Craft closet

[Michele]

I'm on an organizing kick since we moved. In sorting through my kid craft stuff I realized I have 30 coloring books, a ton of crayons, some stickers and not much else!

We used to frequent Target and I'd get the mini-projects with the foam stickers. We don't shop at Target regularly anymore.

So now I need some new ideas! I've been "pinning" but I'm overwhelmed at all the "basics" that I don't have.

What crafts do you do with the under 5 set? What supplies do you keep on hand?

[BonBon]

I try not to use the foam sticker stuff anymore just because it's not recycleable. I bought the kids an easel that also has a dry-erase and a chalkboard, and picked up a huge roll of butcher paper at Sam's to use with it. We have smocks that the kids wear, and at Michaels we got a bunch of those big bottles of washable paint. I try to keep little gladware cups filled with paint with caps to lessen my workload a little bit. We also traipse through the woods and pick up interesting tidbits to make stuff out of. Tons of construction paper (I buy the big packs at Hobby Lobby of the most popular colors) with the fun shaped scissors.

For particular crafts I usually google for a particular season. Usually they just do whatever they feel like making. Like last night Gavin wore a surgical cap (helmet) and had a bubble wand sword, and made himself a paper shield and a suit of armor. LOL. I love crafts but I try to stand back and let them do their thing, otherwise I start taking over. *blush*

[TigerLily]

I got A an awesome easel at IKEA for 15 bucks and I thinking soon I'll get her some paints with squeeze brushes. We've done water colors which was pretty fun. Sometimes I let her pick pictures that she likes from magazines and make a collage with them. ummmm sponge paintings? I guess it depends on how much of a mess you want to clean up! Little fuzzy balls and pipe cleaners can make some neat stuff.


that is a totally unorganized reply.

What I really want to know is HOW do you pin things? I can't figure it out and I want to. I've set aside time when DH is on call to try it, and I can not figure it out.

[MrsK]

Mine is 19 mos do we are mostly trying to master crayons and megabloks. But I keep construction paper, washable markers, washable glue sticks, tissue paper, stamps and ink pads, stickers, ribbon, and popcicle sticks on hand. Also, don't forget dried beans, macarroni, glue, and paper plates.

[DCJenn]

The easel w/ the chalkboard/dry erase board was a huge hit for a LONG time. Now he loves to draw w/ crayons, magic markers and colored pencils. I bought him a desk blotter that has removable paper sheets. I found a package of tracing paper that he had fun w/ but it wasn't until this year that he really 'got it.'

We don't have a playroom or anything so I do all I can to avoid messes so no paints or stuff like that. (Everything is in his room)

J.

[SuzySunshine]

We're not very crafty here, or at least I'm not and therefore the kids aren't.

I have coloring books, crayons, washable markers and random stickers. They have the easel several people have mentioned though we really only use the chalk and wipe off side at this point. Even though the paint is washable I only let A use it if R is sleeping. You can use washable markers on the wipe-off board and then just wipe them off with a wet paper towel.

We also do playdough, kids scissors and construction paper in case they are inspired.

[Phoebe]

My youngest loves crafts, especially painting. One thing she particularly enjoys is paint dots that are easy for kids to handle and arent as messy as regular paints.

[Michele]

I guess I have more stuff than I realized! The boys each have a M&D easel. I have rubber stamps and ink pads, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, those cheap sun catcher things so they can do "rubbings", playdough, paint, finger paint, papers you can paint with just water, construction paper, glue.....

I think I'm forgetting the age appropriateness of crafts. it's not like a 2.5yo boy is going to be weaving a wearable bracelet.... . And the 5yo is just starting to actually draw pictures and not just a random accumulation of shapes/squiggles.

[lovelight]

If you want to do paint minus the mess you can check out payons. They color on like crayon and then you use a brush with only water which turns it into paint on the paper. I think they are more pricey but less messy.

[diggitydot]

DD2 is a crafting fool. She and DS drag out the craft bins and go crazy almost every day. DS makes piratey stuff and DD2 is all either knitting, making jewelry/friendship bracelets, or doing her own 6th grader version of Project Runway. She even asked for a mannequin for Christmas. Tad far, kiddo. But keep it up. Just put all the shit away when you're finished.

The kids have a grandma who is a manager for Michael's and she has sent us an assload of craft stuff. I have stacks and stacks of card stock and scrapbook papers, probably 14 different kinds of adhesives, stickers, thread, yarn, watercolor pens, stamps, thing-a-ma-jigs to decorate scrapbook pages, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, sketch books, sketching pencils, etc.

[HouseofWool]

I'm not one to sit down and do crafty stuff with the kids. The chaos of it stresses me out (thank you ADHD). But C loves to draw. The kid is always drawing a design sketch for something, guns, motel complexes, space ships, boats, you name it. It is exhausting to listen to the detailed explanation of each of them

[alison]

I leave arts and crafts to my parents. I hate the mess, pen marks, dried up playdoh, etc.

We do let M do whatever she wants outside with sidewalk chalk. She usually draws on her clothes.