Creative people - I need help
 

My grandkids all like arts and crafts. They prefer to have 'stuff' to do with as their creative minds dictate. So, for Christmas, I want to give them a big box of 'stuff'. I'll include the standard paper, tape, paint, markers, feathers, and the other items found in the craft aisle at Joanns or Michaels. I'm looking for other fun things. I'm thinking about coffee filters, cupcake papers, tongue depressors, etc.

Any ideas? What can I include that would not be considered a craft item, but that a creative child would enjoy. These children range in age from 4 to 10 years.

Thanks!!

Styrofoam cups, paper plates, pom poms, empty frosting cans, dowel rods, wooden cut outs in assorted shapes, fun foam, felt sheets, sequins, glitter glue, pony beads, Perler beads, empty spools and cones, fabric scraps, magnet sheets, Shrinky Dink sheets, yarn, wired ribbon, pine cones, smooth rocks, toilet paper and or paper towel tubes, small milk or juice cartons, stencils, cookie cutters, sponges, rubber stamps

Print outs of simple instructions for assorted crafts or pictures of projects to get their mind going. My craft dresser includes all of the above and more. It started with a Girl Scout troop I lead for years and has been passed down to the grandkids.

How about string, yarn, aquarium gravel (comes in many colors) , beads, glue, buttons, poker chips, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, roll of twist-tie wire, egg cartons, rolls of gauze, magnets, tops from aerosol cans, spools from ribbon, ruined or advertising CD's, cotton balls. Don't forget the glitter! The supply that keeps on giving! That is about all I can remember from doing crafts with my kids when they were young.

My Great Grandkids loved legos. Their mind built all kinds of stuff.

Well this is a crafty item, but don't forget googly eyes!! :D

My daughter says milk jugs and water bottles, phone books, toilet paper/paper towel rolls, little jars from spices. <style id="__gCrWeb.findInPageStyle" type="text/css">.find_in_page{background-color:#ffff00 !important;padding:0px;margin:0px;overflow:visible !important;}.findysel{background-color:#ff9632 !important;padding:0px;margin:0px;overflow:visible !important;}</style>

What a great idea. How about bamboo skewers, pieces of batting and fabric, plastic canvas

tounge depressors, empty tic tac boxes, altoids cans, crystal light containers.
fimo clays and push mold for kids are great. they also have eraser clay for kids.

Plastic canvas and pony beads make nice wind catchers. my son did those for
everyone on his holiday list when he was 7

plain t shirts, my kids like to decorate them.

Are you on Pinterest? You'll find lots of ideas for kids' crafts there.

Pipe cleaners. You can get them in all colors, even sparkly ones. Also beads.

How about a plastic tablecloth for their art table (especially if it ends up being the dining room table, LOL). I had several over the years as the kids were growing up. I had artsy kids also. :)

Wow all great ideas I'll just put in another vote for pipe cleaners when my kids were young they were always included in thier travel bag they loved making things with them.

[QUOTE=quilt1950;6910593]My grandkids all like arts and crafts. They prefer to have 'stuff' to do with as their creative minds dictate. So, for Christmas, I want to give them a big box of 'stuff'. I'll include the standard paper, tape, paint, markers, feathers, and the other items found in the craft aisle at Joanns or Michaels. I'm looking for other fun things. I'm thinking about coffee filters, cupcake papers, tongue depressors, etc.
Any ideas? What can I include that would not be considered a craft item, but that a creative child would enjoy. These children range in age from 4 to 10 years.


I HAVE SEEN BOOKS FOR CRAFTS AND SOME OF THEM ARE FOR THE MUCH YOUNGER AGE GROUP. THAT WAY, THEY CAN GET IDEAS TO START AND ADD THEIR OWN IMAGINATIVE THOUGHTS TO THEIR PROJECTS.

I actually give my grands a safe scissor, gluestick , paper & my tiny fabric scraps! They make great pictures with them. They find good 'rocks' outside & love to paint them. I also have all kinds of beads, they enjoy making jewelry for themselves or for relatives & friends.

Old keys (wind chimes, collages). Did anyone mention good watercolor markers or watercolor pencils? And watercolor paper with a couple of nice brushes? Don't go cheap on those...can't expect quality work with inferior tools! Have fun!

thread spools

buttons, glue, glitter glue, safety scissors, modeling clay

I would include embroidery floss and the sissors that cut different patterns for card making and stickers for the littler ones to use.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm making a list.

I did that for my creative granddaughter a few years ago. She loved it. I included a lot of what you all have already suggested. She found a way to use most of it. On my visits, I would bring her other tidbits I would come across. Then one year I made her a "design board" which was foam board covered in pink flannel and a safe scissor and a bunch of fabric that I cut into small pieces and left some larger pieces. She also loved that. And her first lesson was "don't use these scissors on paper!"

When my kids were young, they made things with clothespins, could probably google it or find ideas on pinterest.

Wooden cloths pens, they come in many sizes. Pop cycle sticks, rick rack, aluminum foil, magnets. You can get the magnets in a roll to cut the size you want or just small round ones. Creamer cups you get in a cafe. Different size jingle bells. Just to add to what others have said since these haven't been mentioned yet.

Egg cartons and Christmas garland. (Cut and glue the egg carton into the shape of a Christmas tree and glue garland into the rows created. Put a string on top for hanging.) Pipe cleaners and beads for making wreaths. I must have 100 of these on my tree all handmade by my children.
Spools from thread, washable paints (use the egg cartons for paint) and brushes, school glue.
Fancy scissors with pinked edges or scalloped edges for cutting designs.

Stickers, lace, ribbon, heavy plastic jar lids - for tracing or holding paint, old parts from games, dried beans, rice, cinnamon sticks, alphabet macaroni - or any kind of pasta, bingo markers - great for making dots but can also be using for drawing, Q-tips, fabric squares, old shirt or apron to be worn during messy projects, painter's tape - easy for little hands to tear.

Check out your local $ Store(s) and resale shops. I find amazing things there!

Older children would probably enjoy searching for craft projects online.

Here is my favorite link for children's craft projects: http://www.thecraftycrow.net/

I have made pictures with contact paper and scraps of fabric,rick rac,sequins etc. with my grandson. Clear or white work well. If clear they could make place mats.

I was thinking about balloons and I found this site with some stuff to make with balloons.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/unexpe...lloons#3gi2njx

freezer paper - draw shapes, iron on to felt, cut out - can be used to decorate anything

I always bought those small wooden bird houses (about $1.00 each) - kids love to decorate them and then hang them inside or outside.

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I did that once. My daughter would liked to have killed me. She does not do crafts ever. So from there on I found a drawer unit and I keep throwing junk in there and when they come over they can raid and play. Their favorite is to make flower fairies.
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They spent the night and then decorated sewing machine.
To do the fairies you can take the flowers apart, put a bead on a pipe cleaner for a head, then you can string the flower on to the pipe cleaner. Pipe cleaners hanging down for legs. You can use another pipe cleaner for arms. I got a huge bag of flowers at the thrift store for not very much - hours of entertainment.

how about some beads and buttons get plai note cards for them .can make their own cards

My youngest son loved molding things with different types of clay and playdough. Very tactile

My son loved to use real clay and a hammer on an anvil and pretend he was a blacksmith. Oh and he had tongs to hold on to the clay. When he got the chance he used a forge and iron - he made a pair of tongs right away. The black smith couldn't figure out how he had done it so easily and by himself. He'd practiced all winter sitting on the floor. He must have been 9 years old. Someone had told him the clay was just like hot metal. It must have been. One time someone asked him to demonstrate how to do blacksmithing inside a school so he took his anvil and some tools and clay. The kids loved it. When the big kids came to do it he shook their hands. Did I mention he has a real good grip? Well they wiped the laughter off their faces and they tried blacksmithing, too. No pranks there. Some of the better blacksmiths practice in clay before they do something intricate.

Good idea and how about a special crafting apron, with lots of pockets and their name on it.

I think a copy of the book Rosie Revere Engineer would be a great addition. My four year old daughter loves it.

Rolls of brown mailing paper. Kids can paint on this of use for and many other ideas. We had the kids roll cars and trucks through plates of acrylic paint, then onto paper, also kitchen tools and stamped on the paper. Can be cut up for murals, of book covers even for wrapping paper. Kept them going for hours.

You could get them their own tool box to put their special tools in. Or their own special backpacks to put their supplies into.

Don't forget shaped pasta for jewelry and most definitely stickers.

One of the best items I've purchased, (since sliced bread) for my 'grandones' is called SANDS ALIVE. I got a 5# box for $32+. It is absolutely the neatest stuff. It's not actually sand. It's really neat feeling. http://www.amazon.com/Play-Visions-S...ds=living+sand

I had to keep the GK's for several days earlier in Summer and wanted something to occupy them (so I cud sew..lol) I set up my old card table, and it's so old I covered it w/white contact paper, that way cud take it off when done. Seriously, they played for hrs and hrs. I gave them some old jello molds & plastic cups and the ideas were endless.

It's not for carpet, but on reg flooring it's sweepable. It doesn't stick to them, or fabric or floor, can pick up bigger pcs, but I just sweep up the little pcs. Trying to keep it all on the table is kinda hard, ya kno kids..lolo In all the time they've played with it, I might have lost less than a 1/4 cup, so not bad.. It never hardens, or spoils. I keep it in a big Tupperware cereal keeper..haha..

I hope this gives you an idea.. Have fun..
Jean

Paper, paint, glue, crayons to scribble and then paint over, stickers, pasta can be glued to a favorite old shoe then put foil inside, dirt, and a plant. Beads to glue on something for a Christmas ornament. Plastic straws that can be used and cut in different little sizes.

Oh I thought of another one, paper doilies, those were one of my favorite things to create with when I was little.