Yarn Arts & Crafts Activities for Elementary Children

Yarn proves itself a versatile craft supply for elementary children, serving as the primary material in a variety of art projects. Yarn crafts adapt easily to fit the developmental needs of all elementary children, from kindergarten to fifth grade. The variety of colors of yarn provides more options for student projects that incorporate this craft material. Encourage the elementary students to create their own yarn arts and crafts after completing these projects.

Yarn Pictures

Use lengths of yarn to create raised pictures. Provide a selection of yarn in various colors for the children. Encourage the elementary children to draw the desired picture using glue. Instruct the students to cut pieces of yarn in appropriate colors and lengths, placing them directly on the glue lines. Allow the pictures to dry fully on a flat surface before displaying them.

Jewelry

Use yarn as the base for homemade jewelry with elementary children. Provide an assortment of beads, and encourage the students to thread the beads onto a length of yarn to create necklaces or bracelets. Create an edible necklace by threading cereal pieces or candy onto the length of yarn. Encourage the children to braid three pieces of yarn together for an alternate yarn jewelry design. Provide other materials such as bottle caps or fabric, allowing the children to design their own jewelry.

Yarn Eggs

Create yarn eggs, using an inflated balloon as the egg form. Cut yarn in lengths of 2 to 3 feet. Mix equal parts of white glue and water, mixing well. Dip the first length of yarn in the glue mixture. Place the string on the balloon, wrapping it around the form in random patterns. Continue the dipping and string placement, allowing the strings to overlap the previous pieces of yarn. Use at least 20 pieces of yarn, adding more to create the desired effect. The balloon won't be fully covered. Allow the egg to dry overnight or until the string is hard. Pop the balloon, and remove the remnants from inside the yarn egg. Tie a ribbon to the egg and hang it.

Yarn Painting

Replace paintbrushes with a piece of yarn for painting activities. Pour tempera paint onto trays or other shallow containers. Dip a length of string into the first color of paint, covering most of the string with paint. Place the paint-covered yarn on a piece of paper, pressing the string as needed to transfer the paint to the paper. Experiment with the resulting patterns, varying the application of the painted string to achieve different looks.

References

• Yarn Crafts