How to make an easy luggage tag, fun kid's craft

Whenever you go anywhere and fly everyone seems to have the same color luggage.  You can make a personalized easy luggage tag that sets your luggage apart from the crowd. The tag is big enough to be noticed but is also very lightweight.

This is a perfect project for kids, girls scout groups, vacation Bible school and so much more.  You make this luggage tag from foam door hangers that are very inexpensive.  It's a great way to use up all those extra little foam shapes that the kids may have not used up yet too! 

So let’s get started!

Materials:

2 foam door hangers in contrasting colors

Disappearing marker

Hole punch or nail, scissors

Tacky craft glue

Sharpie marker 

16” of flexible plastic string (used for beading)

Small foam shapes to fit in the center hole

Easy luggage tag

1)   Choose two contrasting colors of foam door hangers.  Measure 3 inches from the bottom of one door hanger marking with a disappearing marker and cut off. Do the same with the other door hanger except you will measure from the top  (the end with the hole) and cut off. 

2)   Place them together and you will have a recessed area on one end.  You will not be putting any glue in the recessed area. 

3)   Using a large hole punch or simply poke a hole with a nail in the center of the non-door hole area.

4)   Line up both side together so that the hole you punched is in the center of the door hole.  (This is the top of your tag)

  

5)   Spread some tacky glue onto the side with the door hole. Press together and let dry.  Trim the corners at an angle.

6)   Glue foam shapes in the recessed door hole areas if desired or just leave as is.   Attach a piece of flexible plastic string through the punched hole and attach to luggage.  Use the Sharpie marker to label with name and address.

How to make fun pencil pouch from duct tape

It’s almost July and pretty soon it will be time to purchase school supplies.  You can personalize a fun pencil pouch from a plastic zipper storage bag and some duct tape.

There are literally hundreds of different color duct tapes available.  So there is a personalized design for every taste and color preference. And duct tape is very sturdy. You can even punch holes in the bag to add to a binder. 

This fun pencil pouch is fun to make for kids.  So you will never  be at a loss when they come to you saying they are bored.

Materials:

One gallon sized slider style storage bag

Duct tape in desired print or color

Plastic cutting mat-- optional (helps with cutting the duct tape)

Ruler, marker, scissors

Three-hole punch or regular hole punch

1.     Measure and cut 3 inches off the bottom edge of the storage bag.  Discard the cut off piece.

2.     Measure and cut 5 pieces of duct tape to 10 ½” each.

Cutting duct tape is easy to measure on a plastic cutting mat

3.     Starting at the upper edge attach a 10 ½” piece of duct tape over the plastic of the bag and across. Press to adhere.  Repeat with three more pieces of duct tape overlapping just a bit where the edges meet to cover the bag. Overlap the bottom edge of the final piece and press to the opposite side.

4.     Turn over to cover the other side.  Cut 4 pieces of duct tape to 12” each.  Start as you did on the first side except fold the extra length on each side (about ½” on each side) to the back. (Already covered side)  

5.     When you have completely covered the bag, you will need to reinforce the sides and bottom edge.  To do this cut 2 pieces of duct tape 7 ¾” each.  Press half the tape on one side covering any uneven edges and turn the excess to the opposite side.  Repeat on the other end.  For the bottom, cut another piece of duct tape 10 ½” and attach part to one side and fold the rest to the other side. (Bottom reinforced)

6.     Use a three-hole punch to make holes for the loose-leaf binder along the bottom edge.  If you do not have a three-hole punch, use a piece of loose-leaf paper to trace where the holes should be and punch with a regular hole punch.

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Recycled egg carton shrink-it cross necklace

Try this quick and easy recycled egg carton shrink-it cross necklace kid’s craft at summer camps, vacation bible schools and more. 

Summer is in full swing and it’s time for summer camp and vacation bible school crafting.  This recycled egg carton cross necklace is easy and costs practically nothing to make so you will be able to make this craft on a budget!

Did you know that you could shrink egg cartons with number (6) recycle symbol in an oven or toaster oven? And the shape shrinks hard and is thick as a nickel?  You can make them in all sorts of shapes and use them for necklaces, zipper pulls, hair ornaments and more!  And the best part is that many egg cartons come in colors so you don’t even have to paint the shapes.  I found white, yellow, and green.  Today I’m making a crucifix in yellow, but you can make it in any color you like.  You can even paint or color the white with permanent markers.

Materials:

·      Number 6 Egg carton in yellow

·      Scissors

·      Oven or toaster oven set to 350 degrees

·      Aluminum foil cover cookie sheet

·      Metal spatula

·      Needle nosed pliers

·      Jump rings

·      Rat tail ribbon

·      Paper hole punch

RECYCLED EGG CARTON CROSS NECKLACE

1.     The first thing you need to do is make sure your egg carton has a 6 symbol somewhere on it.  Number 6 egg cartons are the only ones that will work.

2.     Next, cut out the egg holder portion.  Each egg holder will make a cross. 

3.     Now cut four equal sections up to the base of the egg holder. 

4.     Fold down each section flat.  Once you fold all four sections down, trim up each section into a rectangular shape, making one longer than the other three.  You have the cross made.

5.     Use the paper hole punch to make a hole in the top of the cross.  This will shrink along with the cross

6.     Place the prepared shape on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and place in a 350-degree oven for just a few minutes.  The shape will begin to curl but will soon shrink and lie flat.  When it completely shrunk, remove from the oven and immediately press with the spatula.  You will be able to pick up your cross in just a few seconds and at this point you can trim up any ragged pieces. 

In this photo you can see how it shrinks

It shrinks thick and hard

7.     Use a needle nosed pliers to open a jump ring by twisting rather than pulling apart and insert through the hole in the top of the cross.  Close the jump ring in the same manner.

8.     Cut a length of rat-tail ribbon, thread it through the jump ring and knot the ends together.