Easy Homemade Gift Ideas

I know that teachers are always looking for different things to have their students make. I taught vacation Bible School where I had $150 to design 6 crafts for for 50 kids. In other words $1 per kid per day.

Decorative Stones (Stepping)

• I got 50 food trays at Smart and Final for $8.99
• 1 big sack of mortar for $4.89
• shells from the beach and dollar tree store
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• marble type stones from the dollar tree store

We mixed the mortar and put it in each of the trays. We only had 20 kids this day, but the mortar filled 24 trays. We let them sit for about 20 minutes and then we let the kids design their own decorative stones for the garden. It was really great. Everyone was really impressed.

Shell Magnets

• Shells from the dollar tree store
• dry flowers from wal mart
• sticky magnet strip
• tacky glue

Take your shell and put glue at the base of the shell. Arrange your flowers in the shell. Place a little shell at the base of the flowers to hide flower stems. Place a piece of magnet strip on the back.

This shell magnet also looks great when you use one of the roll type of shells. You place the glue in the hole and have the flowers coming out of it.

Sand Candles

• Clean sand (about $4.00)
• recycled candles
• shells
• plastic fish, ocean creatures, etc. (I found them at the dollar tree store) birthday candles paper bowl (or foam)
• birthday candle

Melt your candles - trying to keep the colors grouped correctly. Fill the bowls 2/3 full with wet sand. Have the kids make a well (they can use their fists, but they need to make it deep or they will have a flat candle). The bottom of the well should be flat. Have the kids place shells, plastic fish, etc. with the "pretty side out in the sand. They are great when they are half in the sand and half out. Pour melted wax in the hole. The sand will work as your mold for the candle.

When the wax seems to set on the top, put in one of the birthday candles. The wax of the candle will melt and mix into the other wax. Now you have your wick. If your birthday candle sticks up too much, push it down a little after 5 minutes. Let set until hard. You will be able to tell. Take out of the sand and brush excess sand off. An old toothbrush works great.

Hope that this gives you some ideas

Connie