Crafts for Kids: 50 Easy Ideas With Things You Already Have

You don't need a craft shop to make something wonderful. Most homes are full of craft materials hiding in plain sight: cereal boxes, toilet-roll tubes, bottle tops, old magazines, buttons and string. These easy crafts use things you already have, and they're perfect for a rainy afternoon or a spontaneous craft session.

Build a "craft stash"

Start a box or a bag and drop these in instead of the recycling bin (wash anything that held food):

• Cereal boxes and other thin card
• Toilet-roll and kitchen-roll tubes
• Egg cartons
• Bottle tops and jar lids
• Paper plates, cups and straws
• Old magazines, wrapping paper and greeting cards
• Buttons, ribbon, wool and string
• Fabric scraps and old socks
• Corks, lolly sticks and clothes pegs
• Foil, tissue paper and bubble wrap

Add basic tools: scissors, glue stick, tape, crayons, markers and a hole punch.

20 easy crafts

1. Cereal-box puppet theatre. Cut a window in the front of a large cereal box, decorate it like a stage and make stick puppets to perform with. See puppet making for kids.
2. Toilet-roll binoculars. Tape two tubes together, decorate them and add a string strap. Off on a bird-spotting adventure!
3. Egg carton caterpillar. Cut a row of cups, paint them and add pipe-cleaner antennae.
4. Magazine collage. Cut out pictures and make a mood board, a dream bedroom or a funny animal.
5. Sock puppets. Glue on buttons for eyes and felt or paper for a mouth.
6. Bottle-top magnets. Glue small drawings inside bottle tops and stick a magnet on the back.
7. Cardboard tube castle. Tape tubes to a box base, cut battlements and add a paper flag.
8. Paper bag puppets. Draw a face on the bottom flap of a paper bag so the mouth moves.
9. Bubble-wrap printing. Paint bubble wrap and press paper onto it for a dotty pattern.
10. Button art. Glue buttons onto card to make flowers, trees or a rainbow.
11. Foil sculptures. Scrunch and shape kitchen foil into animals, people or rockets.
12. Shoebox diorama. Make a scene inside a shoebox: a jungle, the ocean or outer space. Cut out characters from coloring pages.
13. Peg people. Draw faces and clothes on wooden clothes pegs.
14. String painting. Dip string in paint, lay it on half a sheet of paper, fold the paper and pull the string out.
15. Paper plate masks. Cut eye holes and decorate. See paper plate crafts.
16. Straw rockets. Roll a paper tube around a pencil, tape one end closed, slide it onto a straw and blow.
17. Cardboard robot. Tape boxes together and add bottle-top buttons and foil.
18. Rainbow paper chain. Cut strips from old magazines or colored paper.
19. Coloring page bookmarks. Cut a long strip around a character and laminate it with sticky tape.
20. Homemade cards. Fold card in half and decorate with a greeting card design.

Crafts by age

Ages 2–3: sticking and gluing, bubble-wrap printing, button art (with big buttons and close supervision) and magazine tearing.

Ages 4–5: sock puppets, paper chains, binoculars and simple collages.

Ages 6–8: castles, robots, dioramas and puppet theatres.

Ages 9+: more complex builds with moving parts, detailed dioramas and stop-motion animation with cardboard characters.

Tips for stress-free crafting

• Set up first. Lay out everything before calling children over.
• Protect surfaces. An old shower curtain or newspaper makes clean-up easy.
• Use a tray. Keeps small items and glue contained.
• Let them lead. Offer materials and an idea, then step back.
• Keep wipes handy.
• Display their work. A craft shelf or a string with pegs shows you value what they make.

Learning through crafts

Crafts build fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, threading), planning, problem-solving, and creativity. Measuring and cutting practise early math, and making puppets or dioramas encourages storytelling. Our cutting practice worksheets are a good warm-up for younger children.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Doing it for them. Wonky is wonderful.
• Too many materials. Choose a few to avoid overwhelm.
• Hot glue for little hands. Use glue sticks, PVA glue or tape.

Frequently asked questions

What can kids make from a cereal box?

Puppet theatres, robots, castles, bookmarks, picture frames and jigsaw puzzles.

How do I store craft supplies?

Use a clear box with dividers or zip bags for small items. Keep scissors and glue in a separate grown-up box for younger children.

What if I don't have glue?

Tape works for most crafts, and a simple flour-and-water paste works well for paper.

A rainy-afternoon craft plan

1. Raid the craft stash and choose three materials.
2. Pick a challenge: make an animal, a vehicle or a building.
3. Set a timer for 30 minutes of making.
4. Decorate with paint, markers and stickers.
5. Show and tell: everyone explains what they made.
6. Tidy together before snack time.

Taking photos of finished projects means you don't have to keep everything forever.