The Tweens News | English

You might need to use tools that require adult supervision, such as glue gun and scissors. If so, these can be replaced by textile glue and safety scissors. Make sure you ask your parents some help.

This pretty rainbow is so easy even little ones can make it. It’s perfect for teaching your younger siblings about colors and improving dexterity.

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. String pony beads onto chenille stems, matching the colors. (i.e. string green pony beads on green chenille, purple pony beads on purple chenille, etc)
2. Start with the purple beaded stem. Center the beads on the stem and trim the ends of the stem leaving about 2” on each end.
3. Find the center of the Styrofoam block and insert the two chenille ends into the brick, forming an arch (Picture #1). Hint: use one of the pieces of chenille that you cut off to create the holes first, pull them out then insert the beaded chenille into the hole.
4. Repeat step 3 for each beaded stem, in the rainbow sequence (next is blue, green, yellow, orange, and red).
5. Glue cotton balls all around the bottom of the rainbow to form clouds. Cover the Styrofoam brick with cotton balls.
6. When cotton balls and glue are dry, stretch and gently pull the cotton balls to cover any exposed Styrofoam edges.

Tips:

• If making several of these (i.e. class or preschool project), cut the bricks in half. This will give you twice the supplies as a full brick is not necessarily needed.
• Find large bags of pony beads in multicolored value packages at craft supply stores.
• Show younger siblings the ends of the chenille stems so that they know there are pointy edges.

Picture #1:

Source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/pony-bead-rainbow.html

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The Tweens News | English

You might need to use tools that require adult supervision, such as glue gun and scissors. If so, these can be replaced by textile glue and safety scissors. Make sure you ask your parents some help.

Celebrate your Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s Day by making this pretty Celtic Cross. Made from recycled materials, it can really be considered “green”!

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. Cut out pieces from cardboard using pattern.
2. Place pieces on a piece of newspaper and paint all with one coat of Gesso or white paint. Let dry.
3. Paint the circle piece yellow and the other pieces green. Let dry. Repeat with another coat if needed.
4. Paint a layer of gold glitter glue onto the yellow circle. Let dry.
5. Glue the cross together, three short pieces and the top, long piece as the stem. Glue cross onto circle, centering the circle in the mid-points of the cross.
6. Glue the craft jewel to the center of the cross.
7. Squeeze gold glitter glue onto the end of each of the four cross pieces (see photo).
8. Let dry completely.

Tips:

• Gesso is a craft medium or surface preparation for acrylic and oil paints and can be found in the art and oil painting section of your local craft store.
• To eliminate a few steps and make this a quicker project, use green and yellow craft foam or construction paper instead of painting on cardboard.
• If you don’t have glitter glue, you can use regular gold glitter by sprinkling it onto the yellow circle after painting on a layer of white glue.

Source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/irish-celtic-cross.html

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The Tweens News | English

You might need to use tools that require adult supervision, such as glue gun and scissors. If so, these can be replaced by textile glue and safety scissors. Make sure you ask your parents some help.

Show your festive nature this St. Patrick’s Day or just bring yourself some good luck by making and wearing this shamrock shirt.

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. If using acrylic paint, mix with textile medium according to directions on the back of the textile medium bottle.
2. Place cutting board inside the t-shirt and then place a piece of wax paper between the cutting board and shirt. (Picture #1)
3. Position the cutting board where you want it.
4. Tuck the sleeves, sides and bottom of the shirt underneath the cutting board. (Picture #2)
5. Paint the heart foam stamp with a generous amount of green paint.
6. Press the painted heart stamp onto the shirt, and then carefully lift away. (Picture #3)
7. Create shamrocks positioning three or four hearts together; they should meet at the heart points. Draw a stem to complete the shamrock.
   
8. When you are finished adding shamrocks to your shirt, allow the green paint to dry for about half an hour.
9. Use gold glitter fabric paint to add a gold glow around the shamrocks, spread with a paintbrush or your finger. (Picture #4)
10. Pipe 3-D fabric paint around the border of the shamrocks. (Picture #5)
11. Carefully lift the entire cutting board and shirt and move it to a quiet spot where it will remain undisturbed so it can dry overnight (or at least 6 hours).

Tips:

• In craft supply stores, fabric paint is usually in a separate section from the regular craft paint. Look for a section specifically geared at painted and embellished clothing.
• If you like, add “Kiss Me I’m Irish” or another fun phrase to your shirt.
• Textile medium is available in your local craft store, usually by the craft paint.

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Source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/shamrock-t-shirt.html

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The Tweens News | English

You might need to use tools that require adult supervision, such as glue gun and scissors. If so, these can be replaced by textile glue and safety scissors. Make sure you ask your parents some help.

Everyone remembers making paper chains! You can make your own paper chain shamrock necklace for St. Patrick’s Day. Adjust the size of the paper strips to fit the any ages. Smaller strips are more of a challenge and great for you and your friends!

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. Cut a simple shamrock shape from the green paper.
2. Pipe glitter glue around the shamrock and spread around. Set aside to dry. (Picture #1)
3. Cut yellow construction paper into equal strips according to the age of the person. Younger siblings will need larger strips while you and your friends will appreciate the challenge of small, thin strips. (Picture #2)
4. Begin by gluing one end of a yellow strip to its other end, forming a ring.
5. Thread a second strip through the first ring you created and glue the ends together creating a second ring. (Picture #3)
6. Repeat step 3 until your chain is long enough to fit over your head.
7. Cut one strip twice as long as all the others and use that as the final ring, connecting the two ends of the chain. (Picture #4)
8. When shamrock is dry, carefully poke a hole through the top leaf and thread the yarn through the hole.
9. Carefully and gently tie the yarn into a knot and then tie it again, tightening gently on the second knot so as not to rip the paper.
10. Hold the necklace up and find the center chain link you want to hang your shamrock on. (Picture #5)
11. Tie the other end of the yarn to the center link and trim off the excess.

Tips:

• Construction paper is perfect for a large variety of projects, be sure to keep plenty on hand.
• Choose whatever colors you like for this project. We chose yellow to represent gold!
• Glitter glue is available at discount department stores and craft supply stores.

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Source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-chain-shamrock-necklace.html

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The Tweens News | English

You might need to use tools that require adult supervision, such as glue gun and scissors. If so, these can be replaced by textile glue and safety scissors. Make sure you ask your parents some help.

What is this leprechaun hiding behind his back? Could it be a pot of gold? Hang him up on your door to welcome visitors and keep them guessing!

What you’ll need:

• 1 miniature paper plate
• 1 regular paper plate
• Acrylic paint in green and flesh (we used peach)
• Construction paper: pink, brown, black, green, yellow, orange and light green
• White paper
• Black marker
• White craft glue
• Scissors
• Pattern 1
• Pattern 2

How to make it:

1. Turn both paper plates upside down.
2. Paint the smaller plate with flesh-colored paint.
3. Paint the larger plate green. (Picture #1)
4. Print out pattern 1 and pattern 2 and use them to cut the various piece from construction paper.
5. Green paper – cut out hat, brim of hat, 2 legs, and 2 cuffs.  (Picture #2) Also cut a strip of construction paper about 3” wide the full length of the sheet. Fold that strip accordion style, and then while still folded cut in half so that you have two accordion style strips for the arms. (Picture #3) Also, cut out a simple bowtie (optional).
6. Light green paper – cut out the shamrock.
7. Yellow paper – Cut one large buckle and 3 smaller buckles. (Picture #4)
8. Black paper – Cut out hat band, two shoes and cut a 1” wide strip the full length of the paper for the belt.
9. White paper – Cut out two eyes and two legs (socks).
10. Brown paper – Cut out pipe.
11. Orange paper – Cut out 2 eyebrows. Also, cut about 30 strips, 1” wide by 3” long. (Picture #5)
12. Pink paper – cut out the nose.
13. Create the beard – Take the orange strips of paper and roll each one around the end of a pen or pencil to curl them. (Picture #6) Glue the curled paper around the bottom of the small paper plate. There should be enough to go a little more than halfway around the plate. (Picture #7)
14. Assemble and glue the hat pieces, tucking the shamrock stem under the hat band. Glue the hat to the top of the head, overlapping the beard if necessary.
15. Glue the green pant legs to the bottom of the green paper plate. Glue the cuffs to the bottom of the pant legs.
16. Glue the shoes to the white legs (socks) and glue a small buckle on each shoe.
17. Glue the white socked legs to the pants.
18. Glue the green accordion style strips to the sides of the green plate for the arms.
19. Glue the long black belt strip across the front of the green plate, a little below the center. You will have overlap on both sides. Fold the overlap under the plate and glue to the back side. (Picture #8)
20. Glue the last small buckle to the middle of the belt.
21. Turn the accordion arms so that it appears the leprechaun has his hands behind his back, glue them to the back of the plate.
22. This step is optional, if you like, cut out a large green bowtie and glue to the top of the green plate.
23. Decorate the face – Glue the orange eyebrows under the hat brim, glue the white eyes under the brows and glue the pink nose in place.
24. Glue the brown pipe off to the side of the face and draw a mouth up to the end of the pipe with the black marker.
25. Draw a black circle in the white eye shapes and color in.
26. Glue the small plate (head) to the larger plate (body) and let dry completely before hanging.

Tips:

• Construction paper is perfect for a large variety of projects, be sure to keep plenty on hand.
• For a fun game, tape a piece of paper with a word on it behind the leprechaun. Have people guess what is behind his back!
• An alternative would be to glue the arms in front and create a pot of gold from black and yellow construction paper for him to hold.

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Source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/leprechaun-wall-hanging.html

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