An easy craft for kids of all ages to make for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or any other special occasion.

Materials Needed:

• Piece of construction paper or card stock. Color is up to you
• Buttons of various colors
• Glue
• Other embellishments such as packing peanuts, stickers or whatever else you think of 
• Scissors
• Pencil

1. Draw a heart shape on your piece of paper or card stock.
2. Cut out your heart.
3. Use glue to attach buttons and other embellishments in pattern of your choice.

This is a great craft for kids of all ages and fairly quick to complete.

Materials Needed:

• White paper
• Paper for heart templates
• Pencils
• Paint (colors optional)
• Scissors

1. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half and then draw half a heart. 
2. Cut out the heart and unfold it. Place it on your piece of white paper.
3. Take a pencil and dip the eraser end into your paint and dab it on your white paper around the edge of your heart. Continue until you have "stamped" around the entire heart. Adults may need to help younger ones stamp and hold the template in place. 
4. Remove your paper and you should see a heart shape stamped in paint.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the next size heart. I'd recommend starting with largest to smallest heart.
6. Let paint dry. You can keep it plain as we did or decorate further or write a special Valentine's Day message.

A very elegant looking Valentine's Day craft that is still very easy to make.

Materials Needed:

• At least 2 doilies of differing sizes (you could do 3 or 4 to make a bigger card with more layers)
• Two to three sheets of colored or print paper (number depends on how many doilies you use)
• Glue
• Pencil
• Markers or crayons
• Stickers and or paint
• Scissors

1. Place small doily on one piece of paper and trace the doily shape. Cut out the tracing and then glue it to the back of the small doily. Repeat this step for the next doily. You can use solid or pattern paper as your background.
2. Once all doilies have been glued to their paper backgrounds, then glue the smallest doily to the next biggest doily and so on for a layered effect.
3. Decorate the front as desired. We used a foam heart sticker and then dipped a pencil's eraser in some pink paint and "stamped it in an outline.
4. Write your message on the back and/or decorate the back as well.

Materials Needed:

• Tissue paper
• Piece of white paper
• Piece of colored paper
  
• Glue
• Crayons or markers

Note: You can change the color of tissue paper for spring or fall or based on your child's preference.

1. Draw the vase on the white paper and cut it out.
2. Glue the vase to the colored paper.
3. Draw stems and leaves for your flowers.
4. Crumple tissue paper and glue the clumps to the tops of the stems.
5. Add any other touches to the flowers as desired. Decorate vase as desired.

Materials Needed:

• Various colors of paint
  
• Paper plates
  
• A sponge or paint brush (you can get cheap ones at the dollar store)
  
• Colored paper
  
• Lots of soap & water for clean up!
  

This is a great keepsake craft to give as a gift for Father's Day or a birthday or just because. There are other ways to apply handprints with paint but this is the way I prefer for slightly less mess.

1. Take first color of paint and put it on a paper plate. Use a paint brush or a sponge to apply the paint to your child's hand. Don't put too much on - just enough to cover the hand.
2. Help your child place their hand on the paper sideways.
3. Repeat with another color. (If you have more than one child, have each one do a handprint)
4. When all your fish are applied. Use your child's finger to make the bubbles, seaweed and eyes and mouths.

I almost always have left over paint after a craft like this. Instead of just tossing it, I let my kids mash their hands in the remaining paint to make their own crazy paintings (they often mix the colors together).  Their work is not usually frame-worthy but they have fun and I feel less guilty about tossing the paint.

Items Needed:
* Ceramic tile
* Felt (or felt circles)
* Glue
* Permanent Markers or acrylic paints & paint brush
* Spray sealer (optional item; parents should do this part)

This idea was inspired by a gift my 4-year-old daughter made for Mother's Day at the Middlesex Presbyterian Preschool, but it can make a crafty Father's Day gift as well.

The artwork on the ceramic tile will depend a lot on your child's age, ability and imagination.

For a baby or toddler (or older child with a hand small enough), you can apply paint to his or her hand and then stick the hand on the tile. Not only is this a cute gift, but it will be a nice memento of your child's handprint.

For a crafty toddler or preschooler, you can help them make a simple design using their fingers and paint. One example is the one my daughter made, using her fingerprints to make a flower with a stem and leaves.  If needed, you can help guide your child's hand. Or let your child use different colors and his fingers to make a more abstract piece. (Note: you can use a paintbrush to apply the paint to your child's finger or have them dip it into paint and wipe a little off before touching the coaster).

Older children can use permanent markers or a brush to paint a picture on the tile.

Mom or the child can put their name and date (if there's room) on the front or Happy Father's Day to finish off the design.

Once the piece is finished, let it dry completely.

Mom or another adult should take the tile to a well-ventilated area or outside and use the spray sealer on the front of the tile to seal the artwork. Make sure to use a clear sealer (matte or gloss, depending on your preference) that is designed for ceramic.

Once the sealant is dry, then cut four felt circles or squares and glue them on the back of the tile on each corner. This way, the tile can be used as a coaster without scratching a tabletop.

The felt step is good if you want this craft to be a coaster that can be used. If you just want the tile to be a piece of art, you can skip this step.

Supply note: You can find ceramic tile kits (usually a tile with some markers or paint and about $1 or $2) at the major craft stores. You also could pick up plain or colored ceramic tiles at a home-improvement store.

If you're not all "crafted out" you and your child can make a crafty card to go with it.