Discovering the Art of DIY Crafts – Creative Projects for All Ages

Kids will love exploring their creativity with these DIY crafts that are sure to keep them entertained. From finger painting to make cacti to turning paper towel rolls into creatures, they can unleash their inner artist with these unique art ideas.

Try a fun and creative handprint craft, make an artistic cactus, or create a monochrome art study with paint and sand paper. Perfect for all ages, these projects are great to do alone or with friends.

Colored Popsicle Sticks

Whether it’s summer break or your kiddo is sick and home from school, crafting is a fun and creative way to keep kids entertained and away from the TV. The projects below are a great place to start because they all help develop fine-motor skills, promote sensory play and are just plain fun!

If you’re looking for a cute and easy craft that also strengthens color recognition, try this coffee can popsicle stick matching activity. Just cut a few slits in the lid of an empty coffee can and have your kids slide colored popsicle sticks into them. This simple but engaging activity can also be used to practice counting, hand-eye coordination and visual discrimination.

If your kids are a fan of Hama beads (also known as fuse beads), they’ll love making this fun and festive cactus craft. The beads can then be glued to a piece of cardboard to make a beautiful flower. They can even be used as a creative nightlight for your child’s room!

Octopus Craft

Whether your students are fascinated by ocean creatures or just in the mood for a creative project, these octopus crafts will be sure to delight them. These projects are fun for kids to do alone or together with a friend, and will provide an engaging way for them to explore the ocean floor. They can also make other ocean-themed activities like ocean pom pom mats and under the sea shape matching games to reinforce their knowledge of the marine world around them.

Paper octopus crafts are an excellent way to teach children about the ocean. Life Over C’s paper octopus is especially cute because they used a paper plate and punched holes in the bottom to attach yarns that serve as its arms. The colorful octopus will be a wonderful reminder of summertime and the refreshing feeling that comes along with it.

Encourage your children to read the book “Finding Dory” and talk about how octopuses use camouflage. Once they’ve done this, they can have a lot of fun making their own camouflaged octopus. This craft by The Madhouse Mummy requires more patience than the other octopus crafts but it will still engage your children. It’s a great opportunity to help them practice their counting skills as they glue on the pony beads that serve as the octopus’ arms.

Macaroni Necklace

Make a colorful statement with this macaron necklace. Five dangling pastel-colored macaron charms hang from an adjustable chain, accentuated by a cute little star and pink tassel. It’s the perfect accessory for a tea party, or for any fan of this French treat.

Handmade from polymer clay, this delicious macaron necklace features intricate detailing like aerated egg whites and swirled raspberry fillings. With a delicate chain, it’s the perfect accessory for any girl’s wardrobe.

This is a great kids craft for toddlers that helps them develop fine motor skills. It’s also a fun activity to do with siblings, friends or even parents.

Turn an old toilet paper roll into a fun animal or insect shape. It’s a great way to help the kids practice their painting and drawing skills. Plus, it’s an adorable DIY gift for grandma or dad.

Supersize Coloring Page

Kids love coloring and it’s not just a great way to unwind or pass the time; it helps improve hand-eye coordination and fine tune motor skills. This supersize coloring page is a fun and educational activity that will keep kids busy for hours!

Use a black marker to draw a simple line drawing on an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper. Take the picture to a local print shop to enlarge it, then let kids go wild with crayons and markers! The bold lines make it easy to see where they should color.

This is a fun activity for rainy days, camp activities, senior centers, church groups and classrooms. You could even display the giant coloring pages in waiting areas or a business/teacher lounge! Made from banner material the large coloring pages are durable and can be folded to store or display.

Finger Painting

When kids can smear paint around with their fingers, they’re free to express themselves without fear of making mistakes. They can also use their imagination to create designs such as these thumbprint doodles, which would complement a science lesson about bugs.

American educator Ruth Faison Shaw is credited with introducing finger painting as an art education medium. She developed it while conducting a school for American and English children in Rome, Italy, in 1922 to 1932. She patented a safe non-toxic paint and taught it at the Carl Menninger School.

Kids can apply and spread the paint as they wish, using their fingers, palms of their hands, or even their elbows and forearms. The resulting works of art may be abstract, representational, or anything in between. Some kids choose to scribble, while others like to make patterns with their fingers and thumbprints.

For a fun sensory experience, add sand or sugar to the paint mix to create texture. You can also experiment with adding a variety of objects such as stamps or sponges to the paint to make interesting shapes. Be sure to have a bucket of soapy water and a towel nearby for cleaning hands.