I often do crafts with my boys as a way to spend quality time with them. I would like to start doing crafts with them more often, from very simple, easy and fast crafts, to more extensive and detailed crafts. My two older boys' ages are 6 and 3. I want to have a full, complete stock of the most used craft items for completing craft projects with kids their ages. Can you gals give me a general list of craft supplies that are always good to have on hand? I would really appreciate any ideas. And, if you have time, maybe a few easy craft ideas or website links. Thanks a bunch!

By Karen~moderator on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 07:49 am:

yarn
colored cotton balls
glue
buttons
colored pipe cleaners
sequins
fabric scraps
those styrofoam *peanuts* - BUT ONLY FOR KIDS OLD ENOUGH NOT TO PUT THEM IN THEIR MOUTHS
wrapping paper scraps

There was a thread on this somewhat recently, I will look for it.

By Yjja123 on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 08:17 am:

Here is a list of a few things in our craft bin:
Foam sheets
Glitter glue
Lace, trimming scraps
Paints
Stickers
Wood cut outs or foam cut outs (walmart has great buckets full of all different shapes)
Colored pencils
Beads
Yarn
Rope
Etc--
You are only limited by your childs age. Check out the craft aisles in the stores. You will see a ton of neat things. I check for clearance items and keep our bin stocked from that. After holidays you can get fun kits for very little $$
Have Fun!

By Vicki on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 08:23 am:

It was amazing to me what dd would do with construction paper, popsicle sticks, glue and googly eyes!

By Conni on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 08:24 am:

old magazines for cutting
old newspaper for covering your table before painting.
scissors
tape
glue
sticky tac (i use this to hang pics on the walls)
clothes pins
craft sticks
foam shapes
googly eyes
Conctruction paper
fingerpainting paper
Paints (all kinds)
Markers
crayons
Books of kids crafts
Feathers
Glitter
Modeling clay
Qtips

We have all our craft supplies in the hall closet upstairs. 2 large rubber maid boxes, smaller clear boxes, plastic baskets with handles (sat plastic cups in these full of markers, colored pencils, etc... easy to pick up and carry to the table)

Keep old margarine lids to pour paint in or glue in. Then dip the Qtips in the glue and put on you paper or whatever. Helps my 5 yo from making a mess with the glue. We have glue sticks-- but i dont care for them.

Thats all I can think of right now. NEed more coffee. ;)

By Kaye on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 08:36 am:

My favorite craft projext is salt dough. i don't have my recipe right here, but do a web search, basically it is like making cookies, then you paint them. I started doing this at least 2 times a year when my oldest was 2. You make the cookies, we did ghosts and pumpkins first. After they bake, she paints them, all orange or all white. then i added details with a sharpie. We have done flowers, christmas trees, etc. We use them for wreaths, magnets, tree decorations, etc.

So with that in mind, I have cookie cutters, those apple barrel paints, brushes, clear coat, shrinky dink material, markers, wooden ornaments to paint, magnets, googley eyes, and that floam paper in my craft tub.

By Reds9298 on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 09:58 am:

Everyone has covered so much and sorry if it's here somewhere and I missed it but...
alum. pie pans
paper plates
containers - like from yogurt, butter, anything like that (good for decorating and turning into 'something')
shaving cream or whip cream (great for 'writing' in, youc an use it on placemats or laminated construction paper) whip cream is easier clean up
rubber stamps
I'll keep thinking! Hope this helps.

By Reds9298 on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 09:59 am:

marbles
cheap smaller cookie sheets
You can put a piece of con. paper on the cookie sheet, squirt whatever paint you want, then put a few marbles on and start rolling them around. Creates a neat 'picture' and color mixing, too.

By Reds9298 on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 11:18 am:

Meat trays (from the grocery store) are also great for paints and making things out of. Ours around here are plastic and kind of deep. Lids from containers also make great templates and small paint trays.

By Kittycat_26 on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 11:37 am:

a bag of pom poms will come in handy.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 12:47 pm:

I'd be leary of the meat trays, due to bacteria.

By Marcia on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 04:40 pm:

If you ask at the grocery store, they would give you new meat trays. DH is a butcher, and he used to send tons of the daycare I worked at.

By Kym on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 06:17 pm:

Not sure if this was above but this is the rage at my house and my dd who babysits is taking these supplies w/ her on jobs
Colored Tissue Paper
Glue
Heavy paper (cardstock or construction paper)
pencil
You just rip up pieces of tissue paper and wrap it around the eraser side of pencil, put a dab of glue on it and creat pictures as you glue it on the heavy paper.
My dd babysat last night and they all made these mothers day card so cute!

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, May 7, 2005 - 08:52 am:

Marcia, I had no idea they would just *give* that stuff to you!!! In that case, those WOULD make great craft supplies.

By Jenn34 on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 11:20 am:

Go to childfun.com lots of great stuff

By Amy~moderator on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 09:34 pm:

Wow, thanks everyone! I'm going to print this out and start stocking up! Thanks for the craft ideas also. You gals are great.