29 Super Cool, Surprisingly Easy Craft Ideas For Kids

The truth is, with a lot of children’s craft, it can be pretty awful. Not awful in a cute way. Awful because it’s either too complicated, time-consuming or expensive.

And awful because what you see is not what you get when you and your own kids have a go.

Because it’s tricky to get the balance right, we’ve put together some surprisingly easy craft ideas for kids that are also very, very cool.

Go forth and craft!

Play toys

What’s better than a craft activity? A craft activity that becomes a toy! Once complete, your kids can play with these ingenius creations.

Popsicle snakes, tin can robots, wooden gnomes and binoculars will fill hours of fun. The marionette and sock puppets will return to be played with time and time again. The sponge boat will become a permanent fixture at bath time.

1. Articulated Snakes

From Kids Craft Room.

2. Crazy Robots

From Fun at Home with Kids.

3. Colourful Gnomes

From One Hundred Dollars a Month.

4. Sponge Boat

From Handmade Charlotte.

5. Binoculars

From Powerful Mothering.

6. Animal Marionettes

From Art Bar Blog.

7. Sock Puppet

From Kids Craft Room.

Practical beauty

While art for art’s sake is totally acceptable (see section below), it’s always a treat for the kids to create something they can make use of down the track.

The bookmark is a great one for the older kids or for kids looking to DIY a gift for a friend or family member. The animal plates and bowls are so fun and colourful, they’ll be very hard to let go of.

And in terms of beautiful, practical things, the galaxy jar (excuse the pun!) is out of this world.

8. Paper Plate Animals

From First Palette.

9. Perler Bead Bowls

From Happiness is Homemade.

10. Watercolour Bookmark

From Happy Hooligans.

11. Galaxy Jars

From Mom Dot.

Reusable designs

Some recycled crafts can end up looking pretty crummy, but these activities make great use of materials: buttons, egg cartons and cassette tapes.

#13 is great for the little ones while #12 and #14 will delight older kids.

12. Button Tree

From Simply Designing.

13. Egg Carton Caterpillars

From Creative Green Living.

14. Cassette Animals

From Handmade Charlotte.

Ornamental

Get your kids passionate about decorative arts and they’ll be house proud before you know it.

Hop online and, together, you can use an easy tool to DIY a canvas collage. Discover endless photo collage ideas to brighten your heart and home.

Other indoor ideas include a yarn vase, a jellyfish mobile, a dreamcatcher, cotton wool trees and a wire sculpture.

For the outdoors, they’re in for a treat with innovative craft butterflies and flowers – or you can light up the night with a fabulous firefly.

15. Photo Collage

From Canvas Factory.

16. Yarn Vase

From Kids Craftroom.

17. Butterfly Craft

From Kids Craftroom.

18. Egg Carton Jellyfish

From All Free Kids Craft.

19. Wind Spirals

From Diana Rambles.

20. Dream Catchers

From ArtBar Blog.

21. Fireflies

From Apartment Therapy.

22. Cotton Wool Trees

From Lets do Something Crafty.

23. Wire Sculpture

From Babble Dabble Do.

Wearable art

Often craft jewellery is made then shoved in a drawer somewhere, never to be seen again. These two easy, affordable options will continue to make an appearance long after the activity is over.

Anyone know the time limit for dry pasta jewellery?

24. Pasta Necklace

From CBC Parents.

25. Glitter Bracelets

From Babble Dabble Do.

For Art’s Sake

Remember it’s perfectly OK to simply craft for craft’s sake. These activities are all gorgeously spectacular pure art.

Featuring lots and lots of colour, it’s time to create a rainbow collage, paint rocks, design some clever stained glass and magic up some fireworks.

Enjoy.

26. Rainbow Collage

From Danya Banya.

27. Monster Rocks

From Makoodle.

28. Stained Glass

From Powerful Mothering.

29. Fireworks Painting

From Danya Banya.