It's summertime and the selling is easy with these quick and simple crafts for kids to make and market.
Crafts by Jodi Levine from Parents Magazine
Friendly Faces
Friendly Faces
These adorable key chains can be personalized on the spot. HOW-TO Kids can prepaint a variety of skin tones and hair onto ⅝", ¾", and 1" round wooden beads ($4 per bag; michaels.com). When a customer places an order, your little artist can draw the portrait, including eyes, a mouth, and other features. Then she'll string the finished bead onto plastic lacing looped over a round key ring and add colored beads for the body.
Super Soaps
Super Soaps
With a little help, kids can transform clear glycerin soap ($10 for 2 lbs.; michaels.com) into colorful bars. HOW-TO Grease insides of clean, pint-size milk cartons or small juice boxes with cooking spray. For each layer, melt 3 or 4 1-oz. cubes of soap in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for 25 seconds. Add a drop of food coloring, stir, and melt again for 10 seconds more. Pour the warm mixture into prepared containers; let cool. Repeat, letting each colored layer solidify before pouring the next. Cut individual bars once they've cooled. For toy soaps, fill a container with ½" of melted soap. Let cool, place toy on top, and pour in melted soap to cover toy
Game of Stones
Game of Stones
This homemade tic-tac-toe set is made with found rocks. HOW-TO Use a paint pen to draw X's and O's on stones, then mark a simple muslin bag (4" x 6" muslin bags, $9 for 24 bags; papermart.com) with a game board. Store the stones in the bag after play
Upcycled Accessories
Upcycled Accessories
Kids can give everyday materials, like old T-shirts and drinking straws, a new life as crafty-cool necklaces. HOW-TO T-shirts Cut tees across the shirt body into 1½"-wide loops and have your child stretch them lengthwise. Supervise her while she cuts the loops open, then have her slip the beads onto each strand; knot the ends together to finish. Straws Make straw necklaces from cut pieces of drinking straws laced onto colorful mason twine (Everbilt #18' x 250' Mason Twine Neon, $5; homedepot.com).
Pretty Pockets
Pretty Pockets
These cases and pouches are a cinch for little hands to make. HOW-TO Have your kid completely cover sheets of wax paper (ours measure 6" x 7" for the glasses case, 7½" x 3" and 7½" x 5" for the envelopes) with colorful duct tape ($5 to $10 per roll; joann.com) on both sides. Then help her fold the duct-tape fabric in half for an open pouch or into thirds for an envelope with a flap, and tape up the sides.
Tip: Encourage your kids to donate a percentage of their profits to a cause of their choice.
