Supplies you will need:
• recycled paper — magazine pages, coloring book pages, books that have already lost a page or two, regular printer or construction paper.
• colored pencils — these work best on non-glossy paper.
• scissors
• glue stick
• 20-lb. bamboo cord — I found a combo pack at Michael’s in several different colors. The bamboo is a good pick because it has some natural stretch to it and this allows a little give in the cuff.
• 2 tapestry needles

Color and cut
Using any type of recycled paper (I used old book pages), cut triangle strips that are approximately 1 inch wide at the base, narrowing as you reach the top. The width of the bottom of your triangle will be the height of the finished bead. If your paper has a matte finish, you can add additional color using colored pencils.

Glue and roll
Coat the back of your triangle with glue, leaving a small space at the widest end of the bead. Starting at the wider end of the paper, begin rolling the paper into a small tube. If you need a little guidance, you can roll the paper around a toothpick to ensure you’ve left enough space for threading.

Double thread
To figure out the length of your cord, multiply the wrist measurement by three. Knot together two pieces of bamboo cord together. Thread each end through its own tapestry needle. Starting with the smallest bead, thread the right needle through the right side of the bead and thread the left needle through the left side of the bead.

Tighten and repeat
After the needles are through each side, gently and evenly tighten the cording until snug. Repeat as many times as needed to get desired cuff length. Use small beads at the start and end of the bracelet to create an easy toggle closure. Simply twist the two small beads around one another to fasten.

Craft Time with Julie Mack: Recycled paper bead cuff bracelet

Craft Time with Julie Mack: Cardboard Space Rocket

& the Cardboard Space Rocket Craft Time template

To Infinity & beyond: Cardboard Space Rocket
These easy rockets use discarded paper towel tubes. Using some paint, craft foam and your imagination, you and your child can create a fun space adventure! This project a little bit of adult help with wielding the hot glue gun.

Supplies you will need:
• Low-temp glue gun— these still get very hot and should only be handled by adults. I got mine at Michael’s for under $3.
• Craft Foam. You can get this handy item from almost any craft store but I found a nice packet from createforless.com (their site can be a tad overwhelming but there are good deals to be had).
• Acrylic paint— I chose white as my rocket base color but you can choose any color you like! Silver would be pretty fancy.
• Paper towel tube(s). Toilet paper tubes and mailing tubes are also good for this project but may require some tweaking on the template-sizing.
• Pencil
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• CraftTime Cardboard Space Rocket Template

Prepare and trace
To begin, prepare your paper towel tube by giving it a few thin coats of acrylic paint. Print out the rocket template and trace the shapes on craft foam in the colors of your choice.

Cut
Cut out all of the traced shapes. Feel free to experiment with different shapes for a variety of rockets. You can test new shapes in paper before cutting your craft foam.

Rocket top
This step should be completed by an adult.
Bend the rocket top half-circle into a cone shape with a little bit of overlap. Using a low-temperture glue gun, apply a line of glue where the foam will overlap. Press and hold to set.

 
Final assembly
This step should be completed by an adult.
Apply glue to the base of the cardboard tube and attach the booster base (yellow). Apply glue to the vertical edge of each rocket foot (black) and attach to the base. Apply glue around the top of the cardboard tube and affix the rocket top (red).

Bonus level: Add windows, flags and ship names to personalize your rocket even more!

& ta da! A cute little rocket for your child to zoom around with or hang from the ceiling. Maybe add in a few glow-in-the-dark stars and make a whole universe!

Check back next week for the video tutorial!

Simple Springtime Pinwheels
These pinwheels are very easy (& pretty speedy) to create with your kids. This project does require some adult supervision and a little help with the sharp stuff! Pinwheels are festive and fun and can also be used as a cute party project or decoration.

Supplies you will need:

• 5/16″ wooden dowel—most of these come 36″ in length. I purchased mine at Ganahl Lumber on Bristol Street. One of the employees was kind enough to trim the dowels into three equal portions. You can also purchase these at Michael’s—though the trimming down you’ll have to do on your own. A hacksaw if you’re low on power tools or a workspace; a jigsaw if you’re lucky enough to have a work bench.

• Glue stick (or any type of glue). I like using the glue stick for this project because it’s tackier than regular Elmer’s glue. The superior tackiness makes the paper stick more quickly which means less time holding the points down with your finger!

• Flat-headed silver thumbtacks

• Small washers (also purchased at Ganahl Lumber)

• Colored pencils (or other coloring item of your choice— crayons, markers, paint, glue & glitter, etc)

• Scissors

• Paper—letter size (8.5 x 11″)

Color & cut
Trim 8.5 x 11 paper down to an 8.5-inch square. Divide the space into four squares and have your child fill each with different colors and patterns. You can alternate colors and patterns as shown above or do totally different colors and patterns in each square to add more interest. Once colored, cut in from each corner about 3.5 inches. You can measure this if you like, but I generally just eyeball it.

Glue
Using your glue stick, put some glue at the center of your paper. Starting at the point closest to you, bend the right side of the cut to the center and press into the glue at the center. Repeat this three times, adding more glue on top after you press each point down. Always using the side right of the cut to ensure the pinwheel can catch a breeze and spin properly.

THIS STEP SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY AN ADULT.
Sandwich
Once the glue has dried, press a silver flat-head thumbtack carefully through the center of your pinwheel and then slide a washer on to the end of the tack creating a little tack, pinwheel, washer sandwich.

THIS STEP SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY AN ADULT.
Pushpin
Carefully press this washer/paper/tack sandwich into the wooden dowel near the top, leaving a little room so that the pinwheel can spin freely. Once you’ve attached the pinwheel to the dowel, you can puff up each of the billow-y portions of the pinwheel to get it to catch a bit more air to spin a little more.

TADA! You & your child have completed a pinwheel!

Craft Time with Julie Mack: Simple Springtime Pinwheel

Join me on Monday for written instructions and more photos!

Here’s a template if you’d like some guides rather than drawing your own:
PDF Pinwheel Template