This Arts, Crafts and Experiments Blog will be focused driving creativity for the whole family, whether you are a child of 5 years old, or an adult of 55 yrs or 105 yr old there is something for you! As we are staying at home for the next few weeks the smallest member wanted to share with you her favourite craft activities so you don’t have to spend hours on youtube, pintrest or on google finding something to do!

AND we want you involved to build an ACEcommunity so dont forget to share your created items with us on facebook or instagram using #aceanniewithalex #yourace OR share an ACE idea with us using the comments box at the bottom of the blog!

Upcycling:

1. Fun, smiley Pencil Pots!

   • What you will need: glass jars/ plastic pots with lids. Acrylic paint, paint brushes and sharpies

   • Instructions: Peal off the outside labels, paint your pot in a colour or design you like (plain colour, spotty, stripes, dappled texture or you could paint a watermelon, lemon etc ), paint the lid as well! once dry choose your emoji face and draw on with sharpie!

2. Bowling / Skittles!

   • What will you need: 10 different plastic bottles (think milk bottle, juice cartons, soft drink bottles, plastic toiletry bottles/ shampoo, deodorants etc). Paint, Decoupage Paper , tissue paper. Glue, Scissors, Sharpie.

   • Instructions: Peal off all outside labels, &f ill the bottles with a little bit of water (so they are a little sturdy whilst you decorate them). if you are decoupaging them, cut the paper into small strips, glue the bottle and place the small strips of paper over the glue and remember to glue them down on the outside and keep on going around until the bottle is fully covered (do not cover the lid!) OR Alternatively paint the outside (Alex can vouch trying to paint the inside does not work! as you will fill it with water so it will all rub off! ;-)). Once dry write your own point system on the lids, fill with water and you are ready to play!

   • Challenge: fill the bottles with different levels of water to make it harder and assign them different points! or to make it super difficult fill with different items (soil, stones, water etc) and see if that makes any difference!

3. Toilet roll Pencil pot

• What you will need: Toilet Roll (the card bit only!) (x3) kitchen roll card board roll (x1), wrapping paper or paint, piece of flat box for the base, glue gun

• Instructions: Follow the links:

  • Simple version/ preschool/ reception year one LINK

  • Slightly more complicated LINK

Fab Fabrics

Focused on what you utilising lots of random bits of fabrics that you may have around the house! Think old bed sheets, pillow cases and tea towels - yes we all have some around.

1. Easter Sock Bunnies:

   • Items you will need: single/ odd Socks, Elastic bands, Ribbon, Rice (or toy stuffing, soil or sand), sharpie, and a roll of sellotape to help put the rice in!

   • Instructions:Follow the YouTube LINK

2. Scrunchies:

   • The smallest member loves them and they are so easy to make!

     • Items you will need: Strips of Fabric, Hair Bands, thread, needles ( or Glue Gun), glass jar

     • Instructions: Follow the You Tube LINK

3. Towel Art

   • dont you love going to hotels and seeing all of the towel art, now you can do it at home!

   • Items you will need: Face Flannels, hand towels:

   • Instructions: Follow the YouTube links:

     • Easy Easter Bunny LINK

     • Difficult Teddy LINK

   • Challenge Additional exploration: why do you think that towels are more absorbent than your bed sheets? why not try to place the same amount of liquid in a bowl and place the same size piece of fabric in the bowls to see which one is absorbed fastest! OR try drying yourself with a bed sheet

4. Make your own Bag without a sewing machine!

   You will need: an old T- shirt

   Instructions: Follow the Youtube LINK

5. How to Make a simple Button Headband for NHS and Key workers

   If you would like to know how to make a simple Button Headband for the NHS please click the link to our blog and pattern. LINK

Outside, Nature and Flowers

1. Grow your Own Stone Cati

   • What you will need: Round stones, Plant pot, soil, pens, pencils, paint and paint brush

   • Instructions: You Tube LINK

2. Flower Pressing Picture

   • What you will need: Garden Flowers, Plain paper, Iron, picture frame

   • Instructions: Gone are the days of lots of books, ad waiting for days to get pressed flowers, you do this with an iron in 5 minutes! LINK

3. Flower Dissection:

   • Understand your spring flowers by easy dissection by Emma at Country Cut Flower Instagram LINK

Paper, Card and Drawing

1. Step by Step Painting English Florals: From Cath Kidson LINK

2. Colouring Templates: From Betty Bettesworth LINK

3. Easy Drawing Animal and Disney characters : From YouTube LINK

4. Video Tutorial of how to paint feathers and Eucalyptus: From Kate Buchanan INSTAGRAM LINK

5. Easter Basket:

   • You will need: Paper, Ruler, Pencil, Scissors, Glue

   • Instructions: Follow the You Tube LINK

6. Box Making:

   • You will need: A4 paper, Ruler, Pencil, scissors, Glue

   • Instructions: Follow the You Tube LINK (we have done this so we know its super easy!)

7. Paper Flowers:

   1. You will need: Coloured Paper, Scissors, Straw (or twig), Glue Gun

   2. Instructions: Follow the You Tube LINK ( this is quite difficult!)

8. The Great Chain Race Challenge:

   • What you will need: A4 Paper (different colours for the different family members), Scissors, or Tape

   • Challenge: Everyone to take a piece of paper and to make the longest paper chain you can only using 1 piece of paper! Time 60 minutes

   • Results: Lay them out and measure who has the longest!

   • Further Activities: 1) Create a Bar Chart, calculate the Mean, Mode and Median 2) Compare and Contrast why each one was different lengths