FUN KIDS PROJECTS:  INDEPENDENCE-THEMED ECO-ART BY TINKER

Tinker is a fantastic drop-in arts and crafts studio in Sherman Oaks, California where kids and parents can come in and do projects inspired by recycled materials.  In addition to the hundreds of projects they have on-hand, they also offer fabulous classes, workshops and summer camps.  We are a big fan of Tinker and took a moment to talk to Leeanna Gantt, one of Tinker's co-founders, who provided us with a fun project for Independence Day that can be created out of simple household materials.

What you need

• One piece of newspaper
• Scrap paper
• Thin cardboard, whatever you can find - cut it into a 7 inch square.
• One stick from your yard (or a chop stick will work too)
• One piece of packing popcorn or styrofoam
• One pin or nail
• Red, white, blue and silver things to decorate with.
• Yarn, ribbon, string, markers, tin foil , tissue paper

Step one

Take your square piece of paper and draw an "x" by going from corner to corner. Then cut on the lines down about 3 or 4 inches, but not all the way to the center.

Then fold ever other corner into the center of the square.

You might need to use the pin or nail to hold the corners. or you can use a little piece of tape, just small enough to hold it in place until you pin it to the stick.

Step two

Push the piece of packing popcorn onto the end of your stick.

Then pin the paper pinwheel to the stick by pushing the pin or nail into the popcorn, be careful not to push the pin all the way threw the stick.

Step three

decorate away!