2. Measure a 6" (15 cm) square in each corner and mark it with pins. Cut and remove the 6" (15 cm) squares from each corner (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Cut out the corners.

3. Place long strips of masking tape along each edge, 6" (15 cm) away from each edge, to create a cutting guide for the fringe (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Make masking-tape guides.

4. Measure and mark the tape guides at 1" (2.5 cm) intervals as a guide to keep the fringe width uniform (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Mark off the cuts.

5. Cut 1" (2.5 cm) strips of fringe along each blanket edge, stopping at the tape (fig. 5). Cut through both layers of fleece and use the 1" (2.5 cm) markings as a guide for width.

Fig. 5: Snip the fringe.

6. Tie front to back by knotting each fringe “stack” as you would tie a balloon. Make a loop (fig. 6), pull both tails through the loop (fig. 7), and slide the knot up to the tape (fig. 8). Repeat around all sides of the blanket.

Fig. 6: Make a loop.

1. Paint your pot with a base layer of craft paint (fig. 1). Be sure to paint about 1" (2.5 cm) or more down inside the pot as well so it doesn’t look messy once the plant is inside. Leave the bottom unpainted. Paint several pots if you want to make an air plant family!

Fig. 1: Paint the flower pot a base color.

2. Paint a face onto a painted pot with a small paintbrush (fig. 2). It may be helpful to mark the eyes with dots at this stage.

Fig. 2: Paint a face onto the pot.

3. Glue googly eyes onto the pot with white glue (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Glue on some googly eyes.

4. Wrap a bit of Spanish moss around the base of the air plant and tuck it into the pot (fig. 4). No soil is required.

Fig. 4: Add moss and your air plant.

5. Hot glue wooden beads to the bottom of the pot in a triangle formation to act as feet, if you like (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Add feet to the pot.

2. Use washable markers to write words onto the rocks (fig. 2). These will wipe off with a damp cloth if you make a mistake or want to make an adjustment to get the size and spacing just right. Choose empowering and positive words or short phrases that you will be able to paint easily.

Fig. 2: Sketch the words.

3. Use a small detail brush to paint over the sketched words (fig. 3). Once dry, you can wipe off any marker that is still visible.

Fig. 3: Paint the words.

4. Choose a simple pattern and use the bottom end of your paintbrush to make perfect dots on the pebble. Dunk the bottom end in paint and dab it onto the rock (fig. 4). On the green rock shown, a radiating burst of dotted lines shines outward from the word. Start with vertical and horizontal rows of dots. Then add diagonal rows between those. Note that a circle pattern is used on the pink rock and arches of dots are used on the blue one. Repetition of the shapes is what makes the finished art look so striking. It’s a simple but effective technique.

Fig. 4: Choose a pattern and make the first set of dots.

5. Continue to fill the spaces on the rock with more rows of dots in two more colors until the pebble looks well covered and complete (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Add dots in two additional colors.

6. Add any touches you’d like to finish your masterpiece. Then paint a clear sealer onto the rock to protect your work from the weather (fig. 6).

Fig. 6: Add the finishing touches and sealer.

1. Paint a cheerful design on the paper plates (fig. 1). A sunshine surrounded by folksy flowers is perfect. Start in the center and work your way outward.

Fig. 1: Paint the plates.

2. Use painter’s tape to hold the plates together and aligned as you punch holes around the edges (fig. 2). Match the spacing to about the same width as your selected ribbon. For 1" (2.5 cm)-wide ribbon, 1" (2.5 cm) spacing works well.

Fig. 2: Tape and punch holes in the plates.

3. Thread a plastic yarn needle with the ribbon (fig. 3). This makes for easier lacing. If you don’t have a yarn needle, you can roll the end of the ribbon tightly and tape it into a tube (like the end of a shoelace) to aid in lacing.

Fig. 3: Thread the needle.

4. Leave a long tail, about 15" (38 cm), and lace the plates together (fig. 4). Come up through the bottom of each hole. This will wrap the ribbon around the edges as you go. Stop lacing when there are two or three holes left. Don’t forget to remove the tape as you go!

Fig. 4: Lace the plates together.

5. Fill the tambourine with a couple handfuls of gumballs (fig. 5). You want to leave plenty of room for them to rattle around in there!

Fig. 5: Add the gumballs.

6. Complete the lacing and tie a nice bow with two long tails (fig. 6).

Fig. 6: Finish lacing and tie a bow.

7. Loop some Mylar streamers, tinsel, or sparkly ribbon through one of the holes under the bow and pull tight, if you like (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Add some sparkle!

1. Cut a 5" (12.5 cm) square of your fun tissue, a 12" (30.5 cm) piece of the crepe paper for the flower petals, and an 8" (20 cm) piece of another crepe paper for the stamen/fringe (fig. 1). These sizes may vary for you depending on the type of lollipop you use. It’s fine to estimate and make adjustments.

Fig. 1: Cut the tissue and streamers to size.

2. Cut the petal crepe paper into scallops and the stamen crepe paper into fringe (fig. 2). See the Teachable Moment sidebar for tips.

Fig. 2: Cut the streamers to shape.

3. Wrap the fun tissue square over the lollipop and secure it to the stick with floral tape (fig. 3). Floral tape is stickier as you stretch it, so stretch as you wrap!

Fig. 3: Cover the lollipop with tissue.

4. Squeeze a thin bead of glue along the edge of the streamer you snipped into fringe for the stamen (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Apply glue to the stamen fringe.

5. Wrap the lollipop stick with the fringe (fig. 5). Pinch and press the glued edge into place as you wrap until it feels secure.

Fig. 5: Wrap the stamen.

6. After applying a bead of glue, wrap the lollipop stick with the petals. Pinch and pleat as needed to make it look pretty (fig. 6). Then hold for a second or two until it feels secure.

Fig. 6: Glue and wrap the petals.

7. Cut leaves from the third crepe paper color (fig. 7). Longer, slimmer leaves will be easiest to wrap into the floral tape.

Fig. 7: Cut the leaves.

8. Begin wrapping the base of the flower with floral tape, stretching the tape as you go to activate the adhesive. Tuck the leaves into the tape as you go (fig. 8). Continue wrapping until the stick is fully covered.

Fig. 8: Add the leaves with floral tape.

1. Use a stainless-steel straw or an apple corer to make a hole through the center of the apple (fig. 1). A straw makes a smaller hole, which is ideal for anchoring the string hanger with beads. The bigger the hole, the larger your anchor bead will need to be.

Fig. 1: Core the apple.

2. Make a hanger for your birdfeeder by threading some string through the apple and tying beads at the tail end (fig. 2). Thread through a large bead first, then tie the string in a knot around a smaller bead and trim.

Fig. 2: Thread and anchor the string.

3. Use a butter knife to spread an even layer of peanut butter all over the apple (fig. 3). Make it just thick enough to grab the seed but not so thick that it is mushy when you handle it. This part gets messy. That’s okay! You can wash up later.

Fig. 3: Spread the peanut butter.

4. Pour some birdseed onto a paper plate and rest the apple in it. Sprinkle and press seed into all areas of the peanut butter until the apple is well coated (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Sprinkle on the birdseed.

5. The birds will appreciate a place to perch while they snack. Push two skewers through the center of the apple in an X (fig. 5). It can help to push through firmly one time, which will get the skewer about halfway through, then remove and push through another time to get the skewer all the way through. Always push away from your body and other people. Get an adult to help with this part to be on the safe side.

Fig. 5: Insert the skewers.

6. Use scissors to cut off the sharp ends of the skewers (fig. 6). Add a few more beads to the top part of the string hanger and tie it to the perfect tree.

Fig. 6: Snip off the skewer points.

1. Use a dinner plate or similar round object to trace a large circle onto a square piece of chipboard or cardboard (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Trace a large circle.

2. Use a ribbon spool, jar lid, or other small round object to trace a smaller circle in the center of the large circle (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Trace a small circle.

3. Use a ruler to draw a triangle around the fidget spinner on a separate piece of cardboard (fig. 3). The triangle should be a bit larger to completely cover the spinner when it is attached. Cut out the triangle.

Fig. 3: Draw a triangle around the fidget spinner and cut it out.

4. Use a stack of foam tape on each corner to attach the spinner to the triangle (fig. 4). The stacks will allow the triangle to clear the center circle of the spinner.

Fig. 4: Attach the fidget spinner to the triangle.

5. Divide the circle into quadrants and paint a background color of craft paint onto each (fig. 5). Paint the triangle with a background color and a heart. The point of the heart is the pointer of the spinner.

Fig. 5: Paint the spinner board background and the triangle.

6. Draw an icon onto each quadrant with paint marker and fill in with craft paint (fig. 6). Each icon symbolizes a way to be kind in the world. Use these examples or come up with your own. You can even use words if you like. Go ahead and embellish the rest of the board with paint now too. Paint the center circle and the board corners. Add dots with a cotton swab to bring everything to life.

Fig. 6: Paint the icons.

7. Peel and stick two layers of foam tape to the center of the fidget spinner). Carefully align the spinner and stick. Take your time with this step because if the spinner is not placed directly in the center, the spin will seem off kilter. It can help to place it down a few times without the backing peeled off to check for centeredness. Then stick when you are confident (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Add double-stick foam tape to the center of the fidget spinner. Stick the spinner to the board.

1. Cut a paper heart the right size for your mason jar (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Cut a paper heart template.

2. Overlap strips of masking tape on a piece of waxed paper and trace your heart template onto it. Cut it out to create a mask for the “window” on the finished jar (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Trace a heart onto the masking tape.

3. Place your heart sticker onto the jar front. Press firmly to get a good seal around all edges. Paint several layers of chalk paint onto the mason jar (fig. 3). Wait about 15 minutes between coats. Do not paint the bottom of the jar or the top lip of the jar. Paint away from the heart edges so that paint is not forced under the edge. Let dry.

Fig. 3: Cut out the tape heart. Stick it to the jar and paint.

4. Carefully peel the heart mask away from the jar, revealing your window (fig. 4). You may have some paint that bled under the edges. That’s okay!

Fig. 4: Peel away the mask.

5. Use a toothpick to scrape away any noticeable messy edges around the heart (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Clean up the paint edges.

6. Place a dotted border of glitter puffy paint along the border of the heart window (fig. 6). Practice on paper a few times first to get a feel for the flow of paint.

Fig. 6: Add the glitter paint border.

7. Trace the flat disc portion of the mason jar lid onto scrap cardboard (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Trace the lid.

8. Use scissors to cut out the disc. Draw a thick line in the center of the disc to mark for the slot. Use your scissor points to make a hole in the center of the disc, and then cut carefully to create the coin slot (fig. 8). Then assemble the jar!

Fig. 8: Draw and cut the coin slot.