cords with connecting pieces – only $1 at Jo-Ann Fabric/Craft store in their dollar craft section, beads (think – lots of color and interesting shapes), small plastic jewelry bags, labels with instructions

Where to find: Jo-Ann Fabric/Craft store, dollar stores, discount stores, craft stores

To make:
1) Select 6-7inches of inexpensive and colorful beads
2) Hint: use wooden beads from Christmas garland and other holiday garland; foam beads on sale
3) Insert connecting piece in each of the hollow bracelet cord
4) Make label with instructions – for example, Make Your Own Fun Bracelet, String the beads and close the ends together. May glue ends for permanent hold.
5) Place in plastic bag 1-2 bracelet cords with connecting pieces in place, selected beads, and label with instructions

How to make a Drawing Kit
The child who receives your Operation Christmas Child shoebox will enjoy hours of drawing, doodling, and coloring with this simple drawing kit.
Supplies: paper folder with 2 pockets, copy/computer paper, colored paper, construction paper, coloring book pages
Optional: stickers, pictures (calendars, postcards, front cover of greeting card, etc)
Reminder: in school supply bag place box of crayons, pencils and pencil sharpener
Optional items: markers, colored pencils, glitter glue (bagged separately in case of leaks), water color paints, stencils, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, etc.
Where to find: dollar stores, discount stores, office supply stores
To make:
1)    Place in one side of folder: 10-20 white sheets of paper (full or cut in half), a few colored sheets of paper or construction paper, some lined binder paper
2)    Other side of folder place stickers and/or pictures from calendars, post cards, greeting cards and other optional items
3)    For younger child place in one side of folder several pages from a coloring book
4)    Note, do not include pictures or coloring pages of army men, tanks, guns, police cars, policemen as many of these children live in war areas or where police are feared



How to make a Lanyard Key Chain
Learning to make a lanyard key chain is a common activity in day camps and summer camps all over the country. This fun craft will give hours of fun to the child who receives your Operation Christmas Child shoe box.

Supplies: 2 different colors of plastic craft cord, key chain loop or ring, instruction sheet, scissors, ruler or tape measure, plastic bag

Where to find: Craft stores, discount stores, dollar stores

To make:
1) Cut 2 different colors of cord about 24 inches each
2) Make a copy of your favorite lanyard pattern, or
3) Photocopy an instruction sheet from a craft kit, craft book or magazine, or “Google” for instructions. Suggest you show instructions for both the square stitch and round stitch.
4) In plastic bag place the 2 pieces of cord, a key ring or loop, and instruction sheet

How to make Mini Puzzles
Recycle your old greeting cards (Christmas, birthday) into fun simple mini puzzles. Then after the fun of putting the puzzle together many times, the child can glue the puzzle to a frame and hang it up for a pretty picture. A game and craft all in one to add to the fun of your Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift. For some children this may be the only picture they have hanging in their home.

Supplies: Sizzix cutting machine and Puzzle Maker #2 cutting form (don’t have it, borrow from a scrap-booking friend or use another paper cutting system) or cut up the card in simple easy-to-put-together pieces, used greeting cards or inexpensive new greeting cards, scissors, construction paper, hole punch, Christmas ornament hook, label with instructions, plastic bag – sandwich size

Optional: patterned edge cutting punch for paper frame (borrow from scrapbooking friend)
Hint: include a glue stick in your school supply gift bag

Where to find: craft stores, discount stores, dollar stores, holiday clearance sales, garage and yard sales, your own used greeting cards

Mini puzzle:
1) use your (or borrowed) Sizzix cutting machine and Puzzle Maker #2 to cut the front cover of a greeting card
2) Or cut the front cover of the greeting card into simple easy-to-put-together puzzle pieces
3) Be sure there is no writing on the back of the front cover of the greeting card

Frame:
1) Cut construction paper or other craft paper about ½ to ¾ inch larger than completed puzzle
2) Use a hole punch to make a small hole (smaller the better) about ¼ - ½ inch down from the center of the top of the frame
3) Optional: use patterned edge cutting punch and cut pattern into all 4 corners of frame
Completed game and frame:
1) Make label with instructions about puzzle and how to make framed puzzle picture
Sample instructions: When you are done playing with the puzzle and if you like the picture, glue the puzzle to the paper frame and hang it up with the hook.
2) Place in plastic bag: puzzle pieces, construction paper frame, ornament hook, label with instructions
3) Tie off or close with cellophane tape or use zip lock bag

How to make a Necklace Kit
Give a girl some pretty beads and she will make her very own necklace. Not only is it a fun craft but something she will proudly wear often. So add this fun gift to your Operation Christmas Child shoe box.

Supplies: Stretch jewelry cord, variety of beads, small jewelry zip lock bag, label with instructions

Where to find: Craft stores, discount stores, dollar stores, yard and garage sales
Hint: use wooden beads from clearance Christmas or other holiday garland; small ornaments or bead garland for table Christmas trees

To make:
1) Cut 1-2 pieces of stretch jewelry cord about 20-22 inches long
2) Select 3-4 inches of beads – best to have odd number of beads
3) Make a label with instructions – example, Make Your Own Necklace – Tie or knot the ends to fit you.
4) Place cord, beads and label with instructions in small bag

How to make a Puppet Kit
Puppets provide fun imaginary play and these simple puppets are so easy to make. With the puppets children can make up all kinds of stories. Storytelling encourages creativity and is fun for those who listen. So be sure a Puppet Time Kit is in your Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift.

Supplies: Packages of foam stickers – people or characters, animals, trees, flowers, buildings (house, barn, etc), vehicles (car, wagon, plane, etc.), and a variety of items, wooden craft/Popsicle sticks, label with instructions, zip-lock plastic bag

Where to find: Craft stores, dollar stores, discount stores, holiday clearance sales, school supply stores

To make:
1) Select 5-6 (or more) foam stickers of various kinds – select stickers that can be used to tell a story
2) Write label with instructions – for example, “Puppet Time Fun”
a) Peel the paper off the back of the foam sticker
b) Place sticky side of sticker on top of a wooden stick
c) Do the same with all the stickers
d) Now you have several stick puppets
e) Make up a story and tell it to your friends and family
3) Place in zip lock plastic bag foam stickers, same number of wooden Popsicle sticks as stickers, label with instructions



 How to make a Sticker Fun Pack
What child doesn’t enjoy playing with stickers of all shapes, sizes and colors! Encourage imaginary and creative play with a sheet of non-sticking paper with a scene or just solid color.

Supplies: Various sheets of stickers (look for lots of color, shapes and textures), shiny non-sticking paper with scene or solid color from a sticker book, scissors, plastic bags – sandwich bag size

Where to find: Craft or scrapbook stores, discount stores, sticker section of your favorite store

Hint: look for sale and clearance stickers following holidays; end of summer clearance sales

To make:
1) Cut up sheets of stickers
2) Cut up s sticker book so pages can fit in a sandwich bag
3) Use a single page from a sticker book or the shiny side of paper from a sheet of stickers with stickers and background removed
4) Place in a plastic bag a variety of stickers and 1-2 sticker pages/papers
5) Hint: when possible use a theme when choosing stickers and sticker page/paper. Example: blue paper with fish stickers; animal stickers with appropriate background scene or solid color; people stickers in city or country background scene; flowers and insects stickers with grassy scene or solid color; car stickers and street scene or solid color.