Get your family in the mood for 4th of July! Make an easy patriotic craft for kids or adults out of a toilet paper roll.
You can use felt, garland, and pipe cleaners as in the photo, or make it inexpensively with materials you have at home such as construction paper or paper that has been colored.
Bonus included below: A free printable version for younger kids!
How to Make the Firecracker Craft
Supplies that are needed:
- 1 square of red felt
- 1 square of white felt
- 1 square of blue felt
- 1 silver pipe cleaner
- Red, white, and blue star garland
- Toilet paper roll
- Cardboard (You can use the back of a paper tablet.)
- Scissors, tacky glue, pencil, ruler
- Gold star sticker(s) (Optional variation)
- 1 Cotton swab (optional for printable firecracker; see bottom of page)
Directions:
- Cut out the blue strip of felt (about 1 ½ by 5 ½ inches ). You might need to adjust the length to wrap all the way around the tube. Glue the strip onto the lower part of the toilet paper roll. The ends should meet at the back of the firecracker.
- Cut out a rectangle of red felt (about 3 by 5 ½ inches). Make sure this will cover the rest of the tube above the blue strip by checking the measurements. Adjust as needed. Glue and wrap the red piece above the blue piece with the ends meeting at the back.
- Cut out five white stripes (about ½ inch by 3 inches). Adjust the size of these if needed, and glue these evenly around the tube on the red felt.
- Cut out a blue felt circle the size of the end of the tube by tracing around the tube.
Also cut out a cardboard circle the same size. Glue them together, and carefully poke a hole through the center of the circle, through the cardboard and felt, with the end of a nail. Young children will need help with this. This makes the top of the firecracker. - Make a little loop with a silver pipe cleaner, and thread the “wick” through the hole (see photo of finished craft). Then glue the top of the firecracker onto the rest of the tube.
- Wrap garland twice around the blue felt strip and twist to attach at the back.
Variation: If preferred, add gold star stickers around the blue strip instead of the garland.
Printable Coloring Page Version for Younger Kids:
Super quick and easy!
Thanks to C. Nielsen for the design and instructions. One of her granddaughters, age 8, used the printable to make the cute firecracker in the photo, with a little help.
Get the Free Printable Firecracker Crafts Pattern
Additional instructions for the simple coloring pattern for children:
Print out the pattern. This pattern can make two firecrackers. You can precut the rectangles and circles for young children and help them know where to color the red stripes by marking them with a bit of red crayon. Mark the other rectangles and circles blue. Older children could cut them out and color them on their own.
Children can tape the firecracker together with tape and or use glue sticks. A cotton swab can be used for the “wick” and the tip can be colored with a yellow marker to make the “fire”. Young children will need help with cutting out the cardboard circle, and should have the hole for the swab done for them. Add a star on the front of the blue strip if you like! Have fun!
Special thanks to C. Nielsen for craft design, photos and printable design.
Thanks to A. & K. Nielsen for trying out this fun kid project!
