Looking for fun ways to keep your kiddos entertained as the charm of summer vacation fades? Here at Klutz we’ve made it our mission to try something new this summer and we think your collection of craft supplies is the perfect place to start! So, we put our heads together to come up with cool, unexpected ways to use all the crafty stuff you’ve got lying around the house.
1. Ink outside the lines
Help your kids create a simple stencil by sketching and cutting out an amazing, one-of-a-kind design. Then, tape it to a piece of paper and have kids fill it in with tons of fabulous fingerprints. It’s all the carefree fun of finger painting with the polish of fine art!
2. Paint with tissue paper
Just add water! Kids can make tie-dye-like works of art by wetting a surface and sticking pieces of tissue paper to it. Let masterpieces dry before peeling the tissue off for jaw-droppingly vibrant color.
3. Bend beautiful bubble wands
Bring a little color to bubble blowing with homemade pipe cleaner wands. Ask your child to twist and curl pipe cleaners into super-cute shapes or wrap them around fun cookie cutters for more precise lines. Then, he or she can take those fantastically fuzzy creations outside and have a bubble party!
4. String a sweet treat
Transform pom-poms into cool ice cream cones kids can hang around the house! Cut the dividers out of egg cartons, paint them, and hot glue them to pom-pom scoops. Then, glue a cherry-red bead on top and string them together.
Is your child particularly fond of pom-poms? Check out Pom-Pom Puppies.
5. Stamp it up
Turn a few pieces of foam into hours of fun. Kids can doodle an array of nifty shapes on craft foam, cut them out, then glue them to bottle caps. If kids can draw it, they can stamp it!
6. Race toilet paper rolls
Finally, an action-packed way to make use of all those toilet paper rolls! Encourage kids to paint on some racing stripes, cut cardboard circles for wheels, then attach them using brads. After kids have decked out their racers with the necessary details, head for the starting line and get ready for the Hallway Grand Prix.
7. Cool off with funny fans
Beat the heat with a little something silly! See who can draw the goofiest guise then fold your paper faces into fans. If your kids want to dress their fans up, attach a clothespin to the bottom and wrap twine around it to create a fancy handle.
8. Grow flowers using office supplies
Turn pencils and duct tape into beautiful blossoms. Give your kids these directions. Fold strips of colorful tape to create petals then wrap them around and around the tip of a pencil until your flower is in full bloom. Once you’ve got plenty of petals, cover the rest of the pencil with green tape to give your flower a stem!
9. Make marbled masterpieces with shaving cream
Swirl something wonderful! With a few dollops of paint and some masterful mixing, shaving cream transforms into a colorful concoction. Kids can just press a piece of paper onto it, lay the paper flat, then scrape off the shaving cream with a ruler or craft stick. The mess will come off and reveal a marbled work of art!
10. Melt the rainbow
Give crayon stubs a chance to shine – all you need is a canvas, hot glue, and a hairdryer. Start out by having your child line up crayons at the top of the canvas and help him or her glue them down. Then, stand the canvas upright, point your hairdryer down (adults only!), turn it on, and let the melting begin! (Warning: melted crayons might be hot.)
Looking for more crafty projects to try this summer with the kids? Follow along the Klutz Facebook page for DIY how-tos and inspiration!
