Purim Crafts
Paper Plate Mask
What You'll Need:
- Two white paper plates
- Scissors
- Tape
- A paint stirrer, popsicle stick or paper towel tube
- A stapler
- Markers
- Yarn
- Paints, construction paper, glitter, and other decorative objects
- Glue
How to Make It:
Have a grownup help you cut two eyes in one of the paper plates. Using it as a guide, cut eyes in the second plate in the identical location. Tape the paint stirrer, popsicle stick or paper towel tube to the front side of one paper plate. Staple the plates together so that the bottom of the plates face out and the stick is sandwiched in between. Make sure you leave enough of the stick showing to grasp it as a handle. Draw a face on both plates—a happy face on one side of the plate, a sad one on the other; Queen Esther and Haman; or any face you wish. Glue yarn on the plate for hair. Decorate the face with markers, paints, construction paper features and other things.
Paper Mache Mask
What You'll Need:
- Scissors
- Aluminum foil
- Instant paper mache (available in craft stores)
- Scissors
- Poster paints or markers
- Elastic string
How to Make It:
Fold a large piece of aluminum foil in half. Have someone help you place the foil over your face and mold it to your features. Make sure to tuck it under your chin and to just in front of your ears. Carefully remove the mask. Mix the paper mache. Gently cover the foil mask with paper mache. Air dry. When mask is completely dry, remove the aluminum foil. Have a grownup help you trim the edges of mask with scissors and cut out eyes and mouth. They will also need to poke two holes in the nostrils and a hole on wither side of the mask just above ear level. Paint your mask with poster paints. You can also add bits of yarn for hair or eyebrows and other decorations. Thread the elastic string through the side holes and knot the ends.
Finger Puppets
What You'll Need:
- 1 or 2 old gloves
- Scissors
- Marker
- Glue
- Yarn, goggley eyes, buttons, sequins, lace, fabric scraps and other decorative objects
How to Make It:
Ask an adult to help you cut the fingers off the gloves. With the markers, draw faces on the fingertips. Glue on yarn for hair, goggley eyes or buttons for eyes, fabric for clothes, etc.
Paper Bag Puppets
What You'll Need:
- Paper bags (lunch size)
- Markers or crayons
- Glue
- Construction paper, yarn, glitter, buttons, fabric scraps and other decorative objects
- Scissors
How to Make It:
To make a puppet with a mouth that opens, draw or glue eyes onto the bottom of the bag, then make a tongue and teeth on the inside flap. To make a puppet that closes its eyes, have an adult help you cut out thin strips of black construction paper and glue them to the edge of the bottom for eye lashes, then make eyes under the flap. You can decorate your puppet further with markers or crayons, construction paper cutouts (with a grownup's help), yarn for hair, buttons and fabric scraps for clothes, glitter and other things.
Juice Can Puppets
What You'll Need:
- Empty frozen juice cans
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Felt
- Buttons, goggley eyes, feathers, sequins, fabric scraps and other decorative objects
How to Make It:
Cover the juice can by gluing on construction paper or fabric. Place the can upright on a table, with the opening at the bottom. With an adult's help, cut out felt strips for arms and legs and glue them to the can. Decorate your puppet with goggley eyes, buttons, sequins and other things.
Instant graggers
What You'll Need:
- Empty yogurt containers, plastic film containers or other small containers with a tightly fitting lid
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Beans, popcorn, dry pasta or rice
- Stickers, contact paper or construction paper and glue
- Markers, crayon, glitter, etc.
How to Make It:
Ask a grownup to help you punch a small hole in the center of the lid. Thread the ribbon through the hole and knot on the underside of the lid. Fill the container about halfway full of beans, popcorn, dry pasta or rice. Place the lid on the container, making sure it's snug and that the ribbon streams out of the top. Cover the outside of the container with shiny stickers, contact paper or construction paper. Decorate with markers or crayons, glitter and other things.
Haman "Pie Pan" graggers
What You'll Need:
- Two aluminum foil pie pans
- Beans, popcorn, dry pasta or rice
- Staples
- Markers
How to Make It:
Pour a handful of beans, popcorn, dry pasta or rice into one pie pan. Turn the second pie pan over and carefully fit it on top of the first so the edges meet. Staple the two pie pans together. Draw Haman's face on the pans.
Shalach Manot Bags
What You'll Need:
- Paper bags (lunch size)
- Markers, crayons or paints
- Glue
- Scissors
- Construction paper, yarn, glitter, buttons, fabric scraps, leftover gift wrap, ribbon, stickers and other decorative objects
How to Make It:
Decorate the bag with markers, crayons or paints. Ask a grownup to help you cut out construction paper shapes and other materials. Glue them onto the bag. Fill the bag with hamantaschen, candy, fruit and other treats for a beautiful, traditional Purim gift for family and friends.