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Craft Test Dummies

The Crafting Blog for Crafters, By Crafters

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Aerial Paper Mosaics from Hands On Crafts for Kids

January 9, 2017

Hey crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a segment of Hands On Crafts for Kids- it’s a children’s crafting show I host that airs on PBS. However, if you don’t see it in your area, you can watch full episodes every week on the website CraftsForKids.com. While these crafts are designed for youngsters ages 5-12, many of the ideas or techniques are good for all ages. And if you are looking for homeschool activities, scouting crafts, or even inter-generational projects we’ve […]

Posted in CTD on TV, Kids Stuff |

New Back-to-School Craft for Kids- Tie-Dye Notebooks!

September 12, 2016

Make a plain notebook COOL with this faux tie-dye technique using tissue paper!

Here in New York City, my kids JUST went back to school- we are a full three weeks behind some of our friends! But it’s still in that “back to school” zone, right? So I wanted to share this craft and video I designed for my friends at Creativity for Kids on their Just add imagination channel– a “tie-dye” style notebook. Wanna know a secret? This journal is actually for ME. Ever since I was a kid I loved back-to-school. […]

Posted in Kids Stuff |

Rocket Ship Gift Bag

May 9, 2016

rocket ship, gift bag

Here’s on more segment from Hands On Crafts for Kids– it’s how to make a cute rocket ship gift bag you can make with your kids or FOR your kids! This is a fun craft that uses Contact Paper, oil pastels, glitter glue, markers and a plain gift bag. Instructions: Cut a piece of shelf paper slightly larger than bag.  Place over pattern then trace with felt pen. To create stencil, carefully cut out center of each design element leaving […]

Posted in HandsOnCrafts4Kids, Kids Stuff |

Burlap Hedgehog Craft for Kids

March 18, 2016

You can craft up this Hedgehog using styrofoam, burlap, and a few common household supplies. Teach the kids to create their own shapes and make a fur-free friend!

I’m back today with another craft that I did for the TV show Hands On Crafts for Kids! You can see the original post on that site, but I thought I’d share it here too. This is a fun Hedgehog craft that you can make with the kiddos using burlap and Styrofoam. I think it’s fun to teach them to build their own shapes. Some links contained in the post are affiliate links.  Here’s what you’ll need: MATERIALS LIST: 4” styrofoam […]

Posted in Kids Stuff |

Recycled Bottle Rocket Ship

February 27, 2016

I LOVE it when we can recycle “garbage” into fun crafts for the kids. This is a craft I shared on my PBS show, “Hands on Crafts for Kids” this year. But I wanted to share the segment and instructions with you here, too! Here is the full segment for you to enjoy (I hope) and you can see me crafting right along- so you know it’s DO-able! Here’s that list of materials: Acrylic Paint or markers 12” FloraCraft® Styrofoam™ […]

Posted in Kids Stuff, Recycled & Green |

Marquee Makeup Mirror

February 10, 2016

Ever want to feel like a star? Channel your inner Diva? With this Marquee Makeup Mirror you can make a fun and functional mirror to decorate a teen’s room or use as a party craft or decoration. I’ve got the full video here for you! Here are the links to some of the products I used- the are affiliate links on Amazon: Marquee Lights– under $7! Styrofoam wreath (flat)  Plastic Mirror I hope you enjoyed this craft- I sure did. […]

Posted in Kids Stuff |

Chibitronics at CHA 2016!

February 5, 2016

Sometimes when you are walking around the show floor of the CHA Megashow (this one was held in January of 2016), you find booths that really catch your eye and get you exciting about crafting at a whole ‘nother level. Such was the case at the Chibitronics booth. Their idea is to integrate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) WITH crafting.  I love this concept- getting kids experimenting with making creative things AND feeding their brains with science! Take a look […]

Posted in CHA Coverage, Kids Stuff |

Recycle Craft: Cardboard Tube Drums

January 26, 2016

In my previous career as a Music Therapist, I came up with a number of crafty projects, and making musical instruments was my favorite! We were always working on a super-tight budget, with an eye toward recycling when we could, and making instruments that adults wouldn’t be embarrassed to play. One year, I came up with drums made of tubes and shrink wrap- and today, I’m sharing it with you! This is a great rainy day craft, scout craft, vacation […]

Posted in Kids Stuff, Recycled & Green |

“Stained Glass” Pixel Art using GLITTER GLUE!

December 9, 2015

  Here’s a fun kid’s craft using glitter glue and plastic canvas- perfect making “faux stained glass” sun catchers with ANY theme you can dream up! Superhero, comics/cartoons, sports logos- the sky is the limit! Here’s a supply list for you: plastic canvas plastic page protector painters tape plastic lacing to finish the edges  scissors printed images (Hint: you can search for “Pixel art” and you’ll find a bunch of designs. I searched “Pixel art captain america” to find one […]

Posted in HandsOnCrafts4Kids, Kids Stuff |

Nature Journal for Kids (Hands On Crafts)

October 19, 2015

Hey crafty friends! I was excited to learn that this week the new series of Hands On Crafts has started airing in local PBS markets and also online! Before we hop into the new series, I forgot to share this one from last season- a Nature Journal made from paper bags, air-dry clay, and binder rings. It’s perfect for crafting up little books to gather trinkets and treasures on nature walks. Perfect for Girl/Boys Scouts, too! Here’s the supply list (affiliate […]

Posted in HandsOnCrafts4Kids, Kids Stuff |

Color Powder Hack- Watercolor with Kool-AID

October 13, 2015

Right now colored powder dyes are all the rage- the sheer number of them I’ve reviewed in the past month is pretty astounding. But what if you don’t have the big bucks for those powdered dyes? If you have a dollar, you can have a full set of ten…. if you use Kool-Aid or other powdered drink mixes. I made you a video, but here’s the skinny: use an UNSWEETENED drink mix- it won’t get sticky. Snip the corner and […]

Posted in Kids Stuff, Paints, Inks & Dyes |

“Frozen” Inspired Birthday Cake

August 12, 2015

File this one under “dedicated mommy.” My sister, who is very crafty and talented creatively made a birthday cake for my niece that is inspired by what else? FROZEN. Because four-year-old girls, of course! Disclosure:some of the links below are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission from your purchase. Thank you for supporting CraftTestDummies! My sister gets all the credit- even the photos! She started off by making 2 box cake mixes and dying the batter different […]

Posted in Food Crafts, Kids Stuff |

Glue Resist Wall Art Featuring Faber-Castel Gel Crayons

April 2, 2015

Here’s a fun project that you can do with your kids or even for yourself! Make some wall art that speaks to you! You’ll need: canvas paper (it comes in pads and is very economical) or a stretched canvas if you prefer Gesso (read my primer on gesso if you are not sure what that is or why you should use it pencil white glue or gel-style glue. I found that the glitter glue from Elmer’s worked best. (affiliate link) Faber Castell […]

Posted in Kids Stuff, Paper Crafts, Sponsored Posts |

Hands On Crafts For Kids: Dyed T-Shirts (HOC1706 )

November 20, 2014

Hooray! Another segment for Hands One Crafts for Kids has gone live! In this one, you can see a really creative way to tie-dye t-shirts using common household items to make a pattern! I bet you could come up with some other fun designs, too! I’d love to hear from you!

Posted in Craft News, CTD on TV, Kids Stuff |

Does Duck Tape Scents Really Smell?

October 20, 2014

Earlier last month we got some of the new Duck Tape Scents in here at CTD WHQ.  Of course, my kids junior assistants were super-interested in them… so I figured, let’s ask THEM if they smells are good and/or accurate. Take a look at this video we shot: I think it’s worthy of not that my son had that tingling sensation in his nose… and the “phantom smell” lasted for about an hour for him. But there was no real […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Kids Stuff |

Craft Product Review: LoopDeDoo Bracelet Spinning Loom

October 14, 2014

Every now and then I’m cruising through a craft store and something will catch my eye. (Or my daughter’s eye.) I’m not sure which one of us saw this product first- me or her- but I knew that we were going to be buying it and bringing it home to try out.   The kit we bought was for bracelets, and it included the spinning loom, tray, and thread. Here’s how it’s described on the website: Design your own friendship […]

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Kids Stuff |

Jellyfish Wind Sock Tutorial

August 5, 2014

I shared some BIG NEWS with you all last week, and I teased that I was going to make a Jellyfish for one of my segments. Well, I did. But I decided not to wait to share it with you. You all get first peeks! This is a fun project for a party, kids’ room…heck, I’d love a whole school of them in my studio. For real. Materials List: 5” Styrofoam ball rubber band plastic knife acrylic craft paint/brush (optional) […]

Posted in Kids Stuff, Recycled & Green |

Doctor Who Inspired Galaxy Shoes

June 24, 2014

My little girl is a full-on Doctor Who super fan. She watches the shows obsessively and had started requesting more clothing and craft projects that center around the Tardis, sonic screwdrivers, weeping angels and daleks! So be prepared, folks- there will be more Doctor Who crafts showing up here soon. 🙂 But back to today’s project. We were attending a Doctor Who live event at our local movie theater and she needed some shoes to accent her Tardis Dress from […]

Posted in Craft Projects, Kids Stuff |

Book Review: Never Been Stitched by Amanda Carestio

June 23, 2014

apron from never been stitched book

I have been sewing a long, long time. More than half my life. But that doesn’t stop me from keeping my eye out for books for beginning sewers, like this book “Never Been Stitched” by Amanda Carestio, with the contributions of others. I have lots of friends who want advice on learning how to sew. And since I can’t send them to my mom’s house to learn on a hand-crank Singer like I did, I like having some basic books […]

Posted in Books, Magazines, Events, Fabric Crafts, Fabric, Needle, & Quilting Arts, Kids Stuff |

Kid’s Crafts: Play Doh DohVinci by Hasbro

May 20, 2014

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are already well aware of the legendary modeling clay Play Doh. This year Hasbro took it to the next level by creating a new hand-held extruder for the distinctive-smelling compound- and what you get is DohVinci! I received this comp package from a blogger’s conference I went to…and let me tell you, the minute I unpacked it my  9-year old daughter bugged me incessantly to crack it open. Of course, I had […]

Posted in Kids Stuff |

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Hi! I’m Jenny, the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS and the Head Dummy behind CraftTestDummies.com where you’ll find craft product reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news.

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CraftTestDummies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

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Copyrighted Content Permission All images and tutorials on this blog are copyrighted material. Please contact me if you would like to borrow any media (photos, video or audio files), tutorials, or ideas from this blog. 99% of the time I would be happy to allow you to use one photo with appropriate credit and link back to CraftTestDummies.com (preferably to the same post it was borrowed from.)
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    • Halloween Crafts
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