Here are a few terrific ways to help homeschoolers earn a few extra dollars doing what they already love to do. Photography is a wonderful hobby that anyone can appreciate. There are cameras everywhere it seems, even on phones. So, get your homeschoolers busy taking pictures to sell.
Photograph the points of interest (outdoor scenes and landscapes are always popular) and print them out in 5″ x 7″ or 8″ x 10″ sizes. Have your homeschoolers mount them on cardboard or poster board that’s 2″ wider and longer than the photograph. On the front, add birch bark, ribbon, seashells, buttons, beads or anything else you’d like to frame the picture. This whole project doesn’t take long and it isn’t difficult to do, even for homeschooling children.
Here’s another craft homeschoolers can do with very little effort, and even make a few dollars by selling them at a craft fair. Making a switchplate cover for their own room is just as fun for them. Take the switchplate off the wall and trace it on fabric, old wallpaper, shelf paper, contact paper, or even newspaper. Cut the pattern out leaving ½” to 1″ excess. This will be folded under the switchplate. If you then place the right side down and fold all the edges on the pattern lines, it will be easier to fold to the back of the switchplate once it’s glued.
Remember to line up the paper and cut an X into it for the light switch to protrude from. Then glue it to the switchplate, smooth it with a cloth, and fold the edges to the back and glue them. Once the glue is dry, trim the excess so the light switch pops through the paper. If you want to personalize it, trace a monogram onto the front or add stickers or decals. Then seal it with varnish or clear nail polish and return it to the wall. You might even want to coordinate it with your decorating colors.
Older homeschoolers will find the result of this next craft well worth the bit of effort. If they enjoy the out of doors, have them collect driftwood from the shoreline. Take a family drive and have fun gathering it. Once home, have your homeschoolers use a stiff brush to scrub the pieces and let them dry in the sun.
When the wood is dry, have them dress in old clothes since they’ll be using undiluted laundry bleach. With rubber gloves, safety glasses, and a stiff brush, work outside to apply the bleach to the driftwood. It won’t take much, dependent on the size of the wood piece. It should be scrubbed thoroughly to get the best colors. Once scrubbed, let the sun dry it once again. The bleach will lighten the wood in some places but it leaves the deeper grooves darker for a gorgeous natural look that’s very impressive, especially to decorators.
These can be sold as lamp bases, TV top decorations, or just about anything else a creative mind can conjure up. It’s a fantastic hobby and a great way for older homeschoolers to make some well-earned money…all for the cost of an inexpensive bottle of bleach.