Funny Lamp

Here's a reading lamp you can actually read! When it's illuminated, the comics become translucent and give off a colorful glow.
Materials
Lamp with barrel-shaped shade
Large sheet of drawing or doodle paper
Scissors
Your kid's favorite comics
Laser color copier (at a copy shop)
Paintbrush
Matte Mod Podge
Instructions
Make a template by wrapping the paper around the shade, then cutting the sheet of paper to match the shade's dimensions.
Take the template and comics to a copy store (copies made on a home printer may run). Make reduced or enlarged color copies of the comics to cover the template in an arrangement you like.
On a protected surface, brush Mod Podge onto the shade, then onto the back of the first sheet of copied comics. Let the paper rest for about 30 seconds, then gently lay it on the shade. Brush more Mod Podge over it, smoothing any wrinkles as you go.
Repeat this process with the remaining comics, allowing each section to dry before rolling the shade over to work on the next.

Box Office

Total Time Needed:
1 Hour
Kids on the go will appreciate the portability of this lightweight cardboard desk, not to mention all the nooks and crannies for storing their stuff.
Materials
Large cardboard box
Scissors
Pencil
Assorted cereal, cookie, and pasta boxes
Colored tape
Glue
Clear Con-Tact paper
Instructions
With the scissors, cut the flaps off of the large cardboard box. Turn the box bottom up. Then, make an opening for your child's legs by drawing an arch on one of the longer sides and cutting it out. Using the cutout as a pattern, cut an identical shape from the opposite side of the box. Discard both pieces.
Next, cut the tops from all of the food boxes and remove the inner wrappers. Attach the deeper boxes to the sides of the desk with short pieces of tape. Then, wrap longer pieces of tape all the way around the desk and side pockets to firmly secure them.
For pencil holders and other desktop compartments, arrange smaller cartons and canisters along the back edge of the box and secure them by gluing the bottoms to the top of the desk.
Lastly, make the working surface spillproof by covering it with clear Con-Tact Paper.