It’s STILL the School Holidays?! No Worries – Here’s 5 Easy Craft Projects For the Kids That Use Everyday Supplies (And Because We Love You, NO Glitter)

Sanity hanging on by a thread? Desperate to get the kids off the screens? We – and our pals at Warehouse Stationery – have got you! Here’s five easy craft ideas that the kids can tackle that requite simple supplies but will turn into hours of fun.

All of these projects are based on items you can pick up on a quick trip to Warehouse Stationery, as well as using bits and bobs from around the house to make it easy, affordable and achievable (and scroll down for some serious specials from Warehouse Stationery that’ll have you running to the store!)

Best of luck, team – one more week to go!

1. Painted Paper Collage

For an abstract, colourful piece that’s giving Picasso meets Pinterest meets using up all of the random scrap paper in the craft drawer!

What you need:
Scrap paper, paint, glue stick or PVA, scissors, thick paper/card as a base (or use an old cardboard box – the meal kit ones are fab).

How to Do It:

1. Gather coloured scrap paper, old drawings, or even magazine pages.
2. Paint on some scraps using bold strokes and let them dry.
3. Tear or cut the paper into shapes, whether they be structured shapes such as stars and hearts, or just simple tears.
4. Glue pieces onto the base in layers to create a textured, abstract look.
5. Chuck it on the fridge and marvel at your kid’s clear art talent because you’ve most definitely seen similar stuff at Te Papa.
   
   

2. DIY Story Books

The art of storytelling is alive and well! Tap into kids’ wild imaginations and get them to become an author for a day (and you can even host your own ‘book launch’ at the end with a live reading!)

What you need:
A4 paper, coloured pencils/crayons, stapler or hole punch and ribbon.

How to Do It:

1. Fold several A4 sheets in half to create your book.
2. Staple along the fold or punch holes and thread with ribbon or wool to bind.
3. Get thinking about what story  you want to tell – is it a yarn about your pets, your siblings, your school holiday adventures or what your favourite sportsperson/hero might be up to right now?
4. Illustrate each page with drawings using coloured pencils or crayons (a pro tip is printing out some pics and drawing over them to make a unique print.)
5. Create a front cover with a title and an author name, of course. Cue proud parent moment!

3. Crayon Melted ‘Stained Glass’ Art

The memories of doing this ourselves are wild! This one needs some adult supervision with the iron – and make sure it’s set to a low temperature (and use an old tea towel, not the one you keep on the oven for show but NEVER use).  It’s an oldie but a goodie!

What you need:
Old crayons, baking paper, a cheese grater, iron, tea towel.

How to Do It:

1. Peel paper off broken crayons and grate into shavings (carefully!).
2. Place a sheet of baking paper on a flat surface. Sprinkle crayon shavings over it.
3. Cover with another sheet of baking paper.
4. Place a tea towel on top, then briefly press with a warm iron (adults only!).
5. Watch the colours melt and blend into a magical stained-glass effect.

4. Envelope Puppets & DIY Puppet Show

Need a project that will take up a whole afternoon? No worries, we’ve got you – get the kids designing a whole cast of envelope puppets, and then put on a full theatre performance!

What you need:
Old envelopes, coloured paper, glue, pencils, wool scraps, googly eyes (optional but highly recommended!).

How to Do It:

1. Turn envelopes so the flap is at the bottom (this will be the puppet’s mouth).
2. Decorate the front with a face using crayons or paper cutouts.
3. Glue on wool for hair and draw on fun accessories.
4. Create several characters and tape a cardboard box into a puppet theatre (cut out a hole that will make the ‘stage’.) Decorate the theatre too, if you like!
5. Now it’s time for your script. What’s your story? Come up with a few ideas as to what your puppets are saying, and go wild!

5. Postcard From a Fantasy Holiday

Ok so just because you’re stuck at home, it doesn’t mean your imagination has to be! Where would you LIKE to be – Mars? In Bluey’s world? Disneyland? The prehistoric era? Write a family member a postcard from your imaginary holiday and tell us all about it!

What you need:
Blank cards or folded paper, coloured pencils, felts.

How to Do It:

1. Draw a postcard template (make sure to include  address lines and space for a stamp on the back).
2. On the front, illustrate a scene from an imaginary holiday
3. Write a message as if you’re sending it home: “Dear Mum, the Lolly Volcano erupted today…”
4. As an extra for experts, post them into a decorated shoebox post box for daily deliveries. They look great on the fridge!

GRAB SOME DEALS FROM WAREHOUSE STATIONERY THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!

• 20% off Craft Kits for when you don’t have the bandwidth to come up with a project yourself (absolutely fair enough) and you just need everything in one place and ready to go!
• 50% off Licensed Art and Craft – see above, but add in your kids’ favourite characters and you’re away laughing!
• 30% off the Crayola Range – remember when we were given a pack of crayons, some paper and that was literally it for a few hours? Who says it still doesn’t work? Now, of course, the range is muuuch bigger, so really kids should be thanking us (there’s dry erase crayons now!?)
• Kookie Craft Consumables from $1.99 – the jazzy stuff that adds a certain ‘vibe’ to your craft projects – we’re talking OG staples like pipe cleaners, feathers and popsicle sticks. A must for any craft drawer!