Fourth of July crafts

by Jen

566435_fourth_of_july I’ll be taking a much-needed vacation from the web over this U.S. holiday weekend, so I thought I’d leave you with some links to Fourth of July crafts. I realize not all of you are U.S. people, of course, but a lot of these could be fun anyway, and could easily be tweaked to be less Fourth of July-ish.

Fourth of July sidewalk chalk stars – a recipe for making red, white and blue sidewalk chalk in the shape of stars. (Could use other colors and shapes – in fact, I’m already thinking of making black and orange ghosts for Halloween.)
Fourth of July napkin/utensil holder made from toilet paper cardboard tubes – I love crafts that recycle stuff you already have. This is a brilliant little project for a picnic table or backyard, and again, it doesn’t have to be Fourth of July themed
Red, white and blue paper garlands – this one’s simple enough for kids to make, with a little supervision if they’re young.
Kitchen Fireworks – this one fascinates me! You pour a pan of whole milk, put drops of food coloring in it, then put drops of dishwashing liquid in there, and the colors burst and swirl.
Windsock Flag – turn a plastic shopping bag into a windsock decorated with tissue paper to look like the U.S. flag.
Parents.com’s July Fourth Printables – print off pictures for kids to color or patterns that fold into paper hats and so on. Great stuff, especially if you’re short on time.
Fourth of July baton – dowel stick, ribbons, a little paint and you’ve got a baton to twirl.
DLTK’s list of online jigsaw puzzles and printable games – Fourth of July themed games like bingo, crossword puzzles and memory games.
Fourth of July pinwheel – this is a great craft for kids. Just beware it uses a pushpin, so younger kids will need some help.
Independence Day wind chimes – uses recycled paper towel or toilet paper tubes plus some inexpensive stuff. Kids can probably do this one by themselves.