Vicki Manning - The Grown-Ups Guide to Crafting with Kids: 25+ fun and easy craft projects to inspire you and the little ones in your life

20+ FUN AND EASY CRAFT PROJECTS TO INSPIRE YOU AND THE LITTLE ONES IN YOUR LIFE

Vicki Manning

Crafting offers a wonderful way to get creative with children. But where to start? You may have seen about 101 different projects online and feel totally overwhelmed, causing you to wonder: Are they easy enough for my child to do? Will I need lots of expensive tools and materials? Do I need to be an expert in woodwork, sewing, pottery, or something else?

In this book, I will show you howwith the help of a basic toolkit, some key techniques, and step-by-step projectsyou can get crafty with your children, without extra stress or expense. Ive put together a handy guide to tools and materials, as well as more than 25 simple projects and creative prompts that were tested by my own children and are guaranteed to spark joy in your life as well! With this book, you and the kids you love can create lots of keepsakes to proudly display in your home or give as gifts to someone special. Even better, youll also have the treasured memories of your creative time together. Come and join me on a crafting adventure!

WHY CRAFT?

BONDING Crafting offers a fantastic opportunity to spend dedicated and focused time with children. They will appreciate the one-on-one time and relish the opportunity to create something with you.

FINE-MOTOR SKILLS Crafting improves kids dexterity because it requires them to use their fingers and hands. Drawing, cutting, gluing, threadingthese are skills that help kids develop and improve their hand-eye coordination.

MINDFULNESS Creative activities are good for mental health. Sharing these activities with your child can be a very relaxing and rewarding experience for both of you.

SELF-EXPRESSION Giving options and choices when deciding what to craft together is a great way to help children express themselves. If the craft features embellishments, such as buttons and beads, I like to give my children a small selection so they can choose what to use. Consider offering color choices or prompting kids to think about which materials would be best for a certain activity.

CONFIDENCE Creating something gives kids a great sense of achievement and pride and demonstrates to them that they are capable of successfully following instructions. Whenever possible, try to encourage your child to take control during crafting sessions and avoid suggesting how to make changes to their creations.

Make sure you have all of the necessary materials on hand before starting a craft. Read through the stepsand then read them again to make sure you havent missed anything. It may sound obvious, but many times Ive started a project and then had to stop to rummage for a material, and by the time I got back to my craft, my kids had lost interest and wandered off! In the step-by-step projects in this book, I provide lists and photos of what you will need before you get started so that you can avoid the same thing happening to you!

PROTECT YOUR CLOTHES & FURNITURE I recommend investing in an apron to wear over your clothes, or if you have old T-shirts lying around, those will work too. Save newspapers or magazines for covering work surfaces. If you use materials that may cause stains, such as permanent markers or colored tissue paper, I advise placing a cheap tray under your crafting project. Its an awful feeling to have created something beautiful with your child but ruined your new table in the process!

BE REALISTIC You may love the idea of a craft but have doubts as to whether your child has the skills to do it. Trust your instincts. If you think it might be difficult, it probably will be. You will most likely struggle to keep your childs attention, which will cause frustration in both of you. Crafting is meant to be enjoyable and rewarding! Giving kids something thats easier for them to do will free them up to express their creativity and help them gain confidence in their abilities.

I consider the following items essential resources for crafting with children. You dont need to go out and buy everything at once, but if you have these items, you will be ready to make most of the crafts in this bookand you will be able to continue crafting together for years to come!

SCISSORS I use a larger pair for cardboard and paper and a smaller pair of craft scissors for cutting ribbon and fabric. When crafting with younger children, you might want to give them a pair of safety scissors and be selective about what you let them cut until their cutting skills are more developed.

GLUE & TAPE

PVA Can be used with card stock, paper, fabric, and natural objects.

GLUE STICK A medium-sized glue stick one is easy for your child to hold while also providing decent coverage, and its useful for gluing paper and card stock together, as it dries quickly.

HOT-GLUE GUN Kids should use this only under close supervision. I recommend selecting a smaller gun, as it generates less glue when you squeeze the trigger, making it much easier to control.

MASKING & WASHI TAPE Both types work well for children to achieve good results quickly. I prefer masking and washi tape over clear tape because clear tape tears more easily, and masking and washi tape can be painted over.

PAPER I have a plastic tub dedicated to paper: gift wrap from birthday parties, interesting gift bags, magazine cutouts, and even wallpaper samples go in there! If youd like to build up your own supply of paper resources, I recommend including tissue paper in a variety of colors (you can buy a mixed pack).