Hello, my wonderful crafting friends! With Veterans Day just around the corner, my heart is filled with gratitude for the brave men and women who have served our country. 🇺🇸
I believe one of the best ways to teach our children about gratitude is to turn our feelings into action. Creating something together is a beautiful way to do just that. ❤️
In this post, I’ve gathered 10 simple and meaningful craft ideas designed for you and your little one to make as a team, honoring our heroes side-by-side. ⭐
Our Top 3 Favorite Ideas
- Best for Beginners/Kids: Fingerprint “Thank You” Card
- Most Unique: “Salute to Service” Salt Dough Medals
- Biggest ‘Wow’ Factor: Collaborative “Hand-in-Hand” Wreath
Wearable & Displayable Pride
Collaborative “Hand-in-Hand” Wreath 🇺🇸
I just adore this craft because the final wreath is such a sweet visual reminder of your teamwork. Seeing your hand and your child’s hand together is a beautiful symbol of your connection and shared gratitude. It makes for a truly special decoration to hang on your door.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~25 mins
Best For: A meaningful keepsake decoration.
Key Materials:
- Red, white, and blue construction paper
- Paper plate (for the base)
- Scissors & glue
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: I find that using a multi-color pack of construction paper ensures you have the perfect shades of red, white, and blue right at your fingertips.
Image-1: An overhead shot of a mom and child’s hands working together, gluing the smaller handprint onto the larger one.
Teamwork Tissue Paper Flag 🇺🇸
This is such a fantastic sensory activity, especially for younger kids who love to scrunch and stick! My son always loved the feeling of the crinkly paper. The finished flag has a wonderful texture and looks so impressive when it’s all filled in with color.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~20 mins
Best For: A great sensory activity for toddlers.
Key Materials:
- White cardstock or cardboard
- Red, white, and blue tissue paper
- Glue stick
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: Using a variety pack of colored tissue paper squares saves you the cutting step and lets your little one dive right into the fun part.
Image-2: A close-up of a child’s small fingers pressing a scrunched-up piece of tissue paper onto the gluey flag outline.
Patriotic “Bead & String” Stars 🇺🇸
Here is a perfect little project for developing those important fine motor skills while creating a sparkly decoration. Your child will be so proud to see their beaded star hanging in a window, catching the light. It’s a simple craft with a truly beautiful result.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~15 mins
Best For: Developing fine motor skills.
Key Materials:
- Blue or silver pipe cleaners
- Red, white, and blue pony beads
- Ribbon for hanging
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: A bulk bag of red, white, and blue pony beads gives you plenty for this project and many more patriotic crafts to come.
Image-3: A shot of the mom holding the pipe cleaner star steady while the child carefully slides a bead onto it.
Coffee Filter Poppy Pins 🇺🇸
The “magic” of watching the marker colors bleed together with water is always a huge hit with the little ones! This craft is not only fun but also a wonderful opportunity to talk about the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. The finished pin is something your child can proudly wear.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~20 mins (+ drying time)
Best For: A wearable craft to show respect.
Key Materials:
- Basket-style coffee filters
- Red and black washable markers
- Small spray bottle with water
- Safety pins
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: I always recommend a pack of Crayola washable markers because the colors are so vibrant and they wash off little hands easily.
Image-4: A split image showing the child coloring the filter on one side, and the mom pinning the finished poppy onto the child’s shirt on the other.
“Mom & Me” Painted Rock Garden 🇺🇸
My family loves this craft because it takes our creativity outdoors! It’s a wonderful way to create something together that you can put in your garden to share your patriotic spirit with the whole neighborhood. Each time you see your little rock garden, you’ll be reminded of the fun you had painting together.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~30 mins (+ drying time)
Best For: An outdoor decoration to share with neighbors.
Key Materials:
- Smooth, clean rocks
- Acrylic craft paint (red, white, blue)
- Paintbrushes
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: A beginner’s set of acrylic craft paints is perfect for this, giving you all the essential colors you need to get started.
Image-5: Mom and child sitting side-by-side, each focused on painting their own rock, with a shared palette of paints between them.
💬 Quick Question!
Of the ideas we’ve covered so far, which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
Cards & Gifts of Gratitude
Fingerprint “Thank You” Card 🇺🇸
This is the quickest craft on our list, but don’t let that fool you—the personal touch of a child’s fingerprint makes it incredibly special. It’s a simple, heartfelt way for even the youngest children to say “thank you” to a veteran in their life.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~10 mins
Best For: A quick and personal thank you note.
Key Materials:
- White cardstock
- Red and blue non-toxic ink pads or paint
- Markers
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: I suggest a set of multi-colored, kid-safe ink pads because they are less messy than paint and perfect for getting clear little fingerprints.
Image-6: A close-up of a tiny thumb pressing into a red ink pad, with the card in the background.
“You’re My Hero” Popsicle Stick Flag 🇺🇸
These little flags are so sturdy and sweet! They make a perfect gift to hand-deliver to a veteran neighbor or family member. It’s a wonderful project where you can handle the construction, and your child can take charge of the creative painting.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~25 mins (+ drying time)
Best For: A sturdy gift for a veteran.
Key Materials:
- Jumbo popsicle sticks
- Craft glue
- Red, white, and blue paint
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: Using a bulk box of jumbo craft sticks is great because they provide a larger, easier surface for little hands to paint on.
Image-7: The child holding a paintbrush, carefully painting a stripe on the popsicle stick structure that their mom is holding steady for them.
Star-Spangled “Suncatcher” 🇺🇸
I’ve found that kids are absolutely fascinated by the stickiness of contact paper, which makes this craft a guaranteed hit! The way the sunlight shines through the colorful tissue paper is just beautiful and will brighten up any room. It’s a mess-free way to play with color and light.
Details: Difficulty: Easy | Time: ~20 mins
Best For: A beautiful window decoration.
Key Materials:
- 2 paper plates per suncatcher
- Clear contact paper
- Red, white, and blue tissue paper
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: A roll of clear self-adhesive contact paper is a must-have in my craft closet; it’s so versatile for suncatchers and other kid-friendly projects.
Image-8: A photo taken from the child’s perspective, looking down as they place colorful tissue paper onto the sticky contact paper.
“Bouquet of Gratitude” Handprint Flowers 🇺🇸
This is such a fantastic alternative to a traditional card and makes for a truly memorable keepsake gift. A bouquet made from your child’s handprints is a personal and touching way to show appreciation. Plus, it’s a bouquet that will never wilt!
Details: Difficulty: Medium | Time: ~30 mins
Best For: A lasting keepsake gift.
Key Materials:
- Red, white, and blue craft paint
- Construction paper
- Green pipe cleaners
- Tape or glue
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: Having a pack of green pipe cleaners on hand is perfect for creating sturdy stems that are easy for kids to hold.
Image-9: A shot of the mom carefully cutting out a painted handprint while the child watches or makes another one.
“Salute to Service” Salt Dough Medals 🇺🇸
Creating a “medal” is a wonderful way to start a conversation with your kids about concepts like bravery, honor, and service. They will feel so important making, baking, and painting these special awards. It’s a hands-on project that connects a fun activity with a powerful meaning.
Details: Difficulty: Medium | Time: ~20 mins prep (+ baking/drying)
Best For: A hands-on way to teach about honor.
Key Materials:
- Flour, salt, water
- Star-shaped cookie cutter
- Patriotic ribbon
- Gold or silver paint
⭐ Nancy’s Recommended Tool: A set of star-shaped cookie cutters in various sizes makes it easy to create perfectly shaped medals every time.
Image-10: The child pressing a cookie cutter into the rolled-out dough, with mom’s hands guiding them.
Quick Tips for Crafting with Kids
- Prep is Key: Before you invite your child to the table, have all supplies cut, sorted, and ready to go. This keeps the momentum going and minimizes waiting time for impatient little crafters.
- Embrace Imperfection: The goal is connection, not perfection! A crooked stripe or a glue smudge is part of the memory. Let your child lead the creative process.
- Talk While You Create: Use this time to talk about what Veterans Day means. You can say simple things like, “We’re making this to say a big thank you to the brave people who keep our country safe.”
- Protect Your Space: Lay down an old tablecloth or newspaper before you start. Knowing that a little mess is okay will make the experience more relaxing for both of you.
The Meaning Behind the Poppy
You’ll often see people wearing red poppies around Veterans Day. This tradition comes from a famous poem written during World War I, “In Flanders Fields,” which described poppies growing on the battlefield. Today, the red poppy is a beautiful and powerful symbol of remembrance and respect for all the soldiers who have served.
I hope these ideas inspire you and your family to spend some quality time together creating something beautiful to honor our nation’s heroes. Crafting is more than just making things; it’s about making memories and expressing the gratitude in our hearts.
Which one of these teamwork crafts will you and your little one try first? I would love to hear about it in the comments below
