Have yourself a crafternoon!

It’s winter and we all know what that means—the weather outside is frightful and staying warm is more than delightful. So why not beat cold by hanging out inside and getting busy with your very own crafternoon? And just what is a crafternoon? It’s a super-fun afternoon of simply awesome DIY craft projects. If you’re looking for a great way to entertain stir-crazy kids (or you’re a kid-at-heart that can’t wait to craft), get ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work? Klutz has some great books to get you started. Start your own fashion line Inspired by the new looks for winter? Getting your Project Runway audition prepared?Kick off your crafternoon by channeling your inner designer. Use My Fabulous Look Book to design your own outfits, make-up, hairstyles and accessories to keep in your portfolio. Then bring your vision to life by creating your own jewelry line with Mini Capsters Jewelry and Beaded Bands. Decorate your digits with Brilliant Bead Rings and make those rings pop by perfecting your manicure with Nail Art. For clothing, make super chic, three dimensional fashions—no sewing required—with Fashion Forms. (All books appropriate for ages 8 and up). Too cold to go to the zoo? Bring the zoo to you! Ever dream of surrounding yourself with your very own menagerie? Now you can and all it takes are a few simple pipe cleaners. With Twisted Critters it just takes five easy steps and a few pipe cleaners to create cuddly caterpillars, adorable ducks and more. Or you can use some corrugated cardboard to make irresistible creations with Twirly Q’s. Just wind the cardboard strips into coils, press on to the Klutz-custom shaping tool, and assemble with glue. Soon you’ll have a spunky penguin, a plump bunny, or a sweet mouse, to name a few. You can also make household pets with Fuzzimal puppies. (All books appropriate for Ages 8 and up). Play Dress-up…by creating your own costumes What’s the mark of a true princess? Well if Kate Middleton is any indication, it’s a fabulous sense of style. Make Your Own Disney Princess Tiaras and Make Your Own Paper Purses (ages 4-6) give want-to-be royals to create their own regal costumes perfect for high tea. If you’re not in the mood for a day at the castle, transform yourself into a plethora of different characters with Face Painting (ages 6 and up). There’s a Klutz book for that… Maybe you’ve always wished you could knit a scarf. Or perhaps you’ve envied the artists who seem to have no problem drawing. Or maybe you wish you could make your greeting cards. Why not use your crafternoon to finally learn that skill you’ve always been meaning to try. Klutz has the tools to get you started! Guard yourself against the winter weather and knit your own hats and scarves with Knitting (ages 10 and up). Learn to draw with one of Klutz’s many helpful drawing books like Draw the DC Universe (ages 8 and up), Mix & Match Drawing (ages 8 and up), and How to Draw Funny (ages 8 and up). Practice your Stencil Art (ages 8 and up) and perfect your Lettering (ages 8 and up) then create Paper-craft Cards and impress your correspondences… or use your creations as invitations to the next crafternoon. Lights Camera… Action! Filmmaking is its own special craft—just ask Spielberg and Scorsese. If you want to get in on the Oscar fun, why not join the ranks of great directors and make your own movie. Use Tricky Video to learn tricks, gags, and gimmicks you can do with a video camera. Make stop motion flicks with the Klutz Book of Animation. And while you’ve got your camera handy, use the power of the force to make the next Star Wars sequel. Make over 30 star fighters from the epic saga using Star Wars Folded Flyers and use Draw Star Wars Clone Wars to draw your favorite characters from the franchise and the come up with your own plots for a movie adventure that is out of this world. (All books appropriate for ages 8 and up). Excited for a crafternoon? Which projects do you want to try? Let us know in comments!