For a fun AND meaningful project, consider making a tray favor for a veteran. These small gestures of appreciation for the sacrifices veterans made for our freedom are placed on food service trays in VA medical centers and veterans nursing homes.

Gather materials and get ready to have some fun – while making a difference – with your children! Once the crafts are complete, contact a local veterans facility and ask when they can be dropped off.

Get ready to brighten a veteran’s day with any of these tray favors!

Popsicle Stick American Flags 

What you’ll need: 10 popsicle sticks (jumbo preferred); white paper or card stock; star-shaped hole punch or white star-shaped stickers; red and blue paint; a paintbrush; scissors; glue.

Craft it!

• Cut two 3½-inch sticks and three 3-inch sticks. Don’t cut the other five sticks.
• Paint the 3-inch sticks blue and three uncut sticks red.
• When they are dry, glue the five uncut sticks to one of the 3½-inch sticks, alternating red and white. Then glue the other 3½-inch sticks to the opposite end of the flag for support.
• Once that dries, glue the three little blue sticks to the top left corner of your flag.
• Punch out stars using a hole punch, or cut star shapes out of the white paper or use star-shaped stickers. Glue or place stars on the blue sticks.
• Let the flag dry well. If you want to make the flag for holding, glue an extra Popsicle stick to the bottom of the flag so it can be waved around.

Source: PBS Parents

Cupcake Liner Poppy Craft

What you’ll need: Red cupcake liners (various sizes); glue gun; large black buttons; green paper straws; tape.

Craft it!

• Cut a wavy edge on the largest cupcake liner. Do the same on the smaller sizes.
• Place the smaller liner inside the larger liner and then glue a large black button in the center.
• Once the glue dries, turn the poppy over and apply the paper straw with tape.
• Grab some friends and make several poppies to deliver to veterans.

Source: Pint-Sized Treasures

See the full story as it appeared in Auxiliary magazine here. Auxiliary is a quarterly publication. See previous editions of the magazine here: https://www.alaforveterans.org/Magazine.