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Making crafts allows you to explore creativity, express personality and de-stress. Studies show that children who study art are four times more likely to achieve academic awards. So, start crafting with your kids, and help them learn new skills.
Paper Bag Kites
Decorate a paper lunch bag with markers and stickers. Attach streamers to the mouth of the bag with tape to make a tail. Cut a small hole in the middle of the bottom of the bag. Thread a piece of yarn through the hole and tie knots in the end. Tape the knotted end to the bag and tie a popsicle stick to the other end of the yarn. Go outside, hold the stick and run! The bag kite will fly.
Make Garden Rocks
Get small landscaping rocks and outdoor paint, available at any home improvement store. If your rocks aren’t black, paint them black and let dry. Paint the bottom three-fourths of each rock in a bright color. After the paint dries, use a small brush to paint black spots all over the colored area. Add two dots of white paint at the top to make adorable ladybug rocks.
Decorate a T-Shirt
Get everyone a plain T shirt. Lay each shirt flat. Pour fabric paint into a shallow container. Cut the top off a large bell pepper. When the cut end is dipped into the paint, you have a DIY shirt stamp.
Butterfly Clothespins
Decorate clothespins with markers. Bend a pipe cleaner into a long oval and twist the ends together, then twist in the center. Use a hot glue gun to attach the pipe cleaner to the back of the clothespin. Add a couple of googly eyes (available in any craft store), and you’ve got butterfly clothespins!
Try Diamond Painting
If you’ve ever done paint-by-numbers, you know how to do diamond painting. This is mostly a craft for adults, but kids can try it, too. When purchasing a diamond painting kit, look for simple designs for them.
This is a great way to bond with kids, one of the reasons people love this crafting trend. Diamond painting, also known as 5D painting, has been used as a therapeutic technique. It’s a stress-reducing activity that improves focus and fine motor skills, and it allows you to get creative. Finished diamond paintings also make great gifts.
Make a Play Wand
Cover a dowel rod with glue and attach strips of paper to it. Next, use a hot glue gun to create markings and designs all over the wand. When everything is dry, spray paint it brown to create a wand worthy of Harry Potter.
Melted Crayon Rocks
Collect rocks with the kids and rinse them in soapy water. Spread the rocks on a cookie sheet and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees. Place the hot rocks on a sheet of foil. When kids color on the rocks with crayons, they’ll melt to make unique designs. Don’t let kids touch the hot rocks!
Make Bird Feeders
Save your empty toilet paper rolls for a crafty day. Spread peanut butter on a cookie sheet and pour a layer of birdseed in a second cookie sheet. Roll tubes in the peanut butter, then in the seed. Lace a long piece of yarn through each tube and tie the ends together. Take the tubes outside hang them off branches with the kids.
DIY Play Dough
Combine 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 cup of baking soda and 3/4 cup of water in a cold saucepan. Turn the stove to medium heat and stir constantly. In about 5 minutes, the mix will become solid. When this happens, place the dough on a cookie sheet. Once it cools, you’ve got DIY play dough.
Custom Notebook Cover
Looking for a weekend project for school-age kids? Lay a notebook flat on a piece of fabric and cut the fabric out around it, leaving an inch of extra material on all sides. Cover the outside of the notebook with glue and place it firmly on the fabric. Place a strip of glue down each side of the inner cover. Fold the fabric over every edge and cut away the excess. Leave the notebook open to dry.
Make a Bulletin Board
Get a frame and throw away the glass. Cut bottle corks into halves. Cover the inside of the frame with glue, and let kids place the corks end up in the glue to make a custom DIY bulletin board.
DIY Musical Instrument
Kids like crafts they can play with. Get one empty toilet paper roll per kid, and let kids decorate their rolls. You can find rotary paper cutters that they can use to cut squares of wax paper which you can then secure to the end of each roll with a rubber band. When kids blow on the open end, they make music!
Consider Making Crafts
Try making these projects with your kids, and you’ll be surprised by how much fun you have. Children learn valuable skills from crafting, and they’ll make keepsakes you can cherish for years. They’ll cherish the memories for a lifetime.
