The Guide looks up a fun Do-It-Yourself book that is full of ideas to keep your kids busy and away from the idiot box, for the rest of the summer vacations

The Guide looks up a fun Do-It-Yourself book that is full of ideas to keep your kids busy and away from the idiot box, for the rest of the summer vacations

Grandmother to six, Nafisa Contractor would spend summer afternoons, every year, taking them to the ice-cream factory or making chocolates with them.

"Children need to do something interesting and fun during the summer holidays. I'd always be doing something or the other with either my grandkids or students.

Crafty Ideas came out as a result of that," she says about her Do-It-Yourself book that has just hit bookstores.

The book is aimed at children in the age group five to 15 years and covers easy DIY activities including gift-wrapping, chocolate-making and vegetable-carving.

Contractor has been conducting live demos and workshops on creative topics for schools, workshops and hotels for more than a decade.
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"I'd written a booklet on vegetable carving that was printed with Mid Day more than fifteen years ago. It sold 20,000 copies and often I meet people who come up to me and say 'Iu00a0 have your booklet'," she laughs.

The book includes fun trivia on the things that are used to make interesting tidbits. "One should be able to make children learn things in an interesting manner," she says.

Knowledge is fun, Contractor believes, which is why she enrolled herself in college after she became a grandmother. Knowledge is also about bonding with children and having fun while you learn, according to her.
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"We'd spend entire afternoons trying to make chocolate treats.

Though very little would actually get made, as there was always someone eating up the batter, or the drinking chocolate or the icing sugar," she laughs. So, go ahead and have a fun time getting crafty.

Try some DIY Ideas

Make a glowing wrapping paper
Colour the entire paper you want to use with brightly coloured pastel crayons.u00a0
Brush some liquid soap carefully over the drawing.
Let it dry completely.
Paint over the picture with black poster colour.
Using a pencil or pen with a sharp nib, draw any picture you want. Watch the colours glow and come alive. Voila! You have a new wrapping paper.

Straw Blow
Pour poster paint into a saucer. Mix in a little bit of water.
Pour the above solution on to a sheet of wrapping paper.u00a0
Dip a plastic straw in the liquid paint and gently blow on the paper starting at one corner or from the centre.
Use as many colours as you like to create a marbled effect.