crafts?

[tabegle]

I think I need to pull together crafts for my kids (3.5 D's and 5 dd) to have available. What do you stock? How do you not break the bank? How do you keep the kids from using everything up in one sitting? Any and all advice welcome (including what household items to hold onto like used to rolls). Thanks!

[mikala]

Check out the artful parent site. She has lists of supplies and great ideas. I think I learned about the blog here.


http://artfulparent.com/2014/01/kids-art-on-a-budget.html

http://artfulparent.com/2014/01/our-25-favorite-kids-art-materials.html

[wifecat]

Check out the artful parent site. She has lists of supplies and great ideas. I think I learned about the blog here.


http://artfulparent.com/2014/01/kids-art-on-a-budget.html

http://artfulparent.com/2014/01/our-25-favorite-kids-art-materials.html

I LOVE the Artful Parent website! Some of our favorite materials came from ideas from there. We have Colorations Paint and Water Color Paint, spill proof paint cups and chunky brushes, thick watercolor paper, and thick drawing paper from Discount School Supply. I think I bought pom poms, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, feathers, and stick-on rhinestones from there, too. Other supplies we have include construction paper, tissue paper, contact paper, bottles of glue and glue sticks, paint brushes and paint rollers, stamps and stamp pads, foam stickers, glitter, shaving cream, colored and plain craft sticks of different sizes, Do-A-Dot markers, thick and thin markers, colored pencils, crayons, window markers, beeswax crayons, and our favorite supply, Crayola Slick Stix.

I only put out a certain amount of each supply at a time, and I don't make everything available at once. At first, they might over-use, but if they see stuff get replaced (they used all the pom poms, but sure enough, next time there are still pom poms!) they become more careful in their choices. I also limit paint choices. While we own the rainbow, I only put out 4 colors at a time. I used to only put out 2. We do more stuff that is process oriented than product oriented. Like I just put out different supplies and let them go to town experiencing those materials. Sometimes we have a specific project in mind, but even still, I try to emphasize process.

As for household items, we hang onto small boxes, paper towel rolls, small interesting containers that maybe we'll paint or build with, corn-starch packing peanuts (SO fun to build with - just add water and they stick together), bubble wrap (cool to paint on and then print onto other paper), and my favorite, the brown packing paper that comes in boxes from amazon. We spread it out, flatten it, and then we have long lengths of paper for murals or whatever.

Good luck and have fun!

PS - As for not breaking the bank, we have added over time and we make use of a lot of 40-50% off coupons or sales at Michael's and JoAnn's. Some of the bulk items we bought through Discount School Supply have last a LONG time, too!

[twowhat?]

Every time I go to Target I scour the craft section for clearance stuff. I've gotten lots of Kid Made Modern crafts and other stuff there for just a few dollars. Yes to not putting it all out at once! That also really decreases the novelty. Ideally I'd put out some paper and a set of markers one day, then put it away and then the next day a different set of markers (YES - different sets of markers = "different and fun" every time!). Same with crayons. Regular crayons one day, twistables the next. Fat colored pencils one day, thin ones the next, etc. Even different water color sets. Crayola one day, then the IKEA one another day. Every time it's even a little different, it's unique and fun.

I really don't supervise a whole lot unless it's a craft kit and they need help. With things like crayons, markers, paints - I just set out something with paper and let them at it (but my kids have always been really good with the "craft supplies don't leave the table" rules...I fully get that this doesn't work well with a lot of kids!)

When they were younger, magazines and kids scissors were always a hit, with a couple different containers to put "clippings" in - they could spend a good chunk of time on that! A box and some markers provides a good amount of entertainment. Other unique drawing surfaces (like cardboard that you find from clothing packages, toilet paper rolls, brown paper bags, post-it notes, etc - those provide good amounts of entertainment. I always check the stationery section at Target for clearance little notebooks, etc for "unique drawing surfaces". I often find stuff I can stash in my purse with a few twistables to keep the girls entertained at restaurants. Cut up sponges to dip in watercolors and "stamp"are tons of fun. Stamps are tons of fun too (get the washable ink pads). Play doh too of course. Oh and I also scour Target office supply for clearance and buy cool pens whenever I can find them for really cheap, different colors, metallics, glittery pens, etc. That stuff along with a little notepad is golden when you're in a situation like restaurants where you have to wait.

So really I'm kind of cheap on art supplies:) I don't stock a lot of expensive stuff but I try to think outside the box in terms of things like unique drawing surfaces and just various office supplies. A lot of this works for me since mine are older....not sure I'd be buying metallic pens for a toddler:) But for my kids (5yos) it's great. Beads are also great entertainment for the "no longer a choking hazard" crowd.

Mine also tend to get a TON of M&D craft kits for their bday which I'm actually getting tired of...I don't have a problem easily recycling forgotten artwork...but it's harder to throw away a wooden mirror, for example. So we're starting to get overrun by that stuff.

[ang79]

My girls are 5 and 7 and love to do crafts. I have an organizer w/ markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, stickers, and scissors sitting where they can reach it and colored construction paper, coloring books, stencils, foam stickers and sheets in bins on a bookshelf. They know that art stuff has to stay at the kitchen table and that they have to clean it up and put things away when they are done. They are pretty good with those 2 rules. A lot of the supplies came from the dollar tree (my store has a small art supply section). Or I find thing on clearance at target. I try to stock up on stickers and things when they make the dollar spot down. We also have do-a-dot markers, M&D stamps, Alex craft kits, beads, water color paints, tempera paint, glitter, etc. I try to supervise the messy stuff as my youngest is a bit klutzy.

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[Melaine]

My kids love art. I just saw Michaels has the foam paint brushes 14 for $1 this week plus the small paints for .34 cent each. We have also been picking up boxes from sam's and they use them to create stuff for their AG dolls. other than that, we pretty much collect clearance supplies. There is always fun stuff marked down at craft stores. My kids have had funs with old fashioned clothes pins, pop sticks, little boxes. We also recently did some modge podge coasters with leftover tiles, super easy and they turned out nice.