Wet winter days are a great time for kids crafts.Make a memory board.
Here's the best way to make one. It's worth spending a few dollars on a good quality magnetic board. The magnets hold everything securely, so that kids artwork and photos don't fall off.
Kids will be proud of their efforts when you dispay their homemade items on their own memory board.
Adults will need to make the board, but kids can choose the fabric and make the magnet decorations.
What you need:
A good quality magnetic board
Magnets, preferably the new, strong kind
Thin cotton fabric large enough to cover your board (let your kids choose the designs).
felt in various colurs to compliment your fabric
white glue
scissors
strong linen thread and needle
What to do:
Cut the fabric so that it covers your board, with about 8cm extra around all the edges. Lay the fabric front side down on the table, and lay your board upside down on top of it. Fold the top and bottom edges of the fabric over the board.
Thread a long piece of linen thread onto the needle and push it through the top edge of your fabric, next to the top left corner of the board. Then push it through the opposite bottom edge of the fabric. Stitch back and forth, making a row of long stiches joining the top and bottom of the fabric. When you reach the other end of the board at the bottom, pull on both ends of the linen thread, to tighten the fabric around the board, and tie the threads securely together.
Now fold the sides in over the board, making sure that the corners fold in neatly. Repeat the process to pull the sides of the fabric tightly around the board.
Turn the board over to check that the fabric is tight. You may need to turn it back over and put a few more stiches in to secure the corners.
To decorate the magnets, cut circles of coloured felt to cover them, and glue them on. Give the kids scissors and felt, and let them add their own decorations, gluing them on also.
Hang the memory board up and arrange photos and artwork on it.
You could decorate the felt-covered magnets with sequins, plastic jewels, plastic googly eyes, or mini pom-poms.
How about a lime green board, with felt frogs and lily pads on it? A blue one with fish? Or a spring-leaf covered board, with felt insects?
