Thirty Plus Easy DIY Crafts for Kids

Looking for a fun, mess-free, and affordable way to keep your little ones entertained? We've all been there - that moment when your kid drops the dreaded "I'm boooored" bomb. Before you cave and hand over the iPad, try these super simple DIY crafts! Most use stuff you've already got lying around the house (hello, toilet paper rolls and egg cartons).

These projects aren't just about surviving rainy afternoons. When kids craft, they're building creativity, focus, and fine motor skills without even realizing it. Plus, they'll be so wrapped up in making monster cups or rock pets that they'll forget all about their favorite YouTube channel. Win-win!

Let’s dive into some screen-free fun your kids will actually enjoy.

Animal & Nature Crafts

1. Paper Plate Animals
   Got paper plates? You've got lions, owls or unicorns waiting to happen. Add colored paper, glue, markers, and googly eyes. Then let your child name and play with their new friend!

2. Leaf Art
   Take a quick walk around the block to gather leaves, then paint and press them onto paper to make beautiful prints—or turn them into butterflies and fish.

3. Egg Carton Critters
   Don't toss those egg cartons! Cut apart the cups, paint them green or brown, add googly eyes and pipe cleaner legs. Instant caterpillars and bugs that won't make you squirm.

4. Rock Painting
   Rocks + paint = endless possibilities. Pick smooth rocks from the yard and decorate them as ladybugs, smiley faces, or silly monsters. Hide them around the neighborhood for others to find!

5. Farm-Themed Balloon Animals
   Blow up balloons and draw cow spots, pig snouts, or chicken feathers. Attach paper ears or feet to create a mini farm animal crew.

Colorful Creations

6. Tissue Paper Collage
   Tear up tissue paper (the ripping part is half the fun), then glue the bits onto cut-out shapes. The overlapping colors create surprisingly beautiful results, even from 4-year-old hands.

7. Rainbow Pasta Necklaces
   Dye pasta with food coloring, let it dry, and thread it onto yarn to make bright necklaces or bracelets.

8. Salt Dough Ornaments
   Just mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, and ½ cup water. Shape, bake at 250°F for 2 hours, and paint. These salt dough handprints make the sweetest Christmas tree ornaments from when your kids were tiny.

9. Bubble Wrap Painting
   Finally, a reason not to pop all the bubble wrap! Press paint-covered bubble wrap onto paper for textured masterpieces. Kids will discover on their own that different pressure creates different patterns.

DIY Fashion & Accessories

10. Felt Flower Hair Ties
    Cut simple flower shapes from felt scraps and glue them onto plain hair elastics. The 'flower power ponytail' will turn out so cute that even friends will be inspired to come over and make their own!

11. Glow-in-the-Dark Flip-Flops
    Dollar store flip-flops + glow-in-the-dark paint = magical footwear. Kids love wearing them for nighttime backyard games all summer long.

12. Bead Bracelets
    Threading beads onto elastic string seems simple but teaches patience and coordination. A "superhero power bracelet" gift for the whole preschool class will be a hit!

13. Finger Knitting Projects
    No needles needed! Just fingers and yarn create scarves and headbands. Even a 7-year-old can easily learn from a YouTube video and start making Christmas gifts for everyone.

Pretend Play & Storytelling

14. Popsicle Stick Puppets
    After eating popsicles , save the sticks to make puppets with paper faces. Kids love putting on entire shows using the couch as their "theater."

15. Sock Puppets
    Transform old socks with buttons, yarn hair, and fabric scraps. Give them voices and personalities!

16. Sticker Storybooks
    Staple blank paper together, add stickers and drawings. A child can "write" their first book this way — like a story about a dragon who loves cookies, which will be "read" to every guest for weeks.

17. Toilet Roll Binoculars
    Two empty toilet paper rolls, tape, and string create the perfect exploration tool! Paint them camo green for "jungle safaris" around the backyard.

18. Popsicle Stick Monster
    Leftover craft sticks can become wacky monsters with pipe cleaner arms and googly eyes. These monsters might even develop names and personalities, doubling as bookmarks!

Upcycled & Recycled Fun

19. Paper Cup Monsters
    Transform ordinary cups with googly eyes, yarn hair, and paper teeth. These little monsters can be used to hold pencils, small toys, and sometimes even ice cream.

20. Milk Carton Birdhouse
    Save a milk carton, cut a hole, paint it, add a perch, and hang it outside. Kids will check it obsessively until a real bird finally moves in!

21. Paper Roll Rockets
    Cover toilet paper tubes with foil, add construction paper flames and cone tops. Add planet Earth stickers to the "control panel" inside for an out-of-this-world experience.

22. Cardboard Box Playhouse
    Big box + scissors + markers = instant fort, castle, or spaceship! Cut windows and doors and then decorate.

23. Tin Can Pencil Holder
    Clean a tin can, cover it with paper or fabric, and let kids decorate it for their desk supplies. A unicorn-themed pencil holder can last for years on a desk.

 DIY Decor & Keepsakes

24. DIY Bookmarks
    Cut cardstock into strips, then decorate with stickers, ribbons, or drawings to mark your place in a book. A Batman-themed bookmark might just get a child interested in reading!

25. Bedroom Door Sign
    Create a custom door sign with cardstock and markers. Add ribbon to hang and change the message anytime- from "Princess Castle" to "Secret Lab" to "Please Knock" when they need some space.

26. Suncatchers
    Cut shapes in contact paper, fill with tissue paper bits or crayon shavings, and hang in the window for sunny art. The sunlight shining through them creates rainbow patterns on the floor, making for a perfect dancing spot.

Sensory & Musical Crafts

27. DIY Slime
    The ultimate kid-pleaser! Mix 4oz glue, ½ tsp baking soda, and 1 tbsp contact solution. Add food coloring or glitter for an extra fun touch, but be warned: it might end up in carpet fibers somewhere.

28. Handprint Art
    Paint little palms and press them onto paper to transform prints into animals or flowers. These handprint artworks make for emotional keepsakes over the years.

29. DIY Hand Drum
    Use paper plates, string, and beads to create a drum you can shake—and decorate it with washi tape or yarn. Add bottle cap "cymbals" for a complete one-kid band experience.

30. Dinosaur Eggs
    Combine baking soda and water to make egg shapes, dye them, then hide tiny dinos inside. The "excavation" involves dropper bottles of vinegar that fizz and reveal the surprise — a fun way to combine science and play!

 Bonus: Holiday & Seasonal Crafts

31. Branch Spider Web Wreath
    Collect sticks into a circle shape, secure with yarn, and weave more yarn across to create a spider web. Add plastic spiders for Halloween door decor that kids can help make.

32. Painted Garden Stones
    Paint stones with vegetable names and use them as garden markers. The carrots grow, the stones stay colorful, and kids learn where food comes from!

Need More Ideas?

When craft supplies run low or attention spans run out, we have plenty of other ways to keep little hands busy. Check out our specially curated categories:

• Arts & Crafts Supplies: Stock up on paints, stamps, stickers, and more to fuel endless creativity.

• Teaching Supplies: From flashcards to workbooks, find tools that make learning letters, numbers, and shapes fun.

• Caring Toys: Encourage empathy and nurturing with dolls, stuffed animals, and pretend play doctor kits.

• Learning Toys: Boost STEM skills and problem-solving with puzzles, building sets, and interactive games.

Ready to take playtime—and learning—to the next level? Explore Our Collection now!