It may be a lovely summer so far but there will always be
wet days or those when the kids are just bored and looking for something to
entertain them. What better time to get them started on some crafting and use
up your left over yarn with some free patterns and tutorials?
Simple knitting
One of the problems with teaching children to knit is that
if you start with a teddy’s scarf or similar it can take a long time to get
results. But there are fun projects you can achieve with just a few rows such
as the finger monster from UK Hand Knitting which only needs oddments of yarn
and some bits and pieces to decorate it. Plus it doesn’t matter if the finished
creature has holes or is uneven, it is a monster after all.
Finger knitting
If picking up the needles doesn’t appeal, try finger
knitting which is a great way of getting kids interested in yarn crafting and
delivers quick results. It requires no equipment beyond a few balls of leftover
yarn. You get great effects using two balls together and children love deciding
on the colour combinations. To keep interest going. have finger knitting races
to see who can make a strip to stretch across a room first. You can find video instructions on finger knitting here.
Braiding
From friendship bracelets to kumihimo, braiding left over
yarn is an easy option to get started with and you can make a simple braiding
disc from cardboard – click for video instructions from Kidspiration.
Braiding like this is very portable and so can be useful for
dull moments when travelling.
Pompoms
Thanks to the invention of pompom makers you don’t
necessarily need to cut up you cornflake packets for pompom rings, but the attraction
of winding wool to create these fluffy balls continues. Of course the risk is
you then end up with a stack of them gathering dust. To avoid this, plan to
string the pompoms together to create a garland to decorate a bedroom or better
yet make a pompom rug as shown here by the Make and Do Crew.
Do share your kids’ crafting tips with us.
