Making placemats out of contact paper is very easy because you don’t need a laminator. I’m all about easy and not needing the glue guns and the laminators and all that. So here’s what you do. For the younger children, have them cut shapes out of construction paper and glue them onto a whole piece with a glue stick. Your toddler can add detail with markers or embellish with stickers. When she’s done, place the artwork on a piece of contact paper, sticky side up. Place another sheet of contact paper on top, sticky side down.
Most toddlers will only have the patience to make one placemat at a time. But she can make another one tomorrow, continuing until there are enough for the whole table. She’ll be so proud to know that everyone sees her artwork at every meal.
If you have older kids, it’s still a great craft and doesn’t have to be complicated. Have the older kids take a piece of paper and fold it into eighths. Then have the children cut the edges with different shapes. Triangles. Squares. Semi-circles. It’s like making a snowflake. When the kids are done, have them open up the beautiful design they’ve created. Have them glue the design onto construction paper and help with the contact paper or lamination.
This is a fun winter-time craft but, frankly, it works just about any time.
