Ideas for crafts for a mums' group

[IDreamOfPuffins]

I run a group for mums where we do craft from time to time, and I'm wondering whether anyone could give me some ideas! We have about 30-45 mins of craft time, and not an awful lot of resources (I can buy a few bits and pieces). Needs to be quite easy to do, and we don't have an oven or anything like that.

Any ideas for things we could make? We've done "cookies in a jar", sugar scrub, decorated notebooks, sewn Easter baskets and decorated cookies. Any ideas along those lines would be great!

Is it for the Mums or the toddlers though?

It's for the mums - toddlers are in a separate creche!

Fridge magnets from bottle tops like these

I made these but with PVA glue as a coating instead of Polyurethane varnish.

All you need is a load of metal beer bottle caps...some cool paper...I used photocopies of lovely vintage illustrations...you can also add beads and small trinkets.

Cut out the image to correspond with the inner of the cap...glue in place with PVA glue or wood glue...then coat it again on top of the image with more glue...put a thickish coat on top as it dries clear and makes a nice protective layer.

You can buy strips of magent which are self adhesive...from Hobbycraft...so that's your only thing to pay for really.

They look great if you choose a good image.

Ooooh, those are cute! I'll add them to the list! Thanks!

Paper sculpture or origami, they could make birds or boats for a mobile?

Also a good idea - we could use fancy paper to jazz it up a bit...

Yes, nice idea about coloured paper, but not too thin mind, as will tear and not hold its shape or fold.

Some other ideas:
With thick card make a "learning to tie your shoes" sheet. You would need hole punch and tape or old clean shoe laces, but the fun would be decorating for their child.
Same week you could make clocks to learn to tell the time, all you would need would be cardboard, split pins and something for "hands" maybe thick straws.

Over a few weeks get everyone to bring in old beads, broken necklaces etc. or gather some at jumble sales. get some leather thongs and make necklaces for children, or presents for Grannie.

Show some macrame knots, and make them into keyrings, pendants, with some coloured twine. (Again good presents for children to give Grannie)

If that goes well, make macrame and bead chokers or cuffs.

Get them all to collect sea shells, use them to decorate old photo frames or mirrors, and yes, you've guessed, for children to give Grannie as presents!!

Have you tried making these stars out of card? The ones that look like Barn Stars?

They are amazingly easy to make.

You draw your star shape on the card. Then you draw a straight line from each point to the inner bit between the other points below it. You can see it on the second picture.

Score along the lines and carefully fold them, and you have a really nicely shaped star that you can leave as it is or decorate if you want.

Make sure you decide what side you want your lines on though, and fold so they are either showing if you want them to or on the back if you don't want them to show up.