5 Fun Crafts for the Fourth of July

Hand Over the Mic

Let the kids lip-sync their way to stardom!

Slice down the length of a paper towel tube, roll it into a cone, and tape it closed. Crumple tissue paper into a ball and insert it into the opening. Cover the ball with newspaper, attach it to the base with black tape, then continue to wrap the entire base. Coat the newspaper ball with glue, then roll in silver glitter. Let dry.

Yankee Doodle Necklaces

What You'll Need: Various pastas (we used rotelle, rigatoni, penne, farfallini, and cannelloni); plastic baggies; food coloring (like India Tree Nature's Colors); rubbing alcohol; parchment paper; yarn (or two to three pre-made pom-poms or tassels per child); scissors (at least one pair for two to three kids); shoelaces or paracord (for stringing necklaces)

PREPARATION

1. Before the party, dye the uncooked pasta. Separate pasta into plastic baggies. Add a few drops of food coloring and two caps of rubbing alcohol to each. Close and shake until the pasta is coated. Place on parchment paper to dry.

2. At the party, set out dyed noodles, yarn, and shoelaces or paracord. Show the kids how to make tassels and pom-poms (left), then let them loose!

TO MAKE POM-POMS

Wrap yarn around four fingers 50 times; cut the tail. Pull off the bundle; double-knot a new piece around the middle. Cut open the loops; trim to shape.

TO MAKE TASSELS

Wrap yarn around four fingers 20 times. Pull off the bundle and cut the tail; double-knot a new piece near the top. Wrap a third piece around the top six times and double-knot it. Cut open the long loops and trim.

Supersize Stars

What You'll Need: Box cutter (adults only); cardboard boxes; tinsel; garland (about 50 feet per 3-foot-wide star); glue gun and glue sticks (two to three per star)

1. Cut a star out of cardboard.

2. Wrap the star horizontally with tinsel, adding glue as you go, from top to bottom.

Make the Flag

Transform scrap fabric (old sheets work, too) into an Old Glory-ous backdrop to use year after year.

Tear 5 yards each of red and white fabric into 2-inch-wide strips (snip with scissors to start). Make each piece about 7 feet long, tying shorter pieces together, if necessary. Repeat using blue fabric, making 3-foot-long pieces. You'll need 50 to 60 strips of each color. Cut white pom-pom trim to six 3-foot lengths. Knot about 10 strips of red fabric onto one end of a 4-foot-long dowel, then 10 strips of white fabric. Repeat to make 13 stripes. Tie the blue fabric in front of the stripes to cover half of the left side the flag, then tie on pom-pom trim every 4 inches. Tie twine to each end of the dowel to hang.

Trophies for All

Stack two to three cups or cans (flip some upside down) in varying shapes; hot-glue in place. Hot-glue a plastic figure to the top; let dry. Spray each trophy with two to three light coats of metallic paint; let dry

8 Patriotic Recipes

From smokey spud salad to patriotic whoopie pies (yum), upgrade your classic American fare with these 8 delicious dishes that are perfect for every patriotic holiday!