by Joan Collins

Created on: October 16, 2009   Last Updated: October 20, 2009

Family craft night can help your family grow close as the children grow. As the economy slows down and budgets tighten, don't think that craft night is too expensive. There are plenty of crafts your family can make that are low-budget and still tons of fun.

Decorate your walls with masks made by your family's faces! This fun craft can be very cost effective if you order your products on-line. You will need craft plaster wrap, water, Vaseline and a plastic tub. On-line stores like Jerry's Artarama sell the craft plaster wrap for a very low price.

First, cover the kitchen table with a disposable plastic table cloth and have the oldest child. Have him lay down flat on the table cloth. Push hair off of your child's face with a headband or ponytail holder. Cover his face with Vaseline. Include the eyebrows and hair along the hairline. Place strips of the plaster wrap in the water. Making sure the strip doesn't drip, remove it from the water. Place the strip on the face of the volunteer laying on the table taking care to avoid the eyes and mouth. Smooth out each piece, building it up until the entire face is covered with about three layers. Reinforce the nose bridge and just below the nose. After the parent or child lies still for five more minutes, gently remove the mask from the face, starting on the outer edge. Place the face mask on a paper towel to dry and clean up the first person. Now continue until everyone has a mask of his or her own face. Wait two days for the mask to dry thoroughly. Let each family member paint it to match his or her own personality.

Festive bowls can be created out of old records stored up in the attic. For very little or no cost, your family can create bowl with a flare. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place an upside down glass bowl on a cookie sheet. Center the record on the bowl and slide the cookie sheet into the heated oven. Wait for five or ten minutes. Remove the record and shape it however you want. You only have a minute to work, so be ready when it comes out. If you don't like how it looks when it hardens, place it back into the oven and reheat it. You can make it look like a flower; flute it, whatever you like. When the record is cool, paint it with acrylic paint.

You can also use an old CD to make a bowl. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Roll up a ball of foil and place the CD on top of it. Place it in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Using an oven mitt, shape the CD the way you want it and let it cool.

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