3 World Emoji Day Crafts for Kids and Families
Celebrate World Emoji Day (July 17) with these 3 crafts for kids to do together with family or friends! Follow the easy step-by-step instructions below to create a stylish DIY emoji backpack using a potato (yep, you read that right!), a paper plate mask, and a comfy felt emoji pillow.
During her year of virtual Kindergarten, my daughter was introduced to the wonderful world of emojis. The icons were endearing, relatable, and just plain fun! It wasn’t long before I spotted long trails of emojis popping up on her virtual classroom chats with friends. We are so excited to bring our love of emojis off the screen and into our home with this collection of emoji crafts and DIY projects for kids and families to do together in celebration of World Emoji Day!
Craft 1: DIY Emoji Stamped Backpack
A perfect accessory for any outfit and adventure, this DIY stamped emoji backpack is a fun way for emoji loving kiddos — and their parents — to express their style! Choose one or a combination of your favorite emoji faces to adorn your bag.
Supplies
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Canvas tote bag or other stamping surface
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Potato
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Yellow Acrylic Paint
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Paint Tray
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Paint brush
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Pencil
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Puffy Paint or Permanent markers
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make an Emoji Stamped Backpack
STEP 1: Prepare
Slice the potato in half; this will be your round emoji face stamp!
Pour yellow acrylic paint onto a paint tray.
Place a piece of cardboard inside the bag so that the paint does not bleed through.
STEP 2: stamp
Use the paint brush to coat the flat circular surface of the potato OR dip the potato into the yellow paint. You may want to make a few practice prints on scrap paper to experiment with this method before moving on to the next step.
Press the painted potato flat onto the canvas tote. Apply even pressure and then lift it up, leaving a circle. You can touch up any missing paint with your paintbrush or leave it for a more organic look.
Repeat as desired and let dry.
STEP 3: Design
Choose which emojis you want to add to your bag.
Once dry, lightly draw emoji faces on the yellow circles using a pencil
Go over the pencil lines using paint, permanent marker, or puffy paint. I personally prefer to outline and fill in my drawings using squeezable puffy paint!
Craft 2: Paper Plate Mask
This Emoji face creation station is a quick and easy 5 minute craft that the entire family will enjoy! Use your emoji mask on World Emoji Day to express your true feelings like only an emoji can (cue your teenager’s eye roll emoji mask on repeat). This craft is also a fun group activity for a classroom, group of friends or World Emoji Day party. And if you’re planning a party, check out the EMOJI PARTY SHOP LINK for more ideas on how to decorate for World Emoji Day.
Supplies
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Yellow Paper Plates (10”)
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Large Wooden Craft Sticks
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Colored paper
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Glue
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make an Emoji Paper Plate Mask
STEP 1: Prepare
Prep for this activity by cutting out a variety of shapes from colored paper to be used as eyes, mouths, and different expressions.
STEP 2: Create emoji faces
By choosing facial features to glue on their yellow plate, each family member can either recreate their favorite emoji or invent a completely brand new emoji face!
STEP 3: make it a mask
Secure a craft stick to the back to make an easy to hold mask.
Craft 3: Felt Emoji Pillow
These adorable emoji pillows are a cozy piece of fun decor to add to any room! Make any size you’d like; from a giant floor pillow to one that fits in the palm of your hand. This design does not require a sewing machine and instead features simple hand stitching techniques similar to those a child would use on a fine motor lacing card. Choose a favorite emoji and make your own pillow by following these simple directions.
Supplies
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Felt – measurements and colors will vary depending on the size of your pillow and emoji design
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Fabric scissors
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Thread or yarn
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Large hand sewing needle
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Felt glue
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Fabric pen
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Stuffing
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Felt Emoji Pillow
STEP 1: cut out the face
Fold a piece of yellow felt in half and draw a circle that will be the size of your pillow. Using sharp fabric scissors, cut through both layers so that you have a front and back.
DIY Tip: To make a perfect circle, decide how large of a circle you would like and divide that measurement in half to find the radius. Tie a pen to a piece of string that is the length of your desired radius. Hold the end of the string with one finger in the center of your intended circle and extend the pen until the string is tight and draw the perimeter of your circle. For example, my pillow measured 22” across and my string was 11”.
STEP 2: Cut out the details
Using various colors of felt, trace and cut out any embellishments from your favorite emoji that you want to add to your pillow.
STEP 3: Assemble the emoji Face
Glue the felt facial features to one side of a yellow circle using felt glue or all purpose craft glue. This will be the front of your pillow.
(Optional) Once the glue has dried, Use a piece of yarn (or thread) and needle to hand sew around the edges of the glued-on pieces using a basic running stitch.
STEP 4: Assemble pillow
Place the face of your pillow on top of the second yellow felt circle; how you assemble it will be what the pillow looks like when finished. Good sides should be facing out.
Tie a knot at the end of a long piece of yarn. Use a whip stitch to sew all the way around the pillow, leaving a 4 inch opening. Keep the stitches small and close together to avoid puckering. For younger children, you can mark dots around the perimeter with a fabric pen to show them where the needle should go next.
STEP 5: Stuff & Sew
Fill your emoji pillow with stuffing, making sure to push it all the way to the edges.
Continue sewing the remainder of the opening and tie a knot to finish. Trim any extra yarn.
Once you’ve finished crafting, check out the rest of Zulily’s Top 7 Ways to Celebrate World Emoji Day! Remember to tag us in your creations on Facebook and Instagram!
