DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Easter Lacing Crafts

Lacing projects are a great craft for preschoolers and kindergarten children to complete during Easter.  The lacing gives them fine motor skill practice and practice tying knots and bows (shoelaces!)  The large blank area in the center gives the kids the chance to 'get creative' by further decorating with paper cutouts, stickers or crayons.

There is an egg template and a cross template to choose from.

Materials:

• wool or ribbon,
• single hole punch,
• scissors,
• pencil,
• card stock, poster board or construction paper

Instructions:

• ADULT:  print template of choice or make your own.
• ADULT:  Trace onto a thick piece of cardboard (cardboard backs from paper pads or old boxes work well).
• ADULT:  Cut out this template.
• Allow the children to trace the template onto a piece of card stock or poster board (or construction paper...  Though I prefer the thicker card stock for lacing projects).
  OR have an adult do this prior to craft time.
• Allow the children to cut out their card stock shapes
  OR have an adult do this prior to craft time.
• Allow the children to make holes around their shape (about an inch or two apart)
  OR have an adult do this prior to craft time.
• Provide the children with a length of wool or ribbon. 
  • You can wrap some scotch tape around the end of the wool to make it more like a shoe lace.
  • Have the child thread the wool through the holes.
  • children can use different 'stitches' to complete their lacing project (simple running stitch, X stitch, blanket stitch, etc).  If you want to 'inspire' the kids, provide a number of examples for them and have them up at the front of the room.
• Practice tying knots and/or bows to connect additional pieces of wool or to tie off at the end of the lacing.
• Let the children use stickers, stamps, die cuts, or markers and their imagination to decorate their completed project.
• Alternative:  instead of lacing just one shape, lace together two shapes.  Leave the top open and you'll be able to stick things inside when you're done!

Craft Templates:

• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Specific Instructions PLUS Templates:

Cross:  lace with a running stitch or a blanket stitch around the outside of the cross.  Tie a bow at the top or bottom.  Purple wool or ribbon would be nice - but any spring colour would work.

You can write a message such as 'Jesus Lives' inside the cross or print the name of a loved one you're praying for on it.

Cross Template

laced

pouch

Egg:  lace with a running stitch or a blanket stitch around the edge of the egg.  You can decorate the egg with bingo daubers, markers, paints or stickers.

This is a perfect template for lacing two together to make a 'pouch' that you can slip flat gifts like gift certificates, drawings, sayings, etc into.  Just leave the top of the egg open and tie two bows to make the pouch

For a more advanced project, trace the template onto pastel fun foam twice.  Lace the fun foam together to make a purse.  Make a purse strap from a long piece of wool or ribbon that you can braid and/or add beads to.

Egg Template

Printable version of these instructions