special report

Pack-o-Fun

Readership: 6 – 12, Parents, Teachers
Leading Kids to Crafting for 54 Years

Pack-o-Fun is strictly a craft project magazine. They contain no other types of freelance articles and no fiction. The magazine is written for the adult who will be making projects with or for children. Writers who primarily remember Pack-o-Fun from years ago need to know the magazine has changed substantially. From the recent issues I’ve seen, the projects need to look professional (not like the kid crafts you might see in come of the children’s magazines that have crafts in addition to fiction and other articles.) – even the very simple projects are clearly made by skilled adults as they look very clean, very precise.

Pack-o-Fun focuses on inexpensive projects. Supplies need to be easy to find (or likely to be on-hand in the home) and the total project cost needs to be low enough to make it a feasible project for a classroom or other children’s group (especially projects that match specific curriculum in classroom/home school, 4-H, Scouts, Bible school, etc.)

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS from their guidelines:

• Project is easy to make and has a broad appeal
• Project is innovative and uses materials in a fresh and interesting way
• Project uses recyclables [Note: from looking as issues, the recyclable is likely to be used as only one small part of a professional looking piece that looks new.]
• Project can be done with children in groups.
   

WHAT THEY WANT:

Especially interested in

• Gift ideas that children can make.
• Inexpensive awards or gifts that acknowledge accomplishments.
• Projects that introduce basic craft techniques.
• Birthday party ideas.
• Projects that increase a child’s awareness of the world around us.
• Projects and activities that would benefit charitable causes.
• Projects that can be used to enhance children’s stories, poems or songs.
• Projects that go along with current children’s trends.
• Crafts adapted to special needs children.
• Alternative uses for scrapbook materials.
   

Pays after signed contract. Buys ALL RIGHTS. “Design fees are based on quality, originality, craftsmanship, and general appeal. Fees ranges from $40 to $150 per design."

Prefers queries with a clear photo of the project. Include both your address and a daytime telephone number. Send submissions to:

Pack-o-Fun
2400 Devon Avenue
Suite 375
Des Plaines, IL 60018-4618

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

Contents:
PACK-O-FUN
October 2005

From the Masthead:
Managing Editor: Irene Mueller
Assistant Editor: Anne Niemiec

[Note: Magazine includes full-sized patterns for most projects.]

News From You Each issue features photos of groups displaying their PACK-O-FUN craft projects. This issue has photos of Frankenstein baskets, jack-o-lantern wall hangings and monster pots (they seem fond of decorations made from terra cotta pots), candy pouches (clearly made from paper plates with faces, laced together), some kind of little dolls, and some door hangers (they looked like fun foam.)

Back to School Photo Pennants [Mary Ayres] Fun foam pennants with child’s photo, name, and school collars – uses foam, ribbons, decorative edging scissors, a craft stick, magnet strips. Nine supplies listed (bulleted list includes tools like decorative edge scissors – basic tools like glue, paper, pencil, ruler, etc. at listed in a clump as one bulleted point]. Steps are numbered (only lists two steps so more than one thing is done in each.). Supplies are headed by “What You Need” and directions are headed by “How to Do It.”

Locker Magnets and Mirrors [Linda Valentino – magnets/Jessie Arnold Mirrors] Magnets are simple craft foam shapes cut in multiple sizes and layered to show all colors. They include letters and flowers. The mirrors are decorating magnetic mirrors with oven-bake clay and faux jewels.

Traveling Sunflower Jack [Sue Yoder] Simple felt bear hand puppet but the “craft” is combined with an “activity” of mailing Jack around the world to learn about far away places.

Simple Math Puzzle [Linda Valentino]. Picture puzzle where each puzzle piece is like a “flash card” with a math equation on the back of the puzzle piece that matches an “answer” on the puzzle “mat.”

Circuit Game [Linda Valentino] Creates a game board by making simple circuits to light up a tiny light bulb when the correct question is “clipped” to the correct “question.” Uses paper, plastic coated wire with alligator clips, small light bulb and socket, 6 volt battery, clear contact paper and various common tools – strips of aluminum foil complete the circuit connections.

Mouse Traps [Anne Niemiec]. Teaches about simple machines by combining recycled objects in to a kind of “Rube Goldberg” machine that includes inclined planes, screws, wheels and axles, levers, and pulleys. Suggests having classes make these things as a kind of competition.

Kente Crown of Africa [Stan Karnoscak] Very simple (construction paper and glue) project to make brightly colored paper “kente.”

Monster Trick or Treat Bag [Mary Ayres] Large felt bag (bag sides are tied together instead of sewn). Monster features on the bag are made using painted wooden shapes.

Keep Doodling [Anne Niemiec]. Article about Children’s Book Illustrator Patrick Girouard (written by staff).

Monster T-Shirt [Mary Ayres] Spray painted monster face uses pasta shapes to block the paint and make features (pasta does not remain on shirt and is used only in the painting process.)

Paper Plate Halloween Baskets [Mary Ayres] Painted paper plates and brad fasterners are combined with wooden shapes to make party favor baskets.

Eerie Witch and Spider Greeters [Mary Ayres] Painted paper places are combines with craft sticks and other wooden shapes to make a wall decoration – a witch’s head and a spider.

Pencil and Pen Spook Toppers [Linda Valentino]. Pom-pon and wiggle eyes make jack-o-lantern, spider, bat, and witch pencil toppers. Also uses small wooden shapes, beads, pipe cleaners, yarn, ribbon, and paper.

Halloween Costumes [Mary Ayres] Pillow cases are turned into no-sew costumes for an angel, a black cat, a candy corn, and a pizza chef.

Black Cat Porch Sitter [Barbara Greve] A comic black cat made from clay pots. (Probably one of the more expensive crafts in the book as there are a number of items needed.)

Purple Monster Treat Holder [Barbara Greve] A paper-plate monster face with a wire hanger – treats slip into the monster’s overlapped paper plate “jaw.”

Bewitching Cake [Irene Mueller] Sheet cake decorated with a witch’s face that uses candy details.

Wickedly Fun Candy Wrapper [Sandy Rollinger]. Uses card stock and a crimper to create a paper “sleeve” to fit over a box of candy – has jack-o-lantern decoration.

Halloween Invitations or Cards [Loretta Mateik] Card stock, pre-cut craft foam shapes and words, and decorative edging scissors.

No-Sew Denim Leaf Purse [Mary Ayres] Pant leg with fringe tied-together to avoid sewing the bottom. Decorated with paint and beads.

Fall Hosta Leaf Bowl [Mayco Colors/Coloramics LLC] Low fire clay leaf-shaped bowl.

This page last updated on 01 September 2005