Alligator Craft or Card

Scissors Pencil Green Construction paper or plain white that the kids can color and decorate

Instructions: 1. Fold a piece of green paper the long way.
2. Draw an alligator shape on one side of the paper. Draw a long snot, two legs, and long tail; the fold line will be the alligator\'s back.
3. Cut about 6 small diagonal slits along the back of the alligator (along the fold line).
4. Unfold the paper. Fold over each of the slits you cut forming little triangles. Then fold the paper back down the middle again.V
5. Draw a big, toothy mouth and an eye onn the alligator. Cut out the teeth if you like. Decorate the alligator.
*If you want to make this a card, simply open up the alligator and write your message in side.

Binoculars

Supplies: Two toilet paper rolls, Tape, Markers, crayons, stickers, etc

Instructions:Tape two toilet paper rolls together side by side. Decorate!!

Marshmallow snowman

Supplies: Paper, a pencil, marshmallows, and glue

Instructions:first, Draw a snowman on your paper, then glue the marshmallows inside your lines. Finally, take your black marker and draw your eyes and your buttons, and theres your snowman!

Bath Paints

Supplies: Shaving cream, Food coloring, Muffin tin, Spoon, Paintbrushes or sponge,

Instructions:Squirt shaving cream into the individual sections of a muffin tin. Add a few drops of food coloring to each section and mix with a spoon.

Rainbow Fan

Supplies: Paint sample cards, Hole punch, Paper fastener, Yarn or string,

Instructions:Pick up some colorful paint sample cards from your local hardware store. Punch a hole in the center of the bottom and top of each card. At one end, join the cards with a paper fastener. At the other, lace yarn through the holes in each card to form the top of a fan.

Paint Pen

Empty roll-on deodorant bottle, Tempera liquid paint,

:To make a giant paint pen for your child, pry off the top of a roll-on deodarant bottle. Fill the bottle with liquid tempera paint, and snap on the top. Your child can use this tool to draw pictures, practice letters/numbers, or create abstract designs.

cut the top pf the cereal box and then cut a quarter part down diagonally from top.wrapthe outer side with some tape or glue it and put your childs bo

book holder

an empty cereal box,a nice wrapping paper or colored sheets for a colorful design

cut the top pf the cereal box and then cut a quarter part down diagonally from top.wrap the outer side with some tape or glue it and put your child's books in it.make the child do finger painting on it or make the child cut a colored paper in different shapes and paste on the book holder

Personally Designed keychains

key ring. leather string or wire or tanned hide that you cut into strips.

personalized key rings are great gifts or will add a trendy flair for your own key ring. simply cut strips of leather thin enough to fit pony beads into. fold leather onto key ring and pull evenly. You might start by using a larger bead so that you can thread both ends through the bead to keep it in place. you can then add pony beads in any fashion but not too many. then simply let the remainder of the leather to hang. Tie a knot at the end of your design or squeeze a smaller size bead or use a crimping bead to the end of your design.

Stop Sign

Black cardboard, cardboard milk carton, plain piece of paper, felt pens, scissors

Cut the top of of the milk carton off, and cover with black cardboard. On plain piece of paper, cut out 3 circles that will fit onto the face of the covered milk carton. Color each circle,one red, orange, green. glue onto face of milk carton. when finished can put it on stick or pole.

Lava Lamp

24oz pop bottle,baby oil,water,and food coloring

you rise the bottle then you measure 10 oz of oil and dye the oil u want it with the coloring then you pour it into the pop bottle. After that repeat with the water and then put the cap on tight and shake shake and watch it separate again. you can also put beeds in the water or something to look neat.

Projects That Cost Under $5

The cost of these projects depends on what you might already have around the house.

Use a leftover piece of firewood to make a bird house.
Slice a 2-3 inch piece off of the top - drill a hole in the center big enough for the birds to live - drill another hole in the front for the entrance - hinge the lid (2-3 inch section) on the top for easy cleaning - add perch.
Cost = free!
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Use a large bowl as a bird bath.
My mom uses an old wooden bowl as a bird bath in her yard & they seem to love it! Your goal is to just get some water out there for them - to bring them into your garden.
Cost = free!
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Make a garden arbor, or plant trellis.
Find some skinny - pole - branches that have fallen over the winter. Stick them into the ground, or into a large flower pot filled with soil. Bend them at the top so they touch. Tie them together with twine - then intertwine the loose edges. Now you can plant vines, climbing vegetables, flowers, etc.. in the flower pot - or in the ground around the branches. These are so charming!
Cost = free - $5
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To keep clean up a cinch after a day in the garden, place a bar of soap in an empty onion bag & tie it near the hose. This way when you're washing your hands - soap is within reach.
Cost = $1
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After using your garden tools, you need to keep them clean to stay dust free. Fill a bucket with sand & some motor oil (not used) ten each time you use them, just stick them into the bucket. The sand helps to sharpen and clean the tool, while the oil keeps it from rusting.
Cost = $2
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For use on any skin rashes, diaper rash, insect bite, etc.. make up this inexpensive ointment.

1/4 cup vaseline
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Mix into a creamy paste.

Adjust the cornstarch to make as thick as you'd like. This makes a nice creamy paste - just as good as store bought!
Cost = free - $2!
..........

Make your home look like a gardener's cottage!
Hang window boxes under your windows - then plant climbing vines in the back & beautiful bushy flowers in the front. As the baskets grow & fill out, train the vines to grow up & around your windows.

I saw this done last summer with morning glories & the little home looked like a story book cottage! You can make the window boxes from pallets (free), use paint that you have around the house (free), plant with seeds that you can buy 10 packs for a dollar.
Total cost for the million dollar look? With free pallets cost = .50 - $2!
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With the ground now thawing out & the grass still not up, this is the perfect time to look for stones. Stone walls are so beautiful & add such a statement to any yard. Just stack them up & plant bulbs, ground cover, vines, old roses, etc. in front.
Cost = free
..........

Do you have a post mailbox? Why not plant some beautiful vines around the base? There are a few homes in my area that have planted clematis & morning glories around theirs. Before the vines are in flower, the greenery is lush & after the flowers are in bloom, it looks breathtaking!
Cost = .50
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Instead of using those metal or plastic stakes, use a branch. It looks much more natural.
Cost = free
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When planting vegetables, this is an easy & efficient way to water. Clean out a milk jug - poke many holes all over the sides & bottom - then bury it along the side of your plant. To water - just fill the jug! You can also add your favorite fertilizer, or manure tea every couple
of weeks.
Cost = free
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Make a bird feeder from a soda bottle.
Leave the lid on - cut 2 - 4 pieces of 1 1/2 inch hose. Cut same number of openings along the bottom sides. Insert the hose pieces - fill with seed & hang (upside down).
Cost = free
..........

Make a cozy log cabin bird home from twigs! For some reason, bird houses give a picturesque look to any garden - why not have homes that are totally yours! Gather twigs from around the yard - cut to length - nail and/or hot glue them together in the shape of a log house. You could hot glue small stones on for a stone foundation, or a stone chimney.
Cost = free
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Make your flower pots special. Save the seed packets from your planting - paste them onto the outside of the pot - rub with stain - wipe away excess - coat with protective coating. Then plant some flowers/vegetables that match the seed packets!
Cost = .50-1.00
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Grow a beautiful center piece! Plant little flowers in miss matched tea cups! Then line a kitchen window sill - dinning table - or garden table with your little treasures!
Cost = free - .50
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For a tea set fit for a queen, slip floral pillow cases over the backs of your garden chairs & cover the table with the matching or coordinating sheet.
Cost = free - $5.00
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Hang an old bird cage outside in the garden - leave the door open & sprinkle seed on the bottom of the cage. A great way to use an otherwise useless piece of art ;)
Cost = free
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Plant a garden house for the kids. With a hoe, mark off a square. Plant Large sunflowers around the square & flowering vines such as morning glories or runner beans in between the rows. The sunflowers grow very sturdy making the "walls", while the vines grow up the "walls" - intertwine them together at the top to make the ceiling.
Cost = .50
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Plant an old pair of shoes/boots & leave next to the back door - garden - entry - greenhouse - etc, as a welcome to visitors.

How to Make a Fall Yard Display That Lasts Through Thanksgiving

Things You'll Need:

• Corn stalks
• 3 bales of straw
• mums - as many as you like- they are beautiful
• scarecrow on a stick
• pumpkins - as many as you like

1. Step 1

   First of all you need 3 bales of straw. Set them up like you want in your front yard in a display position. Example: 2 in a v shape and the 3rd one on top of the back of the v. Then put your scarecrow on a stick in the back tied to the bales of straw so he's sticking up higher than the straw.

2. Step 2

   Next start sitting your mums around in pots on the straw and on the ground. Start creating the display by placing them where they need to be around the straw bales and on the bales. I put trays under each mum so you can keep them watered. You want them to last until the first frost.

3. Step 3
   

   Lastly, Place the pumpkins around the bales and on the bales of straw, in between the mums. It all works together to make this beautiful display in your yard that portrays all of Fall!!!! Love to see this.
   Then when Halloween comes, put a giant Pumpkin carved out in front.
   This scene will last through Thanksgiving weekend. Then you take it down and put out your Christmas scenes and decorations.

How to build a Dog House

Materials

1 - 4'x8'x5/8" Exterior Grade Plywood Sheet (not PT or Interior)

2 - 2"x4"x8' Pressure Treated Boards

1 - 2"x2"x8' Untreated Boards

1 - Box 1-5/8" Galvanized Deck Screws

1 - Box of 16d(penny) Galvanized nails

1 - Quart Exterior Paint or Stain

1 - Bundle Composite Roof Shingles

1 - Tube of Wet/Dry roof cement for caulking gun

(Don't use pressure treated wood on any parts the dog may chew. It contains poisons that could seriously hurt your dog.)

Tools

Tape measure

Circular saw (or table saw)

Drill (any type)

Screw driver bit

Spade Bit or "Paddle" Bit (3/4" or larger)

Hammer (16oz.)

Paint Brush

Pencil

Safety Glasses

Carpenter's Square

Caulking Gun

Some fundamental things to remember are that the doghouse should be raised up off the ground to keep out moisture and help insulate the floor for the dog from the cold.

The doghouse should be large enough for the dog to comfortably turn around but small enough to keep the dog's body heat close. Exterior grade cushions or pads can also be added for comfor for the dog.

Outdoor Decorations to Make for Halloween

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Orange lights
• Black and orange lanterns
• Plastic cauldron
• Dry ice

1. Step 1

   A fun way to celebrate Halloween is to illuminate your space. If you have shrubbery or trees in your front or back yard, you can easily string orange sparkling lights throughout them. Orange lights are often sold in your local Target or Walmart among the Halloween decorations. Stringing a few lights will add the right amount of dazzle to your Halloween decor and be a welcoming glow on Halloween night for trick or treaters. Purchasing a collection of black and orange paper lanterns and filling them with soft votive candles also adds an elegant touch to a rather spooky season. If you live in an area without trees, line up white and orange paper bags along your entryway and filling them with the candles. The end result will be just as pleasing.

2. Step 2

   A creative way to add imagination to your Halloween decor is to set the scene. Creating a memorable scene for passersby can be inexpensive and simple to construct. If you love a scarecrow on Halloween, fill an old shirt and pair of jeans with hay to create a realistic body. Stuff a white T-shirt or brown paper bag for the face and decorate the features with Halloween makeup or marker. Another fun scene is to create a bubbling cauldron. To do this you will need a plastic cauldron (this can be purchased in the Halloween section of Target or Walmart) and dry ice. The dry ice can be placed in the cauldron and will create the affect of a bubbling brew.

3. Step 3

   An eclectic addition to your front door on Halloween is to create an arch. One idea is to make a tower of autumn-inspired items. This could include leaves; small, thin branches; plastic candy apples and miniature plastic pumpkins. All of the items can be layered and bunched together and easily applied with pipe wiring or a removable adhesive. If you would like an arch that nods more toward the fun of Halloween, fill it with items like baby broomsticks, Halloween ornaments and figurines. If the arch is constructed well it can be reused each year.

How to Make a Halloween Haunted Graveyard

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Find some cheap wood (or break down some old flats) to build a rickety fence along the border. The more rotted the wood, the better. They don’t even have to be nailed, simply drive some of the thin planks into the dirt, forming a pseudo perimeter. Remember that, depending on how old your graveyard is supposed to be, the posts do not have to be sticking straight up…let them lean and tilt in a variety of ways.

2. Step 2

   Remember that gravestones come in many shapes and sizes. The cliché gravestone is reminiscent of half of a Vienna finger cookie jutting up out of the ground. Don’t forget that there are square ones as well as blocked ones, to name only a couple of variations. If you are trying to achieve the look of a very old and overgrown graveyard, do not perfectly line the gravestones up, each in a perfect, up-right position. After many years, it would have been possible for some to be knocked over, tilted to the side (as the earth slowly pushes new soil and rocks to the surface) while others might even be defaced or full of graffiti. Finally, don't forget about those that were intentionally laid flat to be viewed by standing over it.

3. Step 3

   Have people dressed as ghosts to haunt the graveyard. For a full ghost adventure for download, see the link in the RESOURCES section below.

4. Step 4

   For a very inexpensive, large grave block, stack two or three progressively smaller boxes on top of each other with a large slit cut on top. Cut out a large cardboard cross to slip into the slit. Spray paint it gray after assembled.

5. Step 5

   To age a gravestone further, tea stain cheesecloth (found in the cooking section of your grocery store) and strew it across the markers. It really looks great when the wind wisps it like tattered flags.

6. Step 6

   If your graveyard is an area that your guests must past THROUGH, add some zombies (with corroded flesh) wandering throughout, waiting for someone to pass through. Now, you might be tempted to allow your zombies to chase your guests…however, try restricting their movements to slow and despondent gestures. Never allow them to move faster than a walk-pace. They will not be able to ‘catch’ anyone, but if there are enough of them, it will be a creepy place to walk (or run) through. As a tip for make-up, try to go for a pale gray coloring with a slight tint of green.

7. Step 7

   Have a grave keeper tending the site. There are a variety of types that you could choose from including, but not limited to, the following:
   
   • A crusty old man that has been there for 50 years. He knows about the ghosts and strange happenings, but he’s grown to accept them as part of his job.
   • A strange, talking to himself type who is inside one of the graves, making room for one more.
   • One that is scared out of his mind and warns visitors to stay away lest ‘the evil takes them, too.’

How to Make a Phantom

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A black bed sheet
• A black hoodie
• A mask
• A rotating fan
• Something to use as a frame

1. Step 1

   Make a frame for your phantom. You can stack some boxes on top of each other. Put the rotating fan on top of the boxes (the fan is supposed to be the ghost's head).

2. Step 2

   Fit the black hoodie on the rotating fan. Wrap the black bedsheet around everything.

3. Step 3

   Attach the mask to the front of the fan. Put the hood up.

4. Step 4

   Plug the fan in and turn it on low. Step back and watch as the phantom scares everyone that walks by.

Halloween Ghost Decoration Crafts

Foam Ghost

1. Purchase sheets of white packing foam from a moving or a packing store. Have a pencil, paper and scissors available for this fun and easy Halloween craft. Before cutting any figures from the foam, be sure to sketch a few ghost figures onto the paper. Once you have sketched a favorite figure, cut it out and trace it onto the foam. Use the scissors to carve out eyes and a ghostly mouth, or to save time, draw the eyes and mouth with a black magic marker. Ghosts can be made to look scary or friendly. Poke a hole in the top of the ghost and tie string to hang it from the ceiling or outside in the trees.

Ghost Door Hanger

2. Make a door hanger decoration for Halloween. Purchase card stock at a craft store and cut out a ghostly figure from it. Using a black permanent marker, draw ghostly eyes. Use scissors to cut a hole in the middle of the ghost that is big enough to slip over the door knob. Before placing the ghost in its place, use the black marker to write a quick and short Halloween saying, such as "boo" or "RIP."

Ghostly Chair Cover

3. Decorate chairs with ghostly coverings. Purchase white pillowcases for this Halloween craft. Depending on the size of the chair, extra wide or long pillowcases may be needed. Cut out ghostly eyes and a mouth from sheets of black felt. Use fabric glue to place the eyes and mouth onto the white pillowcase. Kids can cut their name out in the black felt and glue it onto the pillowcase. Halloween phrases can also be cut out and applied to this decoration. Another option is to place Velcro on the back of letters and shapes before applying them to the pillowcase. The Velcro will allow the shapes and letters to be used over again for the same project or at another time.

Easy Bird Feeders for Kids

Birdfeeders will draw birds to your yard. Be on the lookout for some birds you haven't seen up close before! In this article you will find three styles of feeder that you can make yourself. The first and simplest requires an orange.-- a dry sort of old dry one is great. Cut the top end of the orange off and carefully scoop out the orange pulp leaving the white lining. Use an ink pen to punch four holes in the orange peel about an inch from the top edge. Now thread some plastic string through the holes. Pull the threads together above the orange and tie a knot and another above to form a loop. Fill with bird seed and hang from a branch at least six feet from the ground.

You will need a pinecone, string and peanut butter for the next feeder. Lay the pinecone on newspaper. Tie a string firmly onto one end of the cone. Now coat the cone with peanut butter. Pour bird seed over the cone and roll it in the seed on the newspaper. It is a quick and easy meal for your birdfriends and has a natural look that is inviting.

The third, more complicated feeder, requires an orange juice or milk carton. Rinse and dry carefully. Leaving a fill space of at least 3 inches mark the front and back sides with a capital "I" shape. Carefully cut along the lines to form a small door. From the sides of the bottom line of the "I" cut down one inch on each "I", like the corners of a mouth turned down. This makes a small shelf for a bird to stand on.

Now make similar slits at the upper corners to form a flap like a tiny awning above your window. Fold the two doors out, the bottom flap down and the upper flap up. A stick through the carton from one side through the other forms a perch.

Punch a hole through the carton top and use wire to form a branch hook. Fill the base of the feeder and hang it in a tree. Birds will come after a day or two of no people touching the feeders.

How to Make Spooky Halloween Signs

Things You'll Need:

• Extruded polystyrene foam board
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Flathead screwdriver
• Dark brown flat latex paint
• Tan flat latex paint
• 1-2-inch-wide paint brush

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Cut the board down to a desirable size. An average sheet of board is usually four feet by eight feet long. Depending upon the size of your sign, you can cut two to four signs from one sheet.

2. Step 2

   Run the flat edge of the screwdriver along the board's surface to create large wood lines, dents and gouges. Use the folded edge of the sandpaper for smaller creases. Also apply deeper grooves into the board's edges and then sand the entire board down for a naturally worn look.

3. Step 3

   Apply the brown base coat of paint. Fully cover the board, including inside every crease. Allow the paint to dry completely.

4. Step 4

   Coat your paintbrush with the tan colored paint and remove any excess paint, so that only a thin layer remains. Gently drag the brush across the surface, perpendicular to the wood lines to bring out the darker wood lines beneath. Allow the paint to dry completely.

5. Step 5

   Personalize your sign a scary message such as "Beware," "Haunted House" or "Keep Out."

Birdhouses For Kids To Make

Building birdhouses with your child is not only good for the child's motor and creative skills but it can also help your child build a better understanding of nature. Here are some ideas for simple birdhouses for kids to make.

One of the easiest birdhouses for a kid to make is made out of an empty half-gallon milk carton. Make sure that the milk carton is washed thoroughly and dried before you start constructing it. First recluse the milk carton and staple it shut. Then wrap the entire milk carton with 2" masking tape so that none of the original carton shows. Rub the wrapped carton with shoe polish or color it with markers so that it resembles tree bark. Make a hole in the side of the carton so the birdhouse has a doorway. Poke several holes in the bottom of the carton with a sharp pen to make holes so that water can drain out when it rains. Pierce another hole in the top of the milk carton through which string or wire can be threaded to hang it from a tree.

You can also build a birdhouse using paper mache and balloons. The recipe for papier mache is newspaper strips boiled in water for thirty minutes and two cups of flour. You then construct this unusual round birdhouse by layering strips of papier-mache over the balloon but at the same time making sure that you leave a hole that will serve as the bird's front door. Once the papier-mâché has dried you can pop the balloon, paint the papier-mâché with brightly colored paint and hang it in a tree.

Another one of the simple birdhouses for kids to make is created out of an old garden hat. Simply find an old straw hat and tape fabric to the bottom of it so that it makes an enclosed structure. Make a hole in the side of the hat for a doorway and suspend this from a tree. The birds will use the rim of the hat as a perch.

Another idea is to build a nesting shelf for barn swallows, robins or phoebes. These can be made from any wooden box that does not have a lid and that is roughly the size of a shoebox. All this shelf needs is a hook that is situated so that the rectangular box can hang vertically. The birds will naturally roost and build their nests in the open cavity. This type of "open" birdhouse can easily be nailed to a tree, fence post or front porch.

Another very simple project for kids is a nesting cone for doves. Doves dislike birdhouses and instead prefer to hang around in trees. Unfortunately they also build very flimsy nests that are quickly blown away by the wind and rain. To make a more secure home for doves, simply take a foot long length of finely meshed screen and wrap it into a cone shape. You can stabilize this armature using tiny pieces of wire. The dove cone nest is then placed high up in a tree so that the birds recognize it as a good place to build their next home.

Bird watching is a fun, inexpensive activity for families. You can reserve a special space for bird feeders anywhere in your yard, and throughout the year watch the variety of birds that come to visit. If your child is a little older and can handle hammer, nails and glue there are a large variety of plans for birdhouses that kid can make available for free all over the internet. Usually the provider of the plans can tell you what age group the project is best suited for. Your library is a superb source of blueprints for many types of nest boxes. In addition, your state wildlife or provincial wildlife department or boy or girl scout troupe may offer free, or inexpensive waxed cardboard bluebird boxes, which only require folding to create a sturdy little structure.

You can also buy commercial bird house kits for kids that come with pre cut lumber, galvanized screws and bird-friendly non-toxic paint. Once again these are for older children who are more experienced with carpentry and handling sharper tools.