Cheap Arts and Crafts ideas for Adults

Next time it's raining outside or it is a school holiday and you need something quick to do with the kids try a craft idea from this list. We have not provided step by step instructions for these simple projects as this is a "Quick list".

What you need

Various items

Instructions

Below is a list of quick kids craft ideas that were contributed by some of our members to help invoke some imagination. If you need help with a project try searching our kids craft area for step by step instructions for that project.

Quick and inexpensive? – Definitely the egg carton caterpillar. You only need egg cartons, pipe cleaners and paint. Another one is Chinese Lanterns, you only need colored cardboard, scissors and some string to hang them up.

By Anne

Beach Collage – We collect all sorts of things from the beach – shells/feathers/coral etc. and make beach pictures.

By Kim Felt

Puppets – Making hand puppets out of felt, no sew, all done with glue, very easy project for kids.

By Marilynne Collage

I use ribbons, rice and other tactile material as well as pictures. Add glitter to glue so you can see something where the little ones miss sticking something on.

By Sharmaine Kids

Jewelry – I think it is fun for kids to make jewelry with beads and ornaments with beads, they love it and it keeps them entertained.

By Tammy

Fun foam door hangers – Pre cut out shapes that even young children can make, takes about 5 to 10 minutes max and their finished.

By Shannon

Laminated Place mats – Cut out pictures from Sunday paper (what ever theme is of interest to my toddler at the time). Make up a batch of finger paint. Allow him to create a collage with finger paint, cut out images. Finally, laminate artwork and you have a custom place mat.

By Deborah

– A fun activity for kids is to make salt dough – lots of things can be made from salt dough and it is so easy and cheap and it is easily painted! A good idea is brooches!

By Alison

Family Portraits – Take an old newspaper, sheets of card, some glue and some child safe scissors. Ask the children to look through the paper and cut out pictures to glue on the card to create a picture of their family.

By Rosie

Binoculars – Take two toilet paper empty rolls and staple inside each end stapling them together to look like binoculars. The child can decorate them with crayons or paints or stickers and you can even add a string around them so they are just like dads! My 5 year old insists she saw a fox through her binocular.

By Cindi

Sewing – Children love to sew using plastic canvas. Embroidery thread or wool can be tied to a large needle and random patterns can be created.

By Jackie

Photo Frames – Find your favorite photo or even a picture in a magazine cut it out and make a frame in the shape you want out of cardboard. Cover this by gluing material over it and a bit of lace around the edges. Insert your picture and you have an instant photo frame and also a cute gift.

By Sue

Foot Prints – Wide roll of paper on the ground and ice cream lids with paint let the child do foot print hand print what ever prints. Cut the paper once dry and use it for gift wrap.

By Leighanne

Drinking Straws Garland – Save all your drink straws in many colors and cut into small pieces. Thread onto wool which makes a great garland for the Christmas tree. It is inexpensive but colorful.

By Marina

Make a wizzer – Take a 2 hole button and some string. Thread the string through the hole and again through the hole in the other direction. Tie the ends together, wind up, and move hands in and out and it makes a wizzy sound and is fun.

By Katrina

Painting flowerpots – Washable paints (of course) so the kids can use their fingers, toes, etc.

By Dawn

Fun Foam Clock – My kids love playing with Fun Foam, so to teach them to tell time, we made a clock out of fun Foam around the numbers they glued shapes and cars. This was a fun and easy project to do.

By Alena

– Have the children lay down on a long piece of construction paper and you trace their bodies. After this is finished let the kids color and draw on the paper what they think they look like. I do this with my day care kids and they love it.

By Cynthia

Food Animals – With small children make “bugs” from gumdrops and pretzels. – Buy fat gumdrops – slit the middles – stuff in pretzels (small ones) for wings!

By D Kinkhead

Clay Figures – Let them make their own little men/ dolls (action_figurines) out of clay.

By Brett

– Let the kids make coupons for gift giving eg. Helping mum around house, being good for 3 hours etc.

• Easy Arts and Crafts for Adults
• Arts & Crafts ideas for Adults
• Arts and Crafts ideas for Adults