by Susan Hibberd

Created on: February 19, 2010

When you are teaching your child the alphabet, there is not better way than including the letters you are learning in other everyday activities.  Including the letter L in your craft projects will help your child to learn all about the letter.

If your child’s name begins with an L or your family name does, you can use the shape of it in many craft projects. Try making a large letter L out of cardboard and decorating it with collage pictures from magazines and catalogues.

You could also make a large L to go on your child’s bedroom wall or door. Make a large L from stiff card or plywood and get them to add texture with modroc or papier mache. When dry, the letter can be painted.

Another idea is to make some chunky letter Ls out of modelling clay and to use them as bookends. They can be mounted on some chunky, painted wood to give them more weight.

Here are some other of my favourite L crafts:

L is for Ladybird

Every child knows what a ladybird looks like, and seems to find them fascinating.  Your child can make some beautiful ladybirds on the top of cupcakes.  Make up a batch of cupcakes, letting your child help with the weighing and mixing of the ingredients. When they are cool, offer him/her some ready-to-roll fondant icing in red and black.

Using a circular cutter (from cake shops) or a jar lid, your child can cut red circles to cover the top of the cake. Next, the need to roll out and cut shapes for the ladybird’s head, spots and the straight, thin line down the middle of the wings.  Fabulous!

L is for Leaf Prints

Whether you have collected leaves from a woodland walk or a wander through your own back garden, leaves can be used to make wonderful prints.  Choose leaves that have well-defined veins.

Mix up  some autumn-colored paints and place them in different saucers.  Allow your child to dip the leaves in a color and print it onto a prepared piece of paper. Make sure they don’t use too much paint at one time, or it will just squidge. When the leaf prints start to lose definition, change leaves

When dry, the paper can be used for covering notebooks, making greetings cards, or can be laminated for use as a place mat.

L is for Lavender Bags

Lavender bags are easily made from a piece of floral fabric and a length of ribbon or lace. If you can find lavender colored fabric and ribbon it would be best. Cut out two rectangles or squares the size you want your bag.

If your child would like to, they can embroider, appliqué or write with fabric pens onto the front of the fabric. A big L would be good!

Next, with the right sides together, your child can sew around three sides, leaving one side open. 

Turn the bag through so the right side is out, fill with dried lavender flowers and tie with ribbon or lace.

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