5 Crafts Kids Can Make for a Good Cause

As God’s children, we are called to take care of the world around us. Sometimes that looks like delivering a hot meal to your elderly neighbor or planting a garden for bees and butterflies, and sometimes it looks like creating beautiful, homemade crafts to help those in need. Take a look at a few simple crafts that make a difference!Cuddle CreaturesWhat charity? Enchanted Makeovers, whose mission is to give children in shelters a doll to love, protect, and nurture.What can we do? Stuff a new sock with quilt batting, then close it with glue or a rubber band. Encourage your child to be creative as he cuts facial features out of felt and adheres them with tacky glue! (Go back later if you find the felt needs to be more securely attached with hot glue.)Decorated PillowcasesWhat charity? Camp Dreamcatcher, a place that provides summer camp and therapeutic and educational programs to HIV/AIDS impacted youth and their families.What can we do? Brighten a camper’s day by creating a homemade pillowcase! Help your child cut shapes from ¼” craft foam. Cover one side of each shape with acrylic paint and use them to stamp designs onto cotton, pre-washed pillowcases. Your child can even write a sweet message with fabric marker! Dry and set, then wash and dry again. Pet Adoption ScarvesWhat charity? Anti-Cruelty Society helps lost and unwanted animals find safe, comfortable, and permanent homes.What can we do? Make a colorful, eye-catching bandana that will help a pet stand out to potential owners! Cut a 22-inch square of soft jersey fabric in half to create a triangle. Give your child a fine-tip permanent marker to draw a design on the triangle, then work together with a large embroidery needle and yarn to stitch over the drawn design. Knot at the ends to finish.No-Sew ThrowsWhat charity? Project Linus provides homemade blankets to children in need.What can we do? Children express again and again how touched they are that a stranger would take the time to create something so special for them, knowing that homemade blankets come from the heart. Follow these directions in order to become one of Project Linus’s “blanketeers."Woven BraceletsWhat charity? St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital believes no child should be denied treatment for cancer and disease and research cures and prevention. What can we do? Have your child braid 1” wide fabric strips into soft bracelets, getting creative with color combinations. Because patients are often immune-compromised, these bracelets must be made in a smoke-free, pet-free environment with brand-new materials. Pack each bracelet individually in plastic Ziploc bags. Our blog page has helpful hints for parents to encourage their children to excel academically, spiritually, and socially. To learn more about private schools in Orlando, contact us at 407-246-4800.