Keep your table clean with this fun and simple-to-make placemat…well at least part of your table clean.

Yesterday,  in our elementary school’s after-school Disney craft class, I had a great time helping young Disney fans make a Mickey Mouse Valentine’s Day placemat.  The first and second grade students did an excellent job and they enjoyed watching the lamination machine seal their artwork.  If you have a little Mousketeer that loves Mickey Mouse this is a perfect craft to complete with him.  If you don’t have a lamination machine, no problem.  Your local business supply store, like Staples, offers laminating services.  To laminate this project our local store would charge around $3.00US per placemat.

Here’s a break down of what you’ll need for your little artist.

For this project you’ll need a Mickey Mouse Craft Punch.  I purchased this punch at A.C. Moore Craft Store.  On a side note, I have to tell you that you’ll love it!  If you don’t have an A.C. Moore store near you, I’ve seen the punch available for purchase on-line.  In addition, you’ll need a 12″ x 12″ piece of scrapbook paper for your base, a glue stick, an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of copy paper, and one pink and one red piece of construction paper or card stock for the Mickey punches.

Cut your heart base out of the white copy paper by folding the paper in half and using the entire half of the paper.  Start at the bottom tip and cut to the side corner for the shoulder of the heart.  Have your child use a glue stick to attach the paper heart in the center of the 12 ” x 12″ scrapbook paper.

Next, fill in the white heart with the colored paper Mickey heads.  I started with the color red Mickeys and glued each one in place with the use of a glue stick.  There were a total of 41 red Mickey punches and 22 pink Mickey punches used on my placemat.  What was really fantastic about doing this project with the kids is that each child decided to complete the project their own way.  They didn’t care that I had used exactly 27 Mickeys in one row and 21 Mickeys in another row.  All the placements came out really cute and unique to each child.  I had them write their names and grade level on their finished piece, so Mom & Dad will remember how little and adorable their child was when looking at the placemat years down the road.

For anyone else out there that want’s to see how I glued the Mickeys onto the heart, here’s a close up of the center.

Now I have one more afterschool simple craft idea I need to come up with.  I’m thinking about teaching the students a little bit about the purpose of molds…and not the kind of mold that cause illnesses.  They’ve already learned how to take something away by using the craft punches and have used tons of glue too.

Any ideas you’d like to share?  Please do!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!  Have a Magically Mickey Day!