Mother's Day is coming and what better gift for them than an object made by their children. In this tutorial I show you three ideas to create decorative trays with children, which they can design themselves giving them their personal touch. In addition to working with them their creativity, you will be promoting recycling, since they will reuse the polystyrene trays that some foods usually bring.

Trays with beads

This first idea is very elegant. Children can choose the colors and shapes of the beads that they like the most, and also create your own design by placing them as you see fit.

Materials

• Styrofoam tray
• White glue
• Brush
• Beads

Step by step

To make these trays you simply have to apply white glue to the base and stick the beads on it creating the design you want. It is advisable to leave a slightly thick layer of white glue so that the beads are well fixed.

Once the glue with the glued beads has dried, apply another coat all over the tray. This will fix the pieces better and none will fall off.

 The little ones will thus create a very elegant tray and will be very entertained for a long time.

Decoupage trays

The decoupage technique can also be used by children. It offers a result that they love, since decoupage simulates a painted drawing on the surface, when in fact it is a printed napkin.

Materials

• Styrofoam tray
• Printed napkin
• White glue
• White paint (if the tray is not white)
• Brush

Step by step

To create the decoupage on the tray you need it to be a light tone or directly white. If not, you can paint it with acrylic paint. This is necessary because the napkins are very thin and slightly transparent the background where you place them, so a light background will not distort the colors of the drawing.

 Once the paint is dry, apply a very thin layer of white glue and then glue the napkin. You should remove the white layers without drawing beforehand, because we want it as thin as possible to better simulate what a drawing is on the tray.

When you have the napkin glued, apply another layer throughout the tray to completely fix the paper.

Let the children choose the napkin they want to use, there are many designs, and it's such a quick technique that they can make a set of different trays.

Trays with false mosaic

This latest tray idea simulates a mosaic. His pieces are actually magazine clippings. Children will have a lot of fun choosing and looking for the colors they want to combine. A perfect craft to work fine motor skills.

Materials

• Styrofoam tray
• White paint
• Brush
• Magazines
• Scissors
• White glue

Step by step

As with the previous idea, paint the tray white. This time, white paint is important because in this way you will be imitating the putty that is applied between the joints of the mosaics.

While the paint dries, cut out pieces of magazines. To make it more realistic, choose pieces of a single color. The size can be chosen by the child, but warn him that the smaller they are, the more difficult it will be to create the mosaic, and the larger the less colors and pieces will enter the tray.

When you have all the pieces of the mosaic ready, stick them like a puzzle. Apply white glue and place them distributing the colors.

Let the tray dry and then do as in decoupage, apply another layer of white glue and let it dry so that the paper is fixed well.

For the little ones it is a very simple technique but with great results. Also, as with the first idea of ​​the trays with beads, they will have a good time entertained with this craft.

With any of these three ideas children's creativity is encouraged, their fine motor skills are worked on and they are brought a little closer to the world of recycling.

In addition, mom will have a precious and useful gift, which she can use to leave her jewelry, papers, keys, or simply as a decorative element.