Creating things with your own hands is something that both children and adults enjoy doing. This activity can relax you or make you have fun with your children, as well as providing a feeling of satisfaction. Besides, you do not need to buy many materials, since you can create great pieces of craftsmanship with things you have at home.
In this article you will find a list of different crafts, both for children and for decorating your house. If you want to make an original gift or an activity with your children, here you can find some ideas.
Types of crafts to do at home
It has been shown that crafts improve your skills, help you have a keen mind, adopt a more positive attitude and feel more relaxed. Moreover, if these activities are carried out in workshops or groups, it helps you to socialise.
Different types of crafts can be created according to their future purpose. For example, crafts can be made to be given as presents to that special someone or to decorate your house.
There are different types of crafts which can become original gifts, ornaments or useful items. For example, you can use textile materials, and work with threads, fabrics and scraps.
Crafts can also be made with paper, which is a very common activity for children, who can create funny crafts to be offered as gifts.
The decorative crafts range from furniture manufacturing to the creation of small pieces of craftsmanship to decorate the house.
Finally, there are also fashion crafts, which can be used as accessories, such as jewellery, hats, belts, shoes, etc.
Crafts for kids
Arts and crafts projects are one of the activities that kids enjoy the most. Children love creating things with their hands and there are countless materials at home that can be used to make easy crafts for children.
Moreover, this type of crafts is one of the best gifts that can be offered to your family and friends. Next, you can find a list of simple crafts for children according to the materials that can easily be found at home.
1. Paper crafts for kids
Some of the easiest crafts to do are those using poster board. At home, you probably have some coloured poster board offcuts left from some school activity.
Using just some pieces of poster board, you can create a wide variety of original and easy crafts for kids. Next, you can find some of them, which can be made at home:
Ice cream for children’s party
Using several pieces of coloured poster board, you can decorate a children’s party with a garland of ice cream. To make this craft, you need ice cream sticks, string and coloured poster board.
At the top of the sticks, glue the coloured poster board, which has previously been shaped as an ice cream of different flavours. Finally, hang them on a string and so, you will have made a garland of ice cream.
Christmas tree
This is one of the many Christmas crafts that can be made with poster board: a nice multicoloured Christmas tree. For it, you only need brown craft paper for the trunk and coloured poster board for the leaves.
For this Christmas tree, you have to shape the brown craft paper into a cone. Then, you decorate the coloured poster board with different prints and cut them into small pieces that will have to be glued all over the cone.
2. Toilet paper roll crafts for kids
The rolls of toilet or kitchen paper are some of the most used materials to make crafts for children. Besides, everyone has this at home, so it is easy to set some aside in order to use them for crafts such as the following:
Owls
Using toilet paper rolls, you can make funny owls. For this, you need toilet paper rolls and coloured cardboard. Start by folding one of the edges of the paper roll to form the ears. Then, paint the toilet paper roll with tempera paint of any colour that you like. Using cardboard, make the eyes and the feathers and glue them to the toilet paper roll.
Snakes
Another animal that can be shaped out of toilet paper rolls are snakes. First, paint the toilet paper rolls with tempera paint and let them dry. Then, cut the toilet paper roll as if you were cutting an apple, forming a spiral. Finally, decorate the snake with dots and glue the eyes and the tongue.
3. Cardboard crafts for kids
One of the top materials used for easy crafts is cardboard. Also, it is easy to find and, most likely, you have it at home (for example, shoeboxes, cereal boxes, egg containers, etc.).
Here you can find some original crafts using cardboard that you can make in an easy and enjoyable way with children:
Guitar
In order to make this original craft, you need a cereal box, paper rolls and string. First, cut a circle in the central part of the cereal box. Then, glue 5 strings. Using tape, fix the paper roll at the top of the box. Finally, tie a thicker string at the ends of the box so that the children can hang the cardboard guitar.
Magic cardboard wand
This craft for kids is very easy to do. You just need a stick, cardboard, sand and shells. First, cut the cardboard into a star shape. Then, apply glue all over the star, sprinkle it with sand and let it dry. Afterwards, glue the shells and other ornaments. Finally, put some glue at the end of the stick and insert it through the cardboard’s fluted middle.
Decoration crafts
If you feel like decorating, you can make some decoration crafts to give a new and appealing touch to your house. You can use simple materials that you have around to make these crafts at home.
Next, you can find a list of easy decoration crafts that will bring a new look to your home decoration.
1. Tape mural
This craft is very easy and can be useful if you have a blank wall barely decorated. The idea is to make a drawing on the wall using coloured tape. To do this, first, draw the image you want to do with a pencil and then paste the tape to reproduce the image. You can create countless designs, which will give a stylish touch to your home.
2. Decorative coasters
Coasters are used to protect the furniture and also as a decoration element. You can create nice coasters with some pieces of ceramic or tile and pad them with découpage, creating the style you like. You can shape them the way you want and even glue a few of them together to make a bigger coaster.
3. Wine cork flowerpots
This home-made craft is made by lining a container with wine corks. Thus, you will be able to make an elegant flowerpot. To do this, you just have to glue the wine corks around the container that you want to use as a flowerpot. It is important to use a strong glue so that the corks do not come unstuck. You can make larger or smaller flowerpots depending on the size of the container.
Spring crafts
Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year and we love to decorate our home with ornaments and spring crafts. They are usually quite flowery and show spring patterns. Here you can find useful and simple home-made crafts, which can be used to decorate your home according to the different seasons.
1. Birdhouse
They have been fashionable for some time and are still a spring sensation. The birdhouses are ideal to decorate any corner of your house or garden. You can choose among various materials, such as wood, cardboard, Eva rubber or recycled materials such as a carton package.
If you want to use the latter, you just have to paint the carton package, cut the central part so that the birds can enter, glue a few twigs on the top and another twig at the bottom, as a base on which the birds can stand. Finally, attach a string at the top of the carton package in order to hang it. Inside, you can put some birdseed.
2. Flower wall
With this original craft you will be able to decorate any wall of your house, giving it a very floral touch. To do this, you have to attach plastic flowers to strings that hang from a branch, or you can also bind them together by the stem and then glue them to the wall. If you want to change its place, the first option is easier to move from one place to another.
3. Cactus
Another simple spring craft is to make a cactus with stones. This craft is very easy to do, since you just have to paint the stones with any green shades you like and decorate them with white paint. Once the paint has dried, fill a flowerpot with small stones and place the big ones which you have painted on top, as if it were a cactus.
References:
García Gómez, J., García Pérez-Muelas, M., Hortelano Marín, M., Velasco, M., Encarna, M., & Milanés García, J. Taller de manualidades.
Guerrero Sánchez, Y. (2012). Manualidades Creativas.
Mütschele, M. S. (1996). Talleres pedagógicos: arte y magia de las manualidades infantiles (Vol. 32). Narcea Ediciones.