Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.For young children it's more important that they have the opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of crafting. This allow them to try new sensory experiences, as well as learn causal relationships.These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all that AND the 'fun factor.'1. Finger painting: Finger painting is a wonderful activity for kids. It lets them 'feel' the craft as well as be creative. You don't have to have finger paints to do this activity with kids. You can finger paint with homemade paint, watercolors or even mud. You can also experiment with adding
other things to the paint such as sand or glitter.2. Yarn Painting: Dip pieces of string or yarn into paint and then drag it across the paper to paint with it. It's a good experience to paint with something other than a brush and you can just throw the yarn away when finished.3. Q-Tip Painting: Use Q-tips to create a painting. There are lots of ways to use a Q-tip - scrub, dot, or use it like a brush. It's a good coordination exercise because Q-tips are small around, but it also provides a lot of interest for the child.4. Glue Art: Draw squiggle lines on a piece of paper or let the child use their finger to make random glue spots or patterns on a piece of paper. Experiment with adding different objects to the glue. Sand, glitter, cotton, yarn, feathers, and tissue paper all work well.5. Salt Dough Sculpture: Make a batch of salt dough and turn the kids loose with it. You don't have to worry about them eating it (it's safe and tastes terrible) and clean up is easier than play dough. If you want to keep their creations, let them dry overnight and then paint them the next day.6. Toe Painting: If it's a warm summer day, put on the swimsuits, put some finger paint into pie tins, lay out large sheets of poster paper, and let them 'paint' all afternoon. They will have a ball and all you have to do is hose them off when they are done (that's my kids' favorite part actually!)7. Found Object Art: This project is always a sure thing because kids love to 'discover' things. Let your child gather up leaves, sticks, flowers, etc. and then glue them onto a piece of paper. When they are done, let them tell you about their collection.8. Peanut Pictures: Every kid loves to play with packing peanuts -- but it makes such a mess. Let them create pictures with them instead. Kids can draw on them, glue them to a sheet of paper, or glue the peanuts to each other to make a sculpture. The kids will love it!9. Sticker Play: Turn your child loose with a bunch of stickers, markers, and a sheet of paper and let them create. It's good for little ones to work on their coordination, and it's fun!10. Stamping: Kids love to use any kind of stamps. My favorites are the self-inking stamps or the double-sided markers with the stamps on one end. This may sound like pure play, but is also teaches young children cause and effect.Chris Yates makes it Easy to craft with Little Kids and
Create a little Magic Time with Hundreds of Project Ideas. Visit Little Kid Crafts Now!

The roar of the crowd as the cars rush by, the sense of excitement in the air. Is it the Indy 500? No, it is RC racing! RC racing, or remote control racing also known as radio control, is a quickly growing hobby segment that appeals to both young and old, and men and women.RC cars are popular at a hobby level, for creating and putting the cars together, or even taking it to the next level with professional tuning and racing. You can purchase RC cars as a kit in an unassembled form or completely assembled and rtr or ready to run condition.What Types of RC Cars Are There?The selection for RC cars is huge and growing every day. You can choose cars in almost any body type that you desire, in any color and any style. However, there are a few main distinctions that you will need to make before you choose any car for the first time.You can choose from:1) Gas powered or electric
2) On road racing models or off-road models
3) Assembled or non-assembled
4) Car or TruckThese are the main choices, however once you choose what type you are looking for, you will still have many style choices as well as engine choices to make.Gas Powered or Electric?The biggest decision that will have to make when you choose an RC car is whether it is powered by nitro gasoline or an electric battery pack. There are pros and cons to both types, and ultimately you need to decide what type of power is best for your needs and what you want your RC car to achieve.Electric RC CarsElectric remote control cars are an excellent choice if you are just getting started in the world of RC cars. They are typically easier to care for, and much easier to maintain than their gas powered counter parts. An electric car will make a great starter car because they are generally less expensive than a nitro car, so you can take the time to practice and perfect your driving skills before laying down a lot of money.Electric cars are run on batteries. The batteries are assembled into battery packs that usually have a recharging capability. This is much more cost effective than cars that require new batteries. However it can also be time consuming having to recharge your battery pack, so if you do not like to wait, a spare battery pack is likely a good investment.You can purchase electric RC cars for any budget, so you should choose a car that is suitable for your needs. Electric cars typically go slower than a nitro car, however you can purchase electric cars that will achieve high speeds.It is important to remember when you buy a new electric car you must break in the motor slowly in order to extend the motor life and allow the engine to achieve its full potential. When you break in the motor, you simply start running the car at a slower speed and gradually bring it up to speed. If you do not want to take the time to break in an engine you can purchase cars ready to run. In most cases, these cars are ready to go and the motors are already broken in.Nitro Gas CarsRC cars that run on nitro gasoline are the most popular and fastest growing segment of remote control cars. With nitro vehicles, you can buy the popular trucks that will take jumps at high speeds and go off road driving. Alternatively, if speed is more your thing, look for the racecars that are meant to speed along pavement, tracks or other prepared surfaces.As with electric RC cars, you can purchase ready to run cars or kits in varying states of assembly. Nitro RC vehicles typically run faster than electric vehicles and you can find some that will go 70mph right out of the box.Gas powered RC vehicles run on a specially formulated fuel made especially for RC cars. Most nitro vehicles have a pull start engine similar to a lawnmower for easy starting. Because nitro cars are more complex than electric vehicles, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. You can purchase nitro starter kits that come with everything that you need to get started. This is a great way to go for beginners when you do not want to leave anything out.As with electric cars, it is very important to break in your engine unless of course you purchase a ready to run kit, which should be ready to go straight out of the box.Which Way to GoNo matter if you choose the nitro gas powered version or the battery powered RC vehicles, you will have a great selection available to you, and of course, you will have a lot of fun. Why not try a few of each? With so much variety out there, it is almost impossible to settle on only one RC vehicle.

Which ones can be money making hobbies? A friend made a life-sized cow out of plywood once. He painted it, put it in the yard, and people started asing if he would sell it. He soon had a waiting list of customers for his plywood cows. With a profit of about fifty dollars each, he wasn't getting rich, but isn't making money with your hobby more fun than a job?Money Making Hobbies - Two ApproachesThe first approach is obvious: Look for ways to make money with your existing hobby or hobbies. What do you produce that other people might want? Do you collect dolls? You might produce a newsletter for other doll collectors, or buy and sell doll furniture.The second approach is to think of all the hobbies you might take up that can generate a second income for you. When I found that I really enjoyed making walking sticks as a hobby, I sold more than a thousand dollars worth one summer. There are probably things you would enjoy doing that can make some money.Get creative in your thinking. Look at the list of activities or hobbies below, and see if you can think of a way they can be used to make money. Do you like to travel? You might become a tour guide, or write articles for magazines.Painting ... Crafts of all sorts ... Sewing ... Caring for animals ... Talking ... Playing with computers ... Traveling ... Rock Climbing ... Stamp Collecting ... backpackingHow To Make Money With ANY HobbyIn the past, you could argue that not all hobbies can be money making hobbies. This is no longer true. If you go to my sites, you'll notice the ads. I just copy and paste some code (no selling involved), and make a little bit everytime you click on one. In a matter of days, with almost no money, you can have a website up where you write about your favorite hobby, and collect for the advertising clicks.Steve Gillman has been studying every aspect of money for thirty years. You can find more interesting and useful information on his website; http://www.UnusualWaysToMakeMoney.com

There are many styles of humidors that range from the smaller traveling humidor to the large cabinet and even walk-in room humidors. By far, the most popular humidor is the glass top humidor also referred to as the desktop humidor.While many people will choose to purchase an already made humidor, for those who are more inclined, the art of making one's own humidor can be a very appealing idea and lend bragging rights at the same time. By making one's own humidor, the cigar aficionado can choose the materials, the size, the design and the specific humidifier for his or her own personal creation. The only limit is the imagination of the individual. Whether one chooses to make a simple, rectangular box design or one decides to be more elaborate, choosing to tool the wood with intricate designs, there is no wrong approach.Performing a simple search for a humidor plan, one can find a wide variety of designs and plans, some for free and some for very inexpensive prices. If one so chooses, there are even plans on the internet for making a humidor out of Tupperware

Given the progress in inkjet and media technology, demand for printing photographs and art on canvas is growing exponentially. Whether you have a good inkjet printer or you prefer to have your work done by a professional outfit, it is worth to explore this option for any type of image. We constantly receive requests from wedding and portrait photographers who want to print large canvas for their clients.Artists regularly order limited edition prints on canvas and watercolor papers to sell to collectors. These reproductions usually are signed and are accompanied by a COA (Certificate of authenticity). Buyers are very receptive to purchasing canvas prints they can hang up without a protective glass, without worrying about scratches and water damage.The texture of a fine art canvas is unparalleled in beauty; a protective coating is applied on top to give the substrate a matte, lustre or glossy look. If you prefer to experiment with this material to see the results, canvas sheets are available at many stores that carry inkjet products.The differences between a home desktop printer and a professional one are many but I will focus on the most important. First, commercial machines can be outfitted with pigmented inks; these inks differ from dye inks commonly found in the cheap home printers because they are archival and will not fade for decades. Dyes on the other hand will start losing brilliance in a matter of months. There are some home use printers now that offer a form of hybrid dye/pigment system. The second difference is the nozzle quality; pro level systems have extremely sophisticated nozzles that can render a very fine dot and exceptional tonal rendition.The process of printing on fine art materials such as canvas and watercolor papers is referred to as "giclee". Giclee is a french term that loosely translated means "sprayed on". It refers to the nozzles which spray ink onto the paper. Giclee printing involves some of the characteristics described above and it is usually performed by professional shops.You can read more about giclee and canvas printing on our website.Fabio Braghi is the owner and printmaker of a Fine art giclee print company with over fifteen years of experience in digital imaging.

For many people, photos are at the heart of their scrapbooks -- and for a very good reason. We all treasure photgraphs of friends and loved ones, and many of us carry some with us wherever we go in a wallet or locket or keep photos on our desk at work. And if disaster were to strike and you had to evacuate your house, many people say they would save their photo albums before any other possessions!So most scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most disinterested reader of
your scrapbook will look at them. A picture really is worth a thousand words.
Therefore, it is important to choose photographs that are of good quality and clearly
illustrate your scrapbook theme.Any photograph can be used in a scrapbook. Even instant photographs can be used
in scrapbooking. Just be careful that the chemicals within the photograph do not
spill out on the rest of your scrapbook. Digital pictures can easily be printed right
onto lignin-free and acid -free paper.Always bear in mind that scrapbooking is permanent. For this reason, it is probably
better to use copies of your only picture of Great Aunt Betsy rather than risk ruining
the original photograph forever. So just scan the picture on your computer scanner
and print the image on lignin free and acid free paper.Everybody loves looking at photos of family, friends and special places. That's why
they have such a special place in any scrapbook. It can be a lot of fun to use photos
in imaginative layouts and for abstract effects -- don't feel confined just to
mounting your photos as you would in a traditional photo album.You can find inspiration for new scrapbooking ideas from magazines and visits to
art museums. Just keep your eyes open and let your imagination run free!Nigel Patterson is a writer on arts and crafts and the publisher of Create Your Own Scrapbooks.Visit his website for new and imaginative scrapbooking tips and ideas -- so you can
maintain your most treasured mementos and present them artistically for you, your
family and your friends to enjoy.

An attractive technique for placing photographs into scrapbooks is the photograph mosaic. Mosaics stretch photographs into an artistic rendition of the original photograph. Maps can also be stretched in this way. This method might be employed to create a funky look for a friend scrapbook or as a background for someone who likes computers, GIS, or geography.A basic cropping technique is used to create a photographic mosaic. Simply cut a photograph into evenly spaced squares. Then, glue the squares onto the background leaving an equal space between each square.A white background or a background matching the background color of the photograph will add to the effect. A background of a contrasting color will reduce the spaced out effect of the photograph.A marker is a seeming obvious tool for writing and embellishing on scrapbook pages. Markers are easy to draw with and can be used to color in portions of lettering, in borders, or to create accents. Unfortunately, regular markers tend to smudge and bleed through scrapbook pages.Nonetheless, there are a few brands of markers (Markers Pigma and Color Workshop Blo Pens) available in craft and office supply stores that do not smudge or bleed. These markers are also acid free, fade resistant, waterproof, and available in a variety of colors.Mia LaCron is the founder of 101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - http://www.101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - devoted to helping individuals record, store, and preserve their most cherished memories via the art of scrapbooking.

We all know someone who is difficult to buy a present for. Someone who has everything they need and would not appreciate 'normal' gifts. Often this will be your parent or an older relative or neighbor, and they can be a problem to buy something for.Well, this is a simple way to make a unique gift that they will be happy to accept. When you take the time to produce something that relates only to them and their interests it will always be happily received.The idea is to make a picture that includes something that they are especially interested in. This could be a hobby or any other interest they have.This is a quick and easy technique. You simply choose your theme (their hobby or interest), paint a silhouette of it onto a colored background and frame it.You could paint a colored background onto a canvas panel or use already colored paper. I noticed my local art store had colored card that had a range of colors merging into each other, this would be ideal for this technique.The theme of your silhouette is really the creative part. The easiest thing would be to use their hobby as the theme.Look through some copyright free clip art until you find an image that you could use for the outline of the silhouette.If they like fishing it could be a fisherman/fish/fishing fly. For a golfer it could be a set of clubs/golf hole with flag. For someone who likes to cook it could be related to cooking. If they are keen church-goers a silhouette of their church may be appreciated.A lot of people like to receive a silhouette of their home. For car enthusiast a silhouette of their car is a good idea. In which case you could use a digital camera and take a picture of their church, home or whatever you have decided to include in the picture.You really can use your imagination for this. When using clip art you have a huge range of options (probably too many!) to choose from. You don't have to be great at drawing!Also, you can use a computer graphics package to blend together two or three images for your final silhouette shape. Be sure to adjust the size of the final image to make it the correct size for the painting surface you have chosen, and print it out. As this is a gift you can make it whatever size you choose.Once you have painted or found a suitable background, then trace around the outside edge of the image for your silhouette shape. Use carbon paper for this.The silhouette shape can be painted in using acrylic paints ? don't make the paint too thin though! Another alternative is to use a permanent marker, not a normal marker as it will fade over time, and that would be disappointing for the person receiving the gift.Silhouettes look very effective and traditional in black. However you could use a darker shade of one of the colors in the background for an alternative look. For example if the background was a pale green the silhouette could be in a dark green. This all adds to the uniqueness of your gift.If you are using a colored card it will be better to use a permanent marker as the water in the paint may cause the card surface to buckle.Fill in the silhouette shape and leave to dry. Then frame the silhouette picture.**A distinctive gift for a special person.**This type of personalized gift is always appreciated and shows that you have put some thought, time and effort into the present.Another major benefit is that no one else will be giving exactly the same gift!This is an excellent technique if you can't find a suitable card. You can make your own special card. It is most effective if you choose a very simple shape for the silhouette when using this method in card making. Cards are generally a lot smaller and look best when you use less detailed shapes.Use this system and say goodbye to gift buying problems for that hard to please someone.Catherine Calder is the author of the Acrylic Painting Course. This step-by-step course teaches you how to paint using acrylic paints. All stages of each of the 12 painting are illustrated. Ideal for beginners or anyone new to using acrylic paints. For a free preview of the course visit
http://www.learnanddo.com/acrylic.asp
Sign up for the free report on 'How to Paint Abstract Pictures for Pleasure and Profit' at
http://www.AcrylicPaintingCourse.info

Puzzle pieces make playful embellishments and borders. Puzzle pieces give a creative and playful look to children's art and educational scrapbooks.Since, the bottom of the puzzle pieces is flat, gluing and placing puzzle pieces is simple. Be aware, however, that puzzle pieces are generally not lignin free and acid free. This could drastically reduce the life of your scrapbook page.Sequins can add a creative flair and a dash of color to scrapbook pages as embellishments. If placed randomly in a variety of colors, sequins cause a dramatic, abstract, playful attraction to items and pages. This might be good for a young adult or college student scrapbook.However, if the sequins are placed in specific patterns and colors the effects can be elegant and dainty. This might be appropriate for scrapbooks for older individuals.Simply glue and place individual sequins using tweezers.Sequins come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Sequins are available at any local craft store.Body art rhinestones can also be added to embellish scrapbook pages in a creative and colorful way. Rhinestones add color and shine to your scrapbook pages making any dull page more exciting.Unlike regular rhinestones, body art rhinestones have an adhesive backing. Thus, body art rhinestones are easy to place directly onto scrapbook pages.Rhinestones and body art rhinestones come in many different shapes and colors. Both types are available at most craft stores.Mia LaCron is the founder of 101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - http://www.101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - devoted to helping individuals record, store, and preserve their most cherished memories via the art of scrapbooking.

There are several types of refrigerator magnets that you can make with a little effort and the right materials. Below are some ideas for making magnets for gifts or just for fun.1. First you need to gather the needed ingredients. The easiest magnets to make are flat magnets that you print out on your printer. These magnets are great for personalized favors and gifts. You will need special magnet sheets that are designed to be printed on, which should be available at most office supply stores as well as online.2. If you are artistic, then you can draw your own images and scan them into your computer. Or you can draw them using a paint program. If not, you can do a search for free clip art and images, which should turn up plenty of images that you can use. These images can be imported into a word processor.3. Next, you can insert the desired text. To make sure the text is readable, insert a box with solid background into the picture. This is where you will insert your personalized text.4. Finally, print out your magnets on your color printer. If you don't have a color printer, then you local copy shop should be able to print these out for you for a reasonable fee.5. You can also make three-dimensional magnets by using plaster of paris and cookie or soap molds. Fill the molds with the wet plaster and insert a circular magnet into the wet plaster. Cookie cutters can also be used instead of molds.6. Once the plaster dries, the magnets can now be painted. Other types of decorations can be used as well, like glitter. Once the paint dries, you will have a lovely keepsake item or gift that will last for years.In summary, with a few cheap ingredients and a little time, anyone can make their own refrigerator magnets. Enjoy!Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. See Save the date baby shower magnets for more magnet ideas and Baby Shower Magnets - Favors for other related baby shower supplies.Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.