Like it or not – If you have kids, chances are that you are going to find yourself needing to do a craft project at some point or another. Whether it’s a toddler needing to learn to finger paint,  a kindergarten student who is ready for a family art project or a nephew who has been dropped off on a hot summer day, I’ve got the list of 19 essential craft supplies every family should have on hand.

The best part about these craft supplies is that you can buy all 19 of them and still not spend a fortune! You might even have most of them in your cabinets already! Now that’s a crafty bargain!

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19 Essential Craft Supplies for Kids

1. Q-tips:   useful for painting, dipping in glue or attaching as impromptu antennas or arms/legs
2. Cotton Balls:  Perfect for 3D art (think clouds or snow)
3. Glue sticks: Much neater than traditional glue; Toddlers can even use these sticks on their own and not make a mess.
4. Crayons:    Use them for traditional coloring activities, then experiment with this ultimate list of Crayon Craft Ideas
5. Markers:  Most kids feel so grown up when they get to use real markers instead of just crayons.  Since you can get them in every color shade of the rainbow, markers are a sure hit with all kids (and their grown up friends!)
6. Tape (any variety):  Duct tape, masking, scotch, packing…..  It doesn’t really matter what type tape you have on hand, you can use it to attach the pieces of your craft.
7. Googly Eyes:  Perfect for attaching to any craft project – yarn, popcycle sticks, paper
8. Magnet strips:  Turn any project into a refrigerator magnet
9. Sequins: Girls love to turn everything into something sparkly.  Just consider yourself warned:  you will find sequins for days after you finish your project.
10. Popcycle sticks:  Create a house, planter, rainbow, picture frame or puppet on a stick.  Add pom-poms to create animals.
11. Pom-Poms: Use them for a caterpillar body, rainbows, eyes on a three eyed alien or decorations for a paper Christmas tree.
12. Plastic Spoons:  Great for turning paper shapes into puppets, creating horns for paper plate animals or using as a catapult.
13. Construction Paper:  Cut strips for a Christmas chain, a caterpillar body, scrap shape art projects or homemade cards.
14. Feathers: These can be used for Thanksgiving crafts,  Indian headdresses,  bird projects and more
15. Cardboard: Anything out of the recycle box can be turned into crafts.
16. Newspaper: Perfect to keep the messes under control
17. Plastic Tablecloth:  You can spread this on the floor, table, carpet or out under a tree.  When you’re done crafting, just gather it up, shake it outside and fold it for your next picnic.  If you get paint on the tablecloth, just tell your next picnic guest that it’s abstract art.
18. Paper Plates:  These are great for the base of so many projects.
19. Macaroni Noodles: Use these for necklaces, picture frames or to add dimension to an creepy animals scaly skin.

Instant Craft Fun

If you don’t consider yourself a crafty person and you run out of ideas, just give the kids whatever materials you have on hand and watch them get creative.  I love seeing what they can create with their imagination and random pieces of ‘stuff’ that I find in the house!

Bonus Crafty Supplies:

Foam stickers are popular for both boys and girls and come in every variety of animal, theme, letters, numbers, seasons and holidays. You can pick them up at Walmart or hobby stores for under $10.00. If you know you are going to have kids around soon, just buy a package of these as a surprise!

Bead Sets are always a hit with little girls of all ages. You can buy them in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes. Just be warned that these will be everywhere if you have active participants.

I can’t wait to hear and see what you all create with basic household items!

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