Need A Craft Project? Here’s The Ultimate List

Matt Brown
Dec 12, 2023 By Matt Brown
Originally Published on Sep 30, 2020
Young girl and boy sat at the table cutting paper and doing crafts at home.
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 4.6 Min

School holidays? Wet weekend? No problem. Banish the TV and the tablet, and get stuck in to one of these creative craft projects. We have dozens of how-to guides on every aspect of crafting.

If you feel like braving the rain, here are things you can do in London on a rainy day. And if you'd rather stay indoors (we probably would), why not get some fun out of the bad weather with these rain puns and jokes.

Film And TV

Boy wearing a homemade Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet.

Image © beavera, under a Creative Commons license.

EMOJIS: Put a smile (or wink, or growl) on their face with these emoji-themed crafts.
HARRY POTTER: 10 wizarding craft projects, including a golden snitch and a howler. Plus, Harry Potter origami.
MINIONS: Get some yellow paint and googly eyes, and you can turn just about anything into a Minion.
POKEMON: From a pokeball suncatcher to a Pikachu lampshade, plus, we’ve also got Pokemon origami.
STAR WARS: Make your own BB-8, Yoda ears or even a lightsaber.

Animals

Origami squirrel holding an origami acorn.

Image © WinsomeMan, under a Creative Commons license.

BEES: From pipe-cleaner bees to apian toilet roll tubes.
DINOSAURS: No list of children’s projects would be complete without dinosaurs. And here they are, with 8 roarsome craft ideas.
GIRAFFES: Put your neck out and try these seven ideas inspired by the lofty quadrupeds.
LADYBIRDS: 27 projects for preschoolers inspired by the colourful bugs.
OCEAN: Cast your net over these 13 nautical craft projects, from a cereal box aquarium to a shark bookmark.
OCTOPUS: An incredible 17 craft projects themed around octopuses
ORIGAMI ANIMALS:Learn how to make an origami bat, bear, bee, cat, chicken, crow, dolphin, duck, eagle, flamingo, giraffe, horse, hummingbird, koala, monkey, mouse, parrot, peacock, penguin, pig, rhino, robin, shark, sheep, snake, spider, squirrel, swallow, swan, tiger, unicorn, wolf.
TURTLES: Pom-pom turtles, plastic bottle turtles, handprint turtles… we got ‘em all.
UNICORNS: Make your own unicorn horn, like this.

School And Educational

AIRCRAFT: Learn how to make the ultimate paper planes, then learn about aerodynamics.
ANGLO-SAXON: Get medieval with these creative projects inspired by Anglo-Saxon times (KS2).
ENVIRONMENT: Originally created for Earth Day, these 25 projects on an environmental theme are fun to do at any time of year.
FAMOUS ARTISTS: Learn to create art like the masters, with these 15 ideas.
GEOGRAPHY: Learn about the world… by making it. Geography projects for preschoolers through to KS3.
HISTORY: Historical craft projects for preschoolers through to KS3.
SPACE: 16 projects on a space theme, with the inevitable ‘out of this world’ pun.
VIKINGS: Arts and crafts inspired by the Scandinavian explorers and plunderers, aimed at KS2 kids.
WW2: Aimed at KS2 pupils, find craft, art and educational activities about the Second World War.

Upcycling Materials

BOOK ENDS: Recycle materials -- including books themselves -- into novelty book ends.
LOLLY STICKS: Turn old sticks into puppet ballerinas or even a fan.
MIXED RECYCLING: Make the most of those old newspapers, egg cartons and milk bottles.
OLD MAGAZINES: You could throw them into the recycler, or you could create greeting cards, collage, wallpaper or even jewellery.
PAPER CUPS: What can you possibly do with a paper cup (besides drink from it)? Well, we’ve got 27 craft ideas, including fairy houses, ghost Piñata and an imaginative take on an advent calendar.
PAPER PLATES: If you’re not going to be holding a party for a while, reuse those old paper plates with these 19 imaginative uses.

Tools, Materials And Techniques

3D PROJECTS: Learn how to make everything from Chinese lanterns to paper flowers.
BIRTHDAY CARDS: You could buy a boring off-the-shelf design, or you could make your own birthday card.
LAPTOP SLEEVES: For tweens and teens, try these tips on making or decorating laptop sleeves.
MATERIALS: Tips on sourcing useful and unusual materials to use in craft projects.
NEEDLE FELTING: Basic techniques and small projects.
PIPE CLEANERS: Does anyone use pipe cleaners for cleaning pipes? No. They’re much better turned into flowers. Or spiders.
SALT DOUGH: Who says you shouldn’t play with your food? Make the dough, then craft it into one of these eight easy ideas.
SIMPLE IDEAS: 25 creative ideas that use the kinds of things you’ll find lying around the home including the holy grail of mess-free painting for toddlers.
SPLATTER PAINT: For any pint-sized pollocks, a guide to creating splatter paint art.
SPLIT PINS: Those metal pins with the foldable prongs can find all kinds of uses, as these craft projects attest. 
WINDOWS: Go beyond the NHS Rainbow with these 15 projects to beautify a window.

Preschool Crafting

Close up of a preschooler child holding Crayola crayons.

Image © Kristin Brown, Unsplash.

2-3 YEAR OLDS: Try these 12 easy craft projects specifically designed for the youngest makers.
CROWNS: How to make your own royal crown (priceless diamonds not included).
FAIRYTALES: Craft projects for the youngest, including a Rapunzel tower and Jack’s beanstalk.
FARMYARD: Make Old Macdonald’s farm, and the scarecrows and animals to go in it.
GINGERBREAD MEN: You don’t need to be old enough to use the oven to have fun with gingerbread men. Try these craft projects that draw inspiration from the sweetmeat, including ‘gingerbread slime’!
ICE CREAM: Weather too cold for the real thing? Make like it’s summer with these ice-cream-themed craft projects, including pom-pom cones.
PIRATES: Try to resist the urge to say “Yaaarghh!” as you heave-ho your way into these 11 pirate projects.
STARS: Twinkle, twinkle with these 27 craft projects involving star shapes -- all designed for preschoolers.


Find even more ideas by browsing Kidadl’s At Home section.

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Written by Matt Brown

Bachelor of Science specializing in Chemistry, Master of Research specializing in Biomolecular Sciences

Matt Brown picture

Matt BrownBachelor of Science specializing in Chemistry, Master of Research specializing in Biomolecular Sciences

With a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a Master's in Residency specializing in Biomolecular Sciences and roots in the Midlands, Matt has developed a passion for writing about London. As a former editor and prolific contributor to Londonist.com, he has authored several books exploring the city's hidden gems. In addition to his work, Matt enjoys spending time with his two preschool-aged children.

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