Rainy days often seem endless and staying inside is the only option – unless you are the kind of parent, as I was, who tells your kids, “Put on your swim suits. Go out and play in the rain.” Truth be told, I was out there with my kids, in my swim suit, playing in the rain, too. But I digress.

Rainy days are a perfect time to get out the jar of buttons, scraps of felt, blunt embroidery needles and those sad, mateless tube socks lolling forlornly around the laundry room. What for? Puppets, of course.

The tube socks are perfect for making hand puppets, a craft so easy even small children, with a little help from an adult or older sibling, can make one.

First, about 3 inches from the toe of the sock, sew or glue on buttons for eyes. Stitch on a few tufts of yarn for hair. Cut out felt pieces for eyebrows, a tongue and a nose, sewed or glued on. After the puppet’s “features” are done, pull the sock over the child’s hand, poke the toe of the sock into the child’s fingers for a “mouth,” and there it is – a puppet ready to perform. Which means the children will need to write a script and figure out what pieces of living-room furniture are best suited for a puppet stage. It can easily keep them occupied most of the day.

Those same orphaned tube socks also may be used to make sock dolls.

. You will need: Two socks, which don’t necessarily have to match, fiberfill for stuffing, yarn, fabric scraps, an ice cream stick, embroidery floss, markers, thread, needle and scissors.

. Here’s what you do. First, let your imagination be your guide and be inventive as you construct the doll.

. Cut off the ribbing of each sock. Use one of the socks, the toe part, for the doll body. Stuff the toe end with fiberfill. Insert the ice cream stick vertically into the head where the doll’s neck will be to stabilize the doll’s head and neck. Tie yarn about the neck. Stuff the remainder of the doll and stitch the bottom opening closed. Draw a face with markers and leave as is or embroider eyes, nose and mouth. For hair, cut short narrow strips of fabric, tie a knot in the center of each one and sew to doll’s head.

. Cut the ribbing from each sock in half lengthwise. You will have four pieces. Sew together the long sides, then one short side, forming rectangular tubes for legs and arms. Stuff. Stitch closed. Stitch arms and legs to doll body.

. Use the other sock toe end for a hat with a rolled brim for the doll. Make a simple dress or pants and top from old T-shirts or fabric scraps. Embellish clothes with buttons, rickrack or other trims. Fold a hanky or doily in half for a shawl.

Here’s an idea for moms who are inundated with children’s drawings. Choose a drawing you really like and trace it on tracing paper. Trace the outline with a hot-iron transfer pencil, available at fabric shops, and press it to a piece of muslin or linen. Embroider the piece, using yarn or embroidery floss. Follow the child’s color schemes or use your own. The embroidered piece may be made into a decorative pillow for the child’s bed or framed. Quilters may want to do a series of embroidered children’s drawings for a coverlet. Simple line drawings work best.

Drawings done with crayons can be ironed onto muslin squares to use for pillows or a quilt. To do this, place the drawing face down on the muslin and put a piece of brown paper between the iron, on the “warm” setting, and the drawing to protect the iron from the crayon color as it melts. This is a project children may do, too, but only under adult supervision. The pieces may be made into wall hangings or pillows, or worn if the fabric selected happens to be 100 percent cotton.

Snippets

Www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts, which is devoted to crafts for children, really got my imagination going. It has ideas from A to Z, including African crafts, American Indian crafts, preschool crafts and wreath crafts. I was especially taken by the star mobile made of drinking straws and paper clips.

I also like the ideas I found on www.dltk-kids.com, www.carfts4kids.com and www.kidsdomain.com.

Ardeana Hamlin welcomes suggestions. Call 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.