Craft tips and ideas

• String can be easily dispensed without tangling or unravelling if the ball is placed inside a tin with the end protruding through a small hole in the centre of the lid.
• When laying down newspaper to cover a working surface before painting, be careful that the sheets of newspaper do not display potentially distracting, offensive or disturbing articles and pictures. Boring is safe!
• Dispense paints into used container lids or flat polystyrene dishes, placing three or four colours within reach of each child.
• Use craft paints or powder paints, which are water-based and therefore dry quickly.
• To clean paint brushes, use soap or dish-washing liquid and warm water. Rinse the brushes well, then store them bristle-side up in a jar or lay them flat.
• Disposable 'brushes' can be made by folding a small strip of sponge around the end of an ice-cream stick and fastening it with string or a tie wrap. Ear buds can be used to paint thin lines or dots.
• Cheap, disposable aprons can be made from large bin liners by cutting a hole in the centre of the closed end (for the head) and two on the sides (for the arms). The bag can then be slipped over the top of the child, covering him or her from the shoulders down. Remember to roll up or push back long sleeves.
• The nozzles of glue bottles are easily unclogged with the point of a paper clip bent open. Gummed up nozzles and caps of white glue should be unscrewed and washed regularly with warm water. When throwing out empty bottles, keep the caps to replace lost ones. White glue (wood glue) that has become thick can be diluted with a few drops of water.
• Use pegs to temporarily hold glued surfaces together. Elastic bands can be used for larger objects.