So chuffed with myself.

[loisalexis]

So I know I might be blowing my own trumpet here but I'm so pleased I wanted to share.

I'm a secondary school teacher and my school are very keen on pupils having extra curricular things so we have to provide something and pupils have to sign up to at least 1 per week (which they do for the term).

So I scarily said I would do a paper craft club thinking they can do cards or origami (which I have a bit of) or scrapbooking. Anyway I took along all my tools stamps inks punches, got some A4 card from repro and added my scrap papers and mismatch papers to the resources.

I had 6 girls show up and they all loved it!!!!!!! I could not believe how enthusiastic they where to try stuff out and play and stamp and punch and they made some beautiful front pages. They had so much fun I couldn't get them out at 4 o'clock and I'm really looking forward to doing this all term now

At some stage I'll brave taking in my Cricut! But I might introduce one new thing each week. I'll be very grateful of any ideas or advice from anyone that has done scrapping with kids before. They are all 11-14 so far.

I'm so pleased it went well as I was very scared they would be board and regret signing up for it!!!!

[Kitty Crafts]

I did an afterschool craft class for the last 2 years (I have had to give it up for now) and mine were years 5 and 6 and they got on ok with exploding boxes and maze books (with a bit of help) so year 8? should have no problem with it I also did seasonal things ... ie monster dragon masks for Chinese New Year, Mother's Day cards/tissue flowers bouquet, Father's day cards, desk calendars etc

[Hysteri-CAL]

I run a club on a Wednesday after school, and the students love it.

[cantstopstampin]

mini books are good to do and squash books etc. well done to you BTW

[Nerlly]

Oh, well done! I did a Saturday morning craft club in the scout hut for a term, with Y5 and Y6 children. I wouldn't take them any younger. At primary it's quite common for parents to use after-school clubs as childminding services, but you should escape that, lol.

I had 8 or 9 children and that was quite enough. It can be a bit like a classroom, with everyone wanting help at the same time, so if there's a way you can stagger the stages of a project, with two or three of them doing one thing while the others do a bit that doesn't need so much explaining, that can be helpful.

You're brave taking your own stuff in, but again with KS3 that shouldn't be too bad. I took stamps and distress ink pads into our Y4 class last year, for the children to distress some 'parchment' - they loved it but I spent quite a lot of time saying 'do it gently' and 'try not to RUB it'.....lol.

You've probably already done this, but plan your projects in advance and have something ongoing for children to do when they've finished - sometimes they whizz through something and have nothing to do.

But yes, they really enjoy it. I had boys and girls, and they wanted me to do another course but I had other commitments and couldn't...

[Scattychick]

I have always crafted with my monkeys and sometimes assorted friends who have come over to play and they all love altering picture frames you cn easily make them from card and they make lovely gifts my parents and brother still have the ones my monkeys made for them. Also made door signs for their bedrooms, butterfly mobiles with my dd, cards and they all scrapbook.

[Brummie40]

Well done you! It is so lovely when someone puts themselves out to do a club for kids. I think secondary school age kids will get a confidence boost from creating things. And the fact that you do it as a hobby yourself means that its 'grown-up' gluing & sticking so no loosing face.

My DD year 7 loves doing decopatch although that can get messy & takes ages to dry!

[loisalexis]

Thanks for all your ideas and encouragement I shall put some pics up when they have there finished creations

[MJSleight]

I think is a brilliant idea, a freind does some scrapping with the GCSE year groups as they do the duke of Edingbrugh stuff. All the girls love it and create some amazing work when they get into the swing of it.

I am doing mother's day cards with 12 Rainbows guides soon, it should make a huge dent in my scrap box.

[Gilly_mc]

I have done papercrafts - card/albums/projects for 9 years. I am really lucky and have at school a big shot, 2 tag alongs, lots of dies, a bind it all and loads of stash - a big cupbaord full. I take 12 KS3 students every term and find the hour after school is not enough - some projects - calanders take weeks. I have a number of tried and tested things and loads of PDF's of handy projects - if you pm me your email address I will try to forward on some stuff if you want (quite busy at the moment but will get round to it). They really enjoyed doing CD mini albums, cropodiled through and a book ring to hold together which we prepared for Christmas. I gave them a goodbag of christmas stickers and toppers etc as I have loads of Christmas stash.
This tuesday we will do cupcake cards with scallop circles (punched at my scrapaholix class today), round circle on which they can stamp the cupcake image and then colour in - gel pens, felt tips etc, a contrasting mat - they can use the £1.99 corner rounder I just got from hobbycraft, some stickles - sparingly, and a ribbon eyeleted on - will be doing sample Mon night - can take 2 hr prep time but they are worth it. Tilda stamp cards soon with watercolour pencils.
Anyway...... I am off on one - let me know if you want to share ideas - could create a thread - ideas for children craft classes and put on photos and basic outline if others want to borrow ideas
Good luck with your venue
Gill