by Marisa Edghill of Omiyage.ca
Crafting with kids can be such a joyful experience. A time to let go of your perfectionist streak (I know you’ve got one, we all do!) and simply let the creativity flow. An opportunity to get a little messy, experiment with pure bright colour, and not to worry so much about the final product.
When crafting with kids, the joy is in the process. When else do you allow yourself to make something, just because? If you end up with something useful, great! If not, you had fun in the moment and that’s all that really matters.
So, for all you mommas – and dads, grandmas, aunts & uncles, big sisters – here are some great ideas I found for crafting with the little people in your life.
The World is Your Canvas
1. There are no rules in art (except maybe “don’t throw paint at your brother”) but there are techniques. Learn how to paint Watercolour Poppies with Deep Space Sparkle.
2. Did you ever have a t-shirt painting party when you were a kid? Those were always a hit. Take the wearable art fun to the next level with these painted sneakers from Martha Stewart.
3. Summer’s coming, it’s time for some hot weather crafts. How about these Tropical Fish Plates from Make and Takes.
4. I love this washi tape mural from Ninainvorm. Created for her daughter’s room, I think this would be a great activity to do with your kids – and is a wonderful way to achieve the look of a mural without the mess of paint. Washi tape is really easy to use – it tears easily, is repositionable and you could always reuse the tape for another craft at a later date. (For reference, I’ve had some washi tape strips stuck to my office wall for 2 months. The strips still look great, remove without leaving any residue and restick with ease.)
Recycled can be Beautiful
5. Chances are good you eat cereal in your house. (On moving to Canada, my husband – from Brazil by way of Japan – was amazed at the vast North American cereal aisles.) Why not make something beautiful out of the boxes? This village of Cereal Box Houses from Bella Dia is just so pretty – and a great blank canvas for little hands!
6. I love this project so very much. The Hula Hoop T-Shirt Rug from the minds at Family Fun is clever, teaches weaving skills, and reuses old t-shirts. Plus, the final product is both beautiful and useful. Love!
7. Do you remember rolling paper beads as a kid? Time to pass that project on to the next generation! These Paper Bead Bangles from Meri Cherry are perfect for using up old magazines and paper scraps.
8. Have mailing tubes lying around? I think these Totem Poles by Little Lovely for Bloesem Kids are pretty fantastic. If you don’t having mailing tubes, you could try the same thing with paper towel rolls.
Playing with Paper
9. A little paper, some string, a couple of brads – that’s all you need to make your own Dancing Deer from Made By Joel. No reason to stop there, take the inspiration and run with it – I bet there are plenty of other puppets just waiting to be dreamed up!
10. Speaking of imagination, craft up one of these Bird Masks by iMake and let yours run wild. (Imagination or kids – that’s up to you!)
11. These Homemade Kites from Giddy Giddy are a little tricky to make, but I think they might just be worth it. Dream it, design it, make it, fly it!
12. Have you introduced your kids to origami yet? It’s been entertaining children (quietly!) for hundreds of years, takes minimal supplies and is portable. Origami Club is a wonderful source of origami tutorials and you can find a variety of origami papers at Omiyage.ca
Looking for more craft ideas for kids? Make & Takes, The Crafty Crow and Made By Joel are all great sources for tutorials and crafty inspiration. Happy making!
Do you craft with your kids or have fond memories of crafting with your mother? Do you blog about kids crafts or love a specific site for crafty kids tutorials? We’d love it if you shared with us in the comments.
Interested in picking up some washi tape, origami paper or other Omiyage goodies? I’d love to offer Oh My! Handmade Goodness readers 20% off all items at Omiyage.ca until June 12th. Simply use code OMHG20 on checkout!
