Get crafty with items from home

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Looking for new ways to keep your kids busy? These five crafts use items you might have around the house to get creative. 

Bread tag village 

Turn those little plastic bread tags into art. 

This sweet little project is perfect for newly developing fine motor skills and leaves kids with a whimsical and colorful work of art. Take it up a notch and come up with a story or fairy tale about who lives in these wee houses and what they do in them.  

What you’ll need:

  • Bread tags
  • Construction paper
  • Glue  

How to:  

  1. Cut triangles from colored paper. 
  2. Arrange tags on a piece of cardstock or similar weight paper along with their matching roofs. 

CREDIT: Handmade Charlotte

Paper beads  

Finally, a good use for your junk mail.  

Paper beads are simple to make and can really be made of any paper you have handy — even junk mail. Even a kindergartner can master it. And you can string them on anything—yarn, twine, or even torn pieces of fabric.  

What you’ll need: 

  • Paper
  • A toothpick, skewer or the thin handle of a paintbrush
  • Glue  

How to: 

  1. Draw and cut out an isosceles triangle, right triangle or rectangle, all at least 8 inches long. Different shapes give different looks. 
  2. Put some glue on one end of the paper strip and start rolling it around the toothpick. 
  3. When the strip completely glues on itself, remove the toothpick and let it dry. Make as many beads as you want. 
  4. Apply glue over the beads and let them dry. 
  5. To make the beads look like glass, paint them and cover with a glossy varnish.

CREDIT: Easy Peasy and Fun 

No-sew T-shirt bracelet 

Old T-shirts can be repurposed into beautiful bangles.  

Kids grow out of their clothes like crazy. Here’s a great (kid-friendly) way to repurpose those old shirts and leggings and whatever else you’ve got. All you need to make a bold new accessory is some old fabric and an equally old bangle. 

What you’ll need:

  • Old cloth
  • A bangle  

How to: 

  1. Cut fabric into half-inch to 1-inch wide strips (a thick bracelet will need thicker strips). 
  2. Loosely tie one end to the bangle and start wrapping it around the bracelet — the tighter the better. 
  3. When you reach the knot, untie it and tie both ends together to close with a double knot. Trim ends. You can also use a glue gun to secure ends. 

CREDIT: Camilla Fabbri Designs

Milk carton birdhouse 

Turn your empty milk cartons into houses for feathered friends.  

This milk carton birdhouse is perfect for celebrating sustainability. If you’re more of a milk jug kind of family, GreatStems.com has a tutorial.  

What you’ll need:

  • Milk carton
  • Sticks
  • Glue
  • Paint or stickers for decorating  

How to: 

  1. Wash the carton with soap and water. 
  2. A few inches from the bottom, draw a circle 3-5 inches in diameter. 
  3. Carefully punch a hole in the circle and cut out the circle. 
  4. Glue or staple the top of the carton closed. 
  5. Paint white. Let dry. Paint a second coat in the color(s) of your choice. Let dry. 
  6. Punch a hole in the top of the carton and thread a string through. 
  7. Glue twigs to the top for a thatched roof effect. 
  8. Punch a tiny hole under the entrance and insert a twig. Glue in place. 
  9. Hang your birdhouse. 

CREDIT: Sun Basket

Tissue paper lanterns  

Turn glass jars into lanterns for summer nights in the garden.  

Here’s some DIY outdoor lighting that your little one can proudly create. This summer lantern tutorial is so simple and results in such a forgiving craft—mistakes are virtually non-existent and the messier you get, the prettier the result. If you don’t have tissue paper, you can color a coffee filter with a marker and let the wet glue help the colors bleed to get the stained-glass effect.  

What you’ll need: 

  • Tissue paper
  • A jar
  • Mod Podge or a 50/50 solution of water and white glue
  • A candle or LED light  

How to: 

  1. Cover the jar with a layer of Mod Podge. 
  2. Press pieces of tissue paper onto it. 
  3. Seal with another layer of Mod Podge. 
  4. Add a small candle or battery-operated light for the final touch. 

CREDIT: Design Improvised

Looking for more at home craft ideas?

Check out 14 more environmentally friendly projects to made from materials that are probably already filling up your recycling bin. All you need is glue, scissors and a few other supplies, and you're ready to go!