4 Creative Ways to Spend a Rainy Spring Afternoon

Children will bloom with creativity when making these seasonally inspired crafts.

Painted Umbrella

Coaxed open by raindrops, umbrellas bloom like flowers in spring. Your child can turn hers into the prettiest of them all by painting it with a fanciful pattern. It only takes a few supplies and a child-size umbrella. Give kids this absorbing activity, and on the next wet day, they can show off their handiwork in the rain.

Materials
Nylon umbrella
Paintbrushes
Permanent waterproof paint
Newspaper
Smock

1. Follow the paint manufacturer's directions: Some fabric paints require the addition of fixative; others require ironing the umbrella after painting.

2. Carefully cover the work surface with newspaper before you begin, and have your child wear a smock.

3. Once finished, keep the umbrella open overnight; the paint must dry completely before you close it or use it.

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Canvas Checkerboard

Kids who learn how to play checkers will always have something to do on a rainy day. Making a portable checkerboard ensures they can play almost anywhere. Collect bottle caps in opposing colors (you'll need 12 for each side), or use tempera or acrylic paints to paint the tops of mismatched caps with a color of your choice. Bottle caps stack easily, making for very regal kings.

Materials
Pinking shears
Canvas
Ruler
Pencil
Knife
Plastic art eraser
Ink pad

1. Using pinking shears, cut a square of canvas that's about 12 by 12 inches. (The shears will protect edges from fraying and give the board a decorative flair.)

2. With a knife, slice a plastic art eraser into a square that's 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches; this will be the stamp. Begin by stamping a single square in one corner of the board; stamp a second catercorner to the first, then add a third square along the border, catercorner from the second and a full square-space from the first. Continue to fill the board; your finished board will have eight squares (four stamped and four blank) in each row and column.

3. Continue to fill the board; your finished board will have eight squares (four stamped and four blank) in each row and column.

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Stickers from Scratch

The only thing more fun than collecting stickers is having a sticker collection you've designed yourself. Choose images from wrapping paper or magazines and cut out along outlines, or punch shapes from decorative papers using a craft punch. Once backed with glue and allowed to dry, they can be remoistened later and stuck on notebooks, lunch bags, stationery -- just about anything.

Materials
White Elmer's Washable School Glue
White vinegar
Small paint or pastry brush
Scissors or a craft punch

1. In a bowl, mix together white Elmer's Washable School Glue with an equal amount of white vinegar until you have a thin, milky liquid. Using a small paint brush or a pastry brush, smear the back of the paper sparingly with the glue mixture.

2. Allow to dry, apply a second coat, and allow to dry again. Then use scissors or a craft punch to cut out desired shapes. Although the glue is nontoxic, it doesn't taste very good, so for a mass sticking, use a dampened sponge to moisten the back of stickers.

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Pressed Pansies

Pick up flats of flowers already in bloom, and snip the blossoms for pressing. Or grow them yourself to ensure a steady supply into summer; the more flowers you pick, the more your plants will produce.

To create personalized stationery, apply pressed pansies to handmade cards or to notepaper and matching envelopes. Pansies pressed on their stems work especially well for this project.

Materials
Pansies and violas, or other dried flowers
Medium- to heavy-weight paper or blank premade cards
Bone folder or pencil
Tweezers
Small paintbrush
Clear-drying craft glue

1. Use or create cards in colors that complement your pressed flowers. If creating your own, make either a single-fold or accordion-style card, using a bone folder or the edge of a pencil to make sharp creases.

2. Arrange flowers on a spare sheet of paper as desired. Use a pair of tweezers to carefully lift each flower; with a small paintbrush, dab the back of each with a bit of craft glue. Affix flowers to the card one at a time. Allow to dry before moving or touching.

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