Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Fun 4th of July Crafts for Kids ~ From Party Favors to Decorations

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Celebrate Independence Day with the family by making these creative and patriotic crafts for kids. From festive decorations to bike embellishments, it's easy to start your 4th of July celebration with a bang.

Firecracker Favor
These firecracker crafts will spark some fun at your celebration. Start with mailing tubes that have plastic lids. Cut red, white, and blue paper and ribbon to size; apply them to tubes using Perfect Glue.Trim each tube with a star cutout.Poke a slit in the lids and insert paper "fuses" into each hole.Fill with candy and enjoy.

Star-Spangled Bicycle
Kids will love sprucing up their bikes in star-spangled style (and you'll love using up leftover cardstock and ribbon). Set out some tape, miniature flags, and other red, white, and blue craft supplies such as construction paper and streamers, and let the kids dig in.
Some ideas:
Tuck flags into the bike handles
Tie patriotic ribbons around the bike basket
Cut cardstock stars and tape them to or thread them through the wheel spokes

Patriotic Paint-Chip Pennants
Craft pretty pennants from old paint chips for a simple and eco-friendly twist on traditional Independence Day banners.
Create triangle templates for the kids to follow, then help them cut each paint chip to fit. You can vary the colors and create patterns by using blue or white paint chips.
Next, cut small holes in the upper corners of each triangle. String them onto white yarn, making sure the yarn loops around the back of each flag. Tie the pennants to picnic tables, hang in doorways, or drape over railings for a festive welcome.

Patriotic Beanbag Toss
For a quick and easy addition to your 4th of July party, rinse and clean six metal cans (old soup or vegetable cans work well). Paint patriotic stripes with acrylic paint. Let them dry for a few hours before handling.
Stack the cans in a pyramid and toss beanbags to knock them down for a fun, all-ages yard game. Whoever knocks the most down wins!
You can also plant flowers in each can and use them as table centerpieces.

Firecracker Photo Album
Turn a simple arrow-shape chipboard album into a fun firecracker keepsake. Purchase the album from a scrapbooking or crafts store, then gather your favorite crafts supplies.
Use red paper to cover the base of the album, then use a glue stick to overlay white paper for the stripes. Trace and cut a triangle from blue paper to use for the firecracker tip.
Finish your album with star stickers, ribbons, and adhesive letters. Fill the album with photos and memories of the 4th!

Patriotic Snack Pails
Help everyone keep track of their treats with these cute snack pails. Use number stickers or cut paper to label each one as shown, then have the kids help pick out their favorite snacks to put inside.

Patriotic Friendship Bracelets
Simple lengths of intertwined string, lacing, or ribbon have cemented camaraderie between generations of best buds.
Weave a little patriotism into the classic craft with red, white, and blue lacing (available at crafts stores) braided into bracelets to give and to wear. Experiment with different combinations of strands and embellish with beads for added flair.

4th of July Snack Cartons
Waiting for the fireworks to start can make kids (and adults!) antsy. Make the wait pass quickly with snacks served in festive take-out containers.
Give kids red, white, and blue take-out boxes (available at crafts or party stores) and an arsenal of stickers, ribbons, and other embellishments, and let their imaginations do the rest.
Fill the decorated containers with popcorn or trail mix, grab a blanket, and settle in for a spectacular show.

Patriotic Sandals Craft
Add a little patriotic flair to your wardrobe with star-spangled flip-flops made especially for watching fireworks. Use hot glue to attach glow-in-the-dark stars to each flip-flop strap (we found flip-flops in three colors, but you could use solid-color shoes, too). The fireworks won't be the only thing lighting up the night.

4th of July Wind Sock
Make this red, white, and blue wind sock by gluing scrapbooking paper around a clean frozen juice-concentrate container, then extending paper a few inches beyond the can. Twist white chenille stems around a pencil for a curly shape, then tape them to the inside bottom edges of the wind sock. Add streamers in the same way.
Inside the top, tape two equal-length pieces of fishing line across from each other so the wind sock is balanced; tie together at the top for easy hanging at a 4th of July celebration.

Custom Red, White, and Blue Cup Holders
Plain foam beverage insulators become canvases for creativity on the 4th of July. Dress them up with patriotic style by using paint pens and attaching sticker stars and stripes.

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