Even when my life is a bit crazy, if I possibly can, I try to participate in crafty challenges for kids. I figure, if we can encourage kids to participate in life, have fun with crafts, and feel the love (even from strangers), it can only be good for their self esteem and their growth.

The top picture is of a circus themed birthday banner I made for a boy turning 3. I used brightly colored cardstock to hand cut banners (I’m sure this would have been faster to do with a die, if I had one–oh well), found some great free printable “circus-y” letters and circus animal pictures to fussy cut out, and glued on lots of sequins in a rainbow of colors, shapes and sizes.  I think it came out super cute, and hopefully it will help add to the birthday party decor in a fun way. I am including the red and white paper straws (which were gifted to me from the lovely Anny (YT: StargrlAnny), from which the banners can be hung and then propped into tumblers filled with colored sand or something else bright and a little weighty.  This way, the banner could be hung on a wall, but could even be right on the table with all the food or prezzies. 🙂

Teenagers (in this case a young lady turning 13) are a bit more tricky. They have definite opinions of what they like and don’t like, and hopefully (yes, it’s better if they tell you) they are vocal about it. The card in the video share below is for a young lady named Tati, and she likes purple, One Direction (the band), reading, and basketball. I figured, she would also like sparkle, feathers, and flowers (I mean, who doesn’t?). When someone tells you what they like, it makes creating something for them so much easier. I was able to include all her “likes” (except basketball — I just couldn’t ruin the color story on the card by “tossing in” an orange basketball — LOL).  I like how this card looks “sassy” (to quote my friend, Jamilola (YT: Poetspice)), which I hope is just what a 13 year old would want.

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