Cardboard RocketShip with Template

I've got a fun little project to share today.  This is a cardboard rocket ship that Clark and I made out of some cardboard that we've had stored. 

Crafting with kids can sometimes be frustrating.  I like to keep the crafts simple and quick. We turned this little rocket ship into a birthday card for Clark's Papa.  On the back we wrote: "Hope your birthday's a blast".  This is could a really fun homemade valentine as well.  

We gathered up our colorful cardboard, though I really wish we'd used some old cereal or kleenex boxes.  This cardboard was a bit too thick for the project.  You want it to be thin enough to cut through (especially for little hands), and rigid enough to keep it's shape.  You can find my printable rocket ship template here. The basic instructions are included on the template.

We added a small picture of clark to personalize the rocket a bit, but you could decorate with stickers, markers, glitter, etc.

Now have fun crafting with your kids/grandkids.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Have you run out of time and money?  I feel like we have, and yet I keep thinking of a few more people that I'd love to give gifts to.  If you are feeling the same way, here are a few gift ideas that don't require much time or material.  You may even have the materials on hand.  Let's take a trip through the blog archives and rediscover some quick crafts.

Tortilla Cozy

The tortilla cozy will take you about an hour to whip up.  It is great for anyone on your list that loves mexican food, or baked potatoes.  Just throw a stack of warmed tortillas in the cozy and it will keep them warm all through dinner.  You can also put it directly into the microwave to heat your baked potatoes.  

You can find the tutorial here.

Dressed Up Reusable Shopping Bag

This is a gift that can work for just about anyone.  It would be a great teacher or school bus driver gift (probably a bit late for that though).  Simply gather all of those free reusable shopping bags that you've collected, the ones with the store's logo plastered on the front.  Find some scrap pieces of fabric that are large enough to cover the front panel, press under the raw edges, and stitch it to the front and back of the bag.  Easy, practical, and inexpensive. You could even stitch some Christmas print fabric on the front and use it as a gift bag.  See the original post here.

Magnetic Shapes and Numbers

 These magnetic shapes and numbers would make a great gift for any toddler or school age child.  They are made using craft felt (inexpensive), and some small magnets.  The magnets are encased in the fabric, so there's little risk of the magnets coming loose and being ingested.

If you wanted to take a short cut in making these, you could use hot glue in attaching the felt, but I prefer sticking to the sewing machine.  See the tutorial here.

Chunky Braided Bracelet

These chunky braided bracelets are made using strips of old t-shirts.  They are easy to make, and comfortable to wear.  You can find the full tutorial here.

T-shirt Scarf/Necklush

Since we've already started cutting apart our old t-shirts, why don't we make a trendy and warm scarf/necklush.  All you need is a soft old t-shirt.  This is a super quick and fun project. Find more information here.

Paper and Vinyl Wallets

These paper and vinyl wallets can be made using an available paper on hand, maps, phone books, photos, scrapbooking paper, ect.  The vinyl can be purchased for less than $3 a yard.  Don't want to set in snaps? Use some adhesive velcro to make this project go really quickly. Find the tutorial here.

Knotted Hair Elastics and Headbands

These elastic hairbands and headbands, are fun and easy to make.  All you need is some oval elastic cord, embroidery or friendship bracelet floss, and some felt and a button.  This would be a great project for any bored tweens in your home.  Find more information here.