Have your doodlebugs maxed out on all the usual crafts? Put down the pipe cleaners and glue sticks and reach for a new kind of supply. Some might even be lying around your house! Read on to see what to add to your art box and get ideas for how to use it.
Trace That Face with Plastic Boxes
Consider us sold on keeping those pesky plastic boxes around for a lot longer now that we’ve seen what sewing and crafty mom of IndieTutes has done. She turned them into an avant-garde photo frame by popping them over each of her family member’s head and tracing their faces onto each panel! You can also draw windows to turn them into dollhouses or car garages. Note: Supervise as your artist tackles the plastic with a Sharpie.
Photo: IndieTutes
Ships A’hoy with Wine Corks
Mom and her curious buccaneer will love collecting wine corks. These light brown stoppers have a multitude of uses: Make stamps, pseudo-LEGO peeps or a floating bathtub toy! You can create a solo ship from one cork or combine more for a bigger vessel to tackle the waves. Get the sailing directions from DIY expert Handmade Charlotte.
Photo: Handmade Charlotte
Softest Paint Ever with Dad’s Shaving Cream
Borrow some of pop’s shaving cream to make the fluffiest paints in the whole world. These bright colors will inspire your kids to tackle the canvas with their hands. Craft vlog Get Crafty Crafty teaches you how to easily make this new set of paints here.
Screenshot taken from Get Crafty Crafty
DIY Decal with Washi Tape
Washi tape is masking tape’s more hip and eco-friendly sister, who also gets bonus points for never leaving behind a sticky mess. Redecorate simple household items or follow renowned ceramic designer (loved by Oprah and IKEA) Nina van de Goor of Ninainvorm’s tip on her Etsy blog. Let your kiddo create their own washi tape decals. It’s one art we don’t mind on our walls.
Photo: Ninainvorm
Create Art To-Go with Foam Boxes
Don’t toss out those take-out boxes just yet! The squishy foam cover actually lends itself to becoming a really cool canvas for personalized stamps. All your tiny designer needs is a pencil and a paint roller. Remember to be quick (but steady) when transferring the painted image over — it could easily smudge. See an example of the step-by-step process here.
Photo: The Meta Picture
Less Watery Mess with Tempera Paint Sticks
Make these tempera paint sticks a staple in your craft box, stat. These solid sticks promise no water, no brushes and most importantly, no spills while maintaining that glossy painted look. All you have to do is twist off the cap and have an art attack with the paper. Get a set of 12 for $17.99 at Stubby Pencil Studio.
Photo: Stubby Pencil Studio
Perfect Baby Brushes with Q-tips
For young crafters who want to practice fine tuning their motor skills, Q-tips are a saving grace to little fingers. These tiny tools are great for creating baby-sized strokes (and minimizing paint splatters) and dots. Learn how to create a seven-layered brush for a perfect rainbow with kids’ craft blog Makes and Takes.
Photo: Makes and Takes
Make a Fortune with Cupcake Liners
Instead of letting those fancy crepe papers sit around the house until your next baking session, take a leaf from creative mama Megan of That’s What She Said and use the extras to make these adorable cupcake fortunes. Click here for the tutorial, and don’t forget to slip in a fortune before folding them over!
Photo: That’s What She Said
Fluff it Up with Foam Art Paint
If you’re a bit disappointed with how quickly shaving cream deflates, then you might want to consider foam paint. Creative blogger Jean from The Artful Parent experimented with her lil’ finger painters and discovered that foam paint actually has a 3D effect. Unfortunately, the shape doesn’t hold after it’s dried, but the colors do stay on the page! Click here to see more awesome photos from creative blog The Artful Parent. And get your foam paint at Discount School Supply for $7.29.
Photo: The Artful Parent
Draw Smudge Free with Yoobi Layering Markers
The Yoobi marker set comes in a pack of 8 but actually makes 16 colors because to their magical “step-2” magic marker. Draw over the base layer with the white marker to reveal a second lighter color! Your lil’ colorists will be so astonished that they won’t want to play with another drawing set for a long time. Check out cartooning and art supply blog Kid Sketches for pictorial examples of this product.
Photo: Kid Sketches
Metal Embossing with Disposable Cookie Sheets
We never thought cookie sheets could double as canvases, but crafty blogger Suzy of Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom has figured out a way to turn those silver papers into glossy tiles. Download her floral patterns for tracing here or let your doodler’s inner artist shine.
Photo: Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom
Drip, Swirl and Dip with Marbling Paint
Magic Marble Paint looks messy at first, but it’s really a magical well for transformation. This is your chance to make old toys seem new. Fill a large container with water and then shake paint in. Then have your eager wizards draw patterns before dunking any object of their choice into the mix. Every time you pull out, the results will surprise. Remember to wipe away any excess paint before removing the object or a second layer will form. Get a set of 6 for $39.99 at Peach Tree Global.
Video by Heather Munn
What other type of cool innovative craft supplies have you and your kids played around with? Let us know in the Comments!
— Christal Yuen
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