Gift Ideas for Crafty Kids!

Here’s a creative photo-taking and craft-making project. Take festive photos, print them out, and upcycle them into holiday gifts – like bookmarks, greeting cards, or a set of notecards!
Check out Kids Can-Do at RFMonline.com for helpful photography tips from Lauren at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.  

What you need:

• Holiday items for photo
(i.e., pumpkins and gourds, fall leaves, ornaments, glittery garland, ribbons, etc.)
• Fabric or paper
• Bowl or other container
• Camera (SLR or cell phone)
• Flashlights
• Sturdy cardstock, glue, scissors, ruler, hole punch, ribbon, stickers, decorative glittery tape

What you do:

1. Lay out your background – a piece of fabric or scrapbook paper or wrapping paper – on a solid surface. Set items of interest on top; keep them close together. For ornaments, fill a bowl with baubles in various colors and textures. Set up flashlights so they light the subject you’ll be shooting. Enlist a partner to hold the flashlights.
2. Prep your SLR camera for macro (close-up) photography or choose either the macro or auto setting on your cell phone camera to prepare for photographing smaller details.
3. Start snapping photos! Move around a bit to get different angles and different colors or patterns. You’ll be amazed how moving the camera or yourself slightly changes the image.
4. After your photo shoot, have some of your favorite pictures printed at CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart. You can also print at home on glossy stock if you have a better-quality color printer.

To make greeting cards or a set of notecards:

1. Fold a piece of cardstock in half lengthwise.

2. Attach a 4×6 print to one side, leaving a slight border around the sides. 

3. Trim excess cardstock from the long side, leaving a slight border to match the other sides.

4. If desired, add embellishments such as glitter, stickers, or handwritten holiday messages to your photo image.

To make bookmarks:

1. Taking an 8×10 photo print, turn it to landscape view.

1. On the back, measure out two inches and draw a line from top to bottom at the 2-inch mark. 

2. Cut out each 2-inch section to create unique bookmarks.

3. Punch a small hole in the top middle leaving at least a 1/4-inch at the top.

4. Tie a piece of ribbon through the hole and you’re all done.

Tip: You may want to reinforce the back of the photograph by gluing cardstock to it before you cut out your bookmarks.

Photos: Scott Schwartzkopf