Crafts done at home with family members are some of the most treasured memories. They are not necessarily expensive, at times absolutely free and most come with only one cost; creativity. Here is a list of 'Fun Family Crafts On A Tight Budget' to help you get started.

#1. Centre Table Piece / Rug

Things you will need:-

-A large jute sack / burlap bag, cut open into a full sheet. These are easily available when buying onions and potatoes in bulk.

-old pieces of clothing

-a pair of scissors

- a knitting needle each or a piece of broomstick

-a sewing machine to sew the edge of the sack into a neat helm or with a false edge

Open the burlap bag into a full sheet. Cut broad bands of cloth from the old clothing, enough to sew an edge around the burlap material. Next cut narrow strips of cloth about inch wide and about 5 inches long. Use your creativity in the color combination of material you use. Plan ahead if you are particular to get a desired finish. The more skilled and communicative a family, the more artistic the art work.

Use the edge of the scissors / a knitting needle or even a broomstick to interlock the strips of cloth through the adjacent gaps between the coarse interwoven burlap cloth. Both edges of the cloth strips should be on the upper facing side of the rug. Tie the two halves of the cloth strip in a neat knot. Fill in spaces with neatly interlocked strips of cloth which are cut out from old or discarded pieces of clothing. Bigger rugs usually take a long time to complete, depending on the number of members and how often family members work together to finish it. There are times when even 2-3 members finish a rug in two days.

#2. Paper Flowers

Things you will need:-

-Freshly cut plant stalks, with or without leaves / dry twigs

-Crepe paper in many colors

-Green crepe paper

-glue

-twine / yarn

-scissors

-pencil

= Draw outlines of petals on the crepe paper (except the green) and tie these petals to the flower stalks / cut plant stalks / twigs. Tie the petals in a whorl with a piece of twine. The entire ensemble should be tight so that it does not slide down the stalk. The centre of the flowers may be in a different color. Make leaves out of green paper and attach to the stalk. If the stalk already has leaves attached to it, it is not necessary to repeat them. Once the flower is ready, cut narrow strips of green paper and stick them on the stalk starting from the base of the flower right to the bottom end of the stalk. This not only covers up any unwanted view of thread and untidiness, but also gives additional support to the flower stalks as they age and dry with time. Family members may get together to work on making bunches of flowers for an occasion, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or a Wedding.

Every day can be an occasion when it comes to the family and one way to create memories that last a life time is to bring out the bag of crafts that are so easily loved and treasured.

Learn more about this author, Amanda Dcosta.
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