The hardest part of making crafts with kids is finding the right supplies to use. But when you’re on a budget and don’t want to spend a fortune (or rely on friends who have lots of craft materials lying around), what can you do? Well, we’ve got your back!
In this post, we’ll show you ten easy, fun crafts that require items that are totally free or relatively cheap. We’ll also include links to more detailed tutorials so that even total novices can make these projects at home for their kids or grandkids.
So grab some glue sticks, scissors, tape—and whatever else you might need—and get ready for some creative fun!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Crafting is a great way to bond with kids and encourage creativity and imagination. |
| 2. There are a variety of fun and easy craft projects that are perfect for kids of all ages. |
| 3. Materials like paper, glue, scissors, and other household items can be used to create fun and engaging crafts. |
| 4. Crafting can be a safe and enjoyable activity for kids when proper precautions are taken. |
| 5. By engaging in crafting, kids can develop fine motor skills, problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, and a sense of accomplishment. |
Marshmallow Caterpillar
Materials:
- Large marshmallow
- A pencil or pen cap
- Scissors (optional)
How to make it:
Use a sharp object to poke a hole at the top of your marshmallow, leaving about an inch of space between where you started and stopped. Try not to go all the way through! If needed, cut off any excess material with scissors.
Insert the cap into your hole and push it down until it reaches the center of your marshmallow—it should fit snugly inside without falling out on its own (if yours comes out easily when turned upside down, try using more glue).
3/4-inch diameter; 2 1/2-inches long; weighs 1 ounce)
Getting your kids involved in crafting can be a fun and creative way to bond, but it can be tough coming up with ideas. Our article on getting your kids excited about crafting offers 25 fun and easy crafting ideas that are sure to keep them entertained.
Cereal Box Pinhole Camera
If you’re looking for an easy and fun craft that your kids can make at home, a pinhole camera is the perfect project.
This camera works without the use of film or chemicals and will allow your child to have fun while learning about photography.
To make this easy DIY pinhole camera, you’ll need:
- A cereal box (or other cardboard box)
- Glue or tape
- Scissors or a box cutter/craft knife (adult supervision is required)
DIY Flying Paper Lanterns
Materials: paper lanterns, scissors, glue, string or ribbon, tape.
Cut the bottom off of your paper lantern and trace a circle onto it with a pencil (you’ll need to make sure that the pattern for this is pretty big).
Cut out your traced circle.
Fold down the top part of your cut-out circle and tape it to itself so that it creates two flaps on either side of it.
These flaps should be folded downward toward you when looking at them from above; they should not overlap each other or overlap with any other edges in any way!
This is important—if they do overlap something else while being taped together then they won’t properly close up when we’re done here today!
With school out for the summer, it can be hard to keep your kids busy. Our article on 15 creative crafts for kids offers a variety of craft projects that are not only fun and easy but will also keep your kids entertained for hours.
Bird Feeder Gingerbread House
You can make a bird feeder gingerbread house by using a kit like this one and making sure you follow the instructions properly.
You’ll need to put the birdseed in the gingerbread house, then use a toothpick to put it in there so that it looks like it’s coming out of the little windows or whatever those things are called. You’ll also want to use some kind of sign that says “bird feeder” or something along those lines.
Also, don’t forget about decorating your house! A lot of people think that just eating all your candy is enough for decorating, but if you want something more formal-looking (and less messy), try using icing instead of chocolate syrup as an extra layer on top of what’s already been done with frosting for decoration purposes only (not taste).
If anyone asks why we did this stuff with icing instead of using actual frosting from cookies themselves—we’d say “because we were too lazy”.
Paper Plate Ear Muffs
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Pins or thumbtacks (optional)
- Craft glue (optional)
Instructions:
Cut the paper plate in half. Cut a hole in each half, about 4 inches from the edge of the plate. This is where your child’s ears will fit through.
Make sure that the holes are large enough for your child to wear comfortably and easily, but small enough so that the edges won’t poke out of them once they’re on their head!
Place one piece of paper over top of your child’s head and gently press it down until it fits snugly against his/her little noggin’.
A little bit of wriggle room is okay, as long as it doesn’t look too baggy or lose its form when you put it on him/her! If needed (and only if needed), use pins or thumbtacks to secure this part of your project into place with some craft glue before moving forward with step 3 below!
Repeat Step 2 with another piece of paper—this time covering up his/her entire face except for two holes made by going through steps 1 & 2 above; these holes should be aligned with both eyes so that he/she can see where they’re going while wearing these super cute earmuffs!
Crafting is a great way to foster creativity and imagination in kids. Our ultimate guide to crafts for kids offers 19 different craft ideas that are perfect for kids of all ages, no matter their interests or skill level.
Popsicle Stick Snowflake
In order to create this snowflake, you’ll need the following materials:
- popsicle sticks
- glue gun (or any other hot glue gun)
- pencil with an eraser on the end
- Glue the popsicle sticks together in a star pattern, with one side of each stick being glued to another. Make sure that there are no gaps between them so that they form a solid shape once they’re all connected.
- Take your hole punch and make a hole in one end of each popicle stick star, as shown in the picture above (the top left corner). This will be where you hang your finished snowflakes from when it’s time for decorating!
- Now draw out your design for how you want your snowflake to look! You can do this by tracing around a paper plate or cutting out some stencils and using those as guides for where everything goes—it doesn’t have to be perfect! Once you’re done with that step, cut out all of your shapes using scissors or other sharp objects (like cookie cutters!)
Finding the right craft projects for your kids can be challenging, especially if they have varying skill levels. Our post on 12 crafts for kids offers a range of craft ideas, from simple to complex, that are sure to please everyone and keep them entertained.
Rainbow Rice Necklaces
You can make a rainbow rice necklace, bracelet or crown.
To make a necklace:
Put some colored rice in a plastic bag so you can mix them before the project begins. You’ll have to use more than one color of rice because some colors are heavier than others and will sink to the bottom.
The easiest way to measure this out is by weight rather than volume–you’ll need about 1/2 cup (100 grams) of each color for every four necklaces you want to make.
You need enough pieces of string or yarn so that each child has at least 30-40 inches (76 cm) long when strung together end-to-end (but keep in mind that it will take longer if you’re making multiple necklaces).
Tie one end securely around something heavy like a book or measuring cup filled with water; then gently pour your mixture into an empty bowl in batches until it’s full up over half way – which should be about 3/4 cup (180 ml). If any grains spill out, carefully pick them up with your fingers or tweezers before moving on!
| Necklace Design | Material Required | Age Group |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Rice Necklace | Rice, vinegar, food coloring, yarn/string, beads | 4-8 years |
| Colorful Rice Bead Necklace | Rainbow rice, wooden beads, elastic cord or string | 6-10 years |
| Rice Charm Necklace | Colored rice, small jar, letter beads, wire, and a necklace chain | 8-12 years |
In this table, we’ve listed some ideas for crafting Rainbow Rice Necklaces, including the design, material required, and recommended age group for each project. The designs include Rainbow Rice Necklaces, Colorful Rice Bead Necklaces, and Rice Charm Necklaces.
The materials required range from rice, vinegar, and food coloring to wooden beads and letter beads, and are listed for each project. Finally, the recommended age group for each project is also listed, with projects ranging from 4-12 years old.
Jar Of Stars
What you need:
- 5 or 6 empty glass jars (11 oz. size)
- Jar lids
- Glitter glue, sequins and/or stickers to decorate the jars with
- Scissors for cutting the paper into strips
How to make it: First, decide what kind of design you want on your jar. You can cut out shapes from construction paper and glue them onto the jar lid using glitter glue, or leave the lids blank if you want to use them as a canvas for more intricate designs like swirls or snowflakes.
Draw a large V shape on each lid with a pencil so that when it’s glued down it becomes an upside down triangle shape with two long sides coming off of each side of your V; this will help keep any decorations stable since everything will be glued within these boundaries.
Next time I make these I’m going to try using an image printed off my computer instead—that way I won’t have as many mistakes! Put some glitter glue inside each jar without adding too much water; we’re just trying not to drown our project here!
Add sequins or stickers onto each lid as desired before securing them onto their respective jars with hot glue guns.
Paper Roll Crafts Spiders
Materials:
A paper towel or toilet paper roll
To make a spider with this technique, you’ll need to cut the paper towel roll in half and then cut off the flimsy end.
The result should be two long cylinder shapes. You can then use four pieces of tape to attach them together at the bottom so that they form a square opening at one end, which will become your spider’s mouth.
Once you’ve done that, take another piece of tape and secure it across the top seam between where your two halves meet. This will keep them together (and prevent any unraveling).
Then take some black paint and paint over all surfaces except for his legs and face—you want him to look as creepy as possible! Make sure none of his legs are touching each other; otherwise he might not be able to walk around on his own!
Now all you have left is decorating—this part is really up to personal preference but here are some ideas: You could draw eyes on either side of those little rectangles we talked about earlier using some markers or crayons; add fangs below his mouth (but don’t forget about those teeth); or even add extra appendages like horns or claws if desired!
Finally, once everything’s dry go ahead hang him somewhere safe where everyone can see how cool he looks when they walk by!
Easter is the perfect time to get creative and make your own decorations. Our article on DIY Easter decorations offers a range of fun and easy projects that will brighten up your home and get you in the Easter spirit.
Watermelon Doily Dream Catchers
Watermelon Doily Dream Catchers are one of the easiest crafts to make, and they look so cool! All you need is a watermelon, some string, scissors and some yarn.
First you will need to cut off the bottom of your watermelon. Then slice it in half vertically and remove both seeds from each half. Next you will use your yarn or string to weave between all those beautiful little doilies on top of the fruit’s fleshy interior.
I used a strand of embroidery floss for mine because I thought it was pretty, but any kind of cotton string will work just fine! You could also use wool or even twine if that’s what works best for you!
Once all your weaving is done (this may take anywhere from 10 minutes – 1 hour depending on how patient/lazy/curious about how these things are made), cut off any extra pieces using sharp scissors then trim away any loose ends along with any strings hanging out at either end (again: use sharp scissors)
| Supplies Needed |
|---|
| Watermelon (1/2) |
| Yarn (in various colors) |
| White doilies (paper or lace) |
| Scissors |
| String or twine |
Watermelon Doily Dream Catchers are a simple and fun craft that only requires a few supplies. You will need half a watermelon, white doilies, yarn in various colors, scissors, and string or twine to create these unique dream catchers. Use any brand of supplies of your preference to make your Watermelon Doily Dream Catchers even more unique.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these easy craft ideas for kids. Some of them are simple enough for preschoolers, while others are more suited for older children.
And if your little one is ready for an advanced project, there’s plenty here too! I know that just trying these out makes me want to get busy with our own collection of supplies and start making something fun right away.
Further Reading
If you’re looking for more crafting ideas and inspiration for kids, check out the following articles:
GoodtoKnow: Easy Crafts for Kids: This article features a variety of easy and fun craft projects for kids of all ages, including painting, jewelry making, and more.
Happiness is Homemade: Quick & Easy Kids Crafts: This post offers a collection of quick and easy crafts that anyone can make, featuring projects like decorated rocks, paper flowers, and more.
Good Housekeeping: Crafts for Kids: This article showcases a variety of creative and engaging crafts for kids, including nature crafts, recycled crafts, and more.
FAQs
What are some easy crafts for kids to make?
Crafts that are easy for kids to make include painting, coloring, and drawing, as well as making collages, jewelry, and other art projects using materials like paper, glue, and scissors.
What are some fun crafts for kids to do at home?
Fun crafts that kids can do at home include making slime, building with Legos, creating cardboard box forts, and doing science experiments, like making volcanoes or growing crystals.
How can I get my kids interested in crafting?
To get kids interested in crafting, try doing crafts together as a family, keep a variety of craft materials on hand, give them creative freedom to make whatever they like, and praise their efforts and creativity.
How can I make crafting safe for kids?
To make crafting safe for kids, make sure they are using age-appropriate materials and tools, supervise them while they are crafting, store materials and tools out of reach when not in use, and teach them about safety practices like using scissors safely.
How can crafting benefit my child?
Crafting can benefit children in many ways, including fostering creativity and imagination, helping them develop fine motor skills, encouraging problem-solving and critical thinking, and providing a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work.
Hellen James is the creator of Unified Crafts and has been crafting since she was a kid accompanied by her mom to the craft store, where she was free to choose whatever ignited her imagination.
