I am always looking for Cricut projects that I can get my two boys, ages ten and three, involved in doing.  I find a lot of great ideas in my Family Fun magazines, and this particular project was inspired by my most recent issue.

BIKE DECORATING BONANZA!
featuring the Cricut George Cartridge

Here's the supply list for the coolest bikes on the block:

Cricut machine
Cricut George cartridge
several sheets of white cardstock
acrylic paint in at least two contrasting colors
a couple of cheap paintbrushes
glitter glue pens

That's just the material list to make the stars.  Of course, you will want to get those stars on to the bike, so here are a couple of more things you will need:

bike flag pole
curling ribbon
glue and tape
scissors

Whoops, I almost forgot the most important ingredient - a nice, sunny day!

The Instructions

(If your kids are like mine, they are going to love this first part...)

Lay the sheets of card stock out in the yard.  You may also want to consider first spreading a drop cloth, because this is where things get messy!

Give the kids the paint and brushes, and let them go crazy splatter painting the sheets of card stock.  After the card stock (and the kids!) are covered in paint, allow to dry.

(Now, for the part you will love!)

Once the sheets are completely dry, load your George cartridge into your Cricut machine, and cut out several stars.  Three inches is a good size, but get as creative as you want - that's part of the fun of the Cricut projects you will find here!

After the stars are cut, let your kids outline them with the glitter glue pens.  Again, you will have to allow them to dry, but once they are, it will be time to decorate the bikes...

Decorating the Bikes

Cut and curl several 2 foot to 3 foot lengths of curling ribbon. Knot a dozen or so of these together for each bike.  Select about half of the curling ribbons, and glue two stars (forming a "sandwich") near the bottom of the selected ribbons.  Tape the star-studded ribbons to the bike flag pole (after removing the flag) and install the pole on the bike (if it wasn't already installed).  You can also do the same thing with shorter lengths of ribbon to decorate the handlebars. 

This project is a great summer boredom buster, but it also can be fun for parades, family reunions, block parties, and more!