Craft Ideas for One Year Old?

Michele

October 2, 20070 found this helpful

Hi! What about making little "bird feeders?" Just get a shoe lace, cut it in half, tie a knot in the bottom and string Cheerios cereal on it. The 1 year old may be able to help put the cheerios on (and probably eat a few, too, hehe). Once you have it as full as you want it to be, tie a loop in the lace at the top and hang from a tree! Good luck!

~Michele

Lynda

October 2, 20070 found this helpful

Cheap shaving cream and tempura paint can be fun for them to squish between their fingers and when smeared on paper and allowed to dry make nice pictures to give to the parents or grandparents!

Cyinda
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 213 Posts

October 2, 20070 found this helpful

Can anything beat finger-paints for fun & excitement for any age?... You can even make "Paints" with things like instant pudding mix's or store bought icing in a can so they aren't toxic. These come in all colors, or simply by one can of WHITE icing & a box of food coloring & mix up 3 or 4 different colors of "icing-paint"... To thin the Icing, simply add a bit of milk, a few drops at a time.

---> To keep your child somewhat clean during finger-painting, simply cut a hole in the bottom & both bottom sides of a plastic garbage bag & turn this upside down to make a "plastic shirt" smock... Put his over the child's head to wear as an over shirt to cover their clothes.

* It goes without saying: NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED when they are wearing a plastic bag smock... And, be sure to watch them carefully when they finger-paint or your walls & furniture will show their artwork too!

This can be a great gift idea for grandma and grandpa too: Cut a picture frame out of foam and allow Junior to glue items on. We do this a lot in Vacation Bible School over the summer. Some suggestions: random puzzle pieces, simple foam shapes you cut out and let the baby glue on, medium to large buttons, pom pons. To make sure everything sticks on foam, be sure to use tacky glue not Elmer's glue.

Then you can put a picture of your little crafter in the frame (tape it on the back with masking tape) and attach a strong magnet and the recipient can stick it on the fridge.

Good Luck!

When my son was one I had him finger-paint a picture (you can use paper and paints or even baby food on the tray of a highchair). I then took a picture of it, printed it out on fabric transfer paper (available at craft or office supply stores) and made t-shirts out of the artwork.

Crayola also used to make fabric transfer crayons and I could simply have my kids colour on a piece of paper and the pictures could be ironed onto a shirt directly.

I've used yarn and different types of pasta with big holes to make necklaces with my kids from a very young age.
Another thing your child is sure to enjoy at this age is making shakers by putting different food items into jars or tupperware. Not exactly a keepsake craft, but it will provide hours of enjoyment.