Felt Finger Puppets

Felt is cut into animal shapes including heads, noses, and ears with the idea room.  She glues them all together and adds googly eyes.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/04/felt-finger-puppets-and-tutorial.html

Cardboard Purse

Cardboard is cut into the shape of a classic purse, decorated with scrapbooking paper, and given pipe cleaner handle bejeweled with beads with ikatbag.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.ikatbag.com/2010/09/tea-party-behind-scenes-cardboard.html

Paper Bag Puppets

Paper bags are dressed up with drawn on clothes, button eyes, and yarn hair to make puppets with projects for preschoolers.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.projectsforpreschoolers.com/paper-bag-puppets/

Melted Crayon Planets

Tiny pieces of crayons are crumbled into a round shape and then ironed to make nifty planet disks with almost unschoolers.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/08/melted-crayon-planets.html

Paper Bag Cow Puppets

A brown paper bag is turned into a cow with dtlk kids.  She sticks on hooves, a tail, eyes, tummy, horns, ears and mouth.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mbagcow.htm

DIY Hoola Hoops

Not sure if this is a worthy investment since you can buy them at the dollar store, but for a fun craft hillbilly jillies makes her own hoola hoops out of piping and duct tape.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://hillbillyjillies.blogspot.com/2011/06/hula-hoop-making-hours-of-fun.html

Painted Vase

A clear vase is turned fun with gold paint and a polka dot pattern from coconut head survival guide.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://coconutheadsurvivalguide.com/kate-spade-rose-bowl/

Paper Animal Toys

Cut and fold a koala, kangaroo, windmill and clinic with small for big for fun Australian pretend play.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the template here:
https://childhoodwonder.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/easter-clay-decorations/

Clay Flower Ornament

Flower cookie cutters are used to shape baking clay with childhood wonder.  After it hardens, she paints it with bright pastel colors.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
https://childhoodwonder.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/easter-clay-decorations/

Cotton Ball Cat

A white paper cup is covered in cotton balls and turned into a cat with parents.  They next add golf tee legs, sequin eyes, white felt ears, a pink button nose and a paper collar. 

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/crafts-made-from-paper-plates-cups/?page=9#page=9

Glow Stick Lanterns

Glow sticks are cut open and emptied into a jar for a super simple lantern with lil blue boo.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.lilblueboo.com/2011/07/glow-stick-lanterns.html

Mouse Pinata

An empty box is wrapped up in tissue paper and dressed up to look like a little mouse with 4 crazy kings.  She adds long strips of curing ribbon to the bottom and has the kids pull open the piñata to release the fun toys and candy.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://4crazykings.blogspot.com/2011/07/mini-pull-string-pinata.html

Guitar Pick Pendant

 

 

Scrapbooking paper is cut into the shape of a guitar pick and strung onto nylon cord for a simple rocker inspired necklace with 733 blog.

 

Good for ages 8 and up.

 

Get the instructions here:



http://www.733blog.com/2011/09/custom-guitar-pick-necklace-tutorial/

Cardboard Wings

Wings are cut out of cardboard and painted bright colors to make fairy wings for fun pretend play with secret agent josephine. 

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.secret-agent-josephine.com/2009/09/fairy-wings-and-toadstool-cupcakes/

Stryrofoam Solar System

Styrofoam balls are painted and hung from a spiral wire to make a diy solar system with the diy club.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://thediyclub.com/2011/09/kimbos-solar-system/

Fish Puppets

Paper prints of fish and other ocean animals are sewn together with yarn and turned into a super easy hand puppet for kids with handmade charlotte. 

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the templates here:
http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/get-fishy-hand-puppets/

3 princesses and a dude use toilet paper tubes and crepe paper, markers and stickers.

Get the instructions here:
http://3princessesand1dude.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/toilet-roll-craft-fish-puppets.html

DIY Chalk Boards

Make a fun chalk board book with chalk board paint, duct tape, an old board book and parenting chaos. 

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://parentingchaos.com/homemade-chalkboard-book/

Engineer mommy uses a composition notebook.

Get the instructions here:
http://engineermommy.com/2015/paint-a-chalkboard-onto-a-composition-notebook/

Toilet Paper Roll Star Wars Toys

Toilet paper tube are transformed into Star Wars characters with construction paper and hello wonderful.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/STAR-WARS-CHARACTERS-TOILET-TUBE-CRAFT

Paper Plate Swan

A  paper plate is cut into a swan shape and given colorful feathers with my bored toddler.  She then adds a paper orange beak and orange feet and googly eye to complete the look.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://myboredtoddler.com/paper-plate-crafts-for-toddlers-swan/

DIY Luggage Tags

A leather fabric swatch or remnant is transformed into a diy luggage tag with every day dishes.  She glues on a pretty decal and adds on a twine tie.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://everydaydishes.com/creative-crafts/diy-luggage-tag/

Yarn Crown

Pastel yarn is braided to make a pretty summer crown with origami mommy.  She then twists on felt flowers.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.origamimommy.org/2010/04/tutorial-may-day-crowns.html

Plastic Bottle Trucks

An empty laundry detergent bottle makes a fantastic truck with laughing squid.  She adds bottle cap wheels and makes all kinds of trucks from ones for circus animals to the  pizza delivery kind.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://laughingsquid.com/truck-cans-plastic-bottle-toy-vehicles-by-martine-camillieri/

Toilet Paper Roll Air Fresheners

Toilet paper rolls are covered in color paper and stuffed with oil infused tissue paper.  Twitchetts next ties colorful yarn around the tube for decoration.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://twitchetts.blogspot.com/2015/04/toilet-paper-roll-air-fresheners.html

Finger Print Sharks

Jamie from frogs, snails and puppy dog tails turns white finger prints into sharks using grey, red and black markers.  She even has them swimming in the a paper blue ocean with some birds flying overhead. 

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtail.com/fingerprint-shark-art/

Juice Box Monsters

Felt is glued onto a juice box and then used to make a monster with crafts by amanda.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsbyamanda.com/juice-box-monsters/

Fabric Flowers

Fabric is wrapped and glued around small cardboard disks and added to metal jewelry wire to make pretty fabric flowers with flax and twine.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.flaxandtwine.com/2011/10/a-fabric-gift-bouquet-nammas-70th-birthday/

Adventures of a diy mom makes a flat flower with a button.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2013/11/how-to-make-fabric-flowers.html 

Crafty stacy makes daffodils.

Get the instructions here:
https://craftystaci.com/2012/03/14/fabric-daffodils3-ways/

Glow in the Dark Jello

Did you know tonic water makes food glow blue?  It's true.  Our best bites shares the details for how to make glow in the dark jello stars.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://ourbestbites.com/2010/09/kids-in-the-kitchen-glow-in-the-dark-food-magic-colors-and-giant-bubbles/

Marvelously messy makes glowing water, but tonic water is bitter so make sure to add some sugar as well.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.marvelouslymessy.com/2011/10/make-your-own-glow-water.html

Paper Bag Donkey

A paper grocery bag makes the perfect body for a donkey.  Simply cut out two portions of the sides to make legs and then glue on a donkey head printable from mess for less.  She then glues on googly eyes to complete the look.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the template here:
http://www.messforless.net/2011/11/paper-bag-donkeys.html

Chalk Dust Pictures

A picture is drawn with glue and chalk dust is used to color it in.  My kids make shares the details.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://mykidsmake.com/2011/05/create/salt-and-art/

Stained Glass Sun Catchers

An empty glass picture frame turns into a vibrant sun catcher with the help of glass paint and chica circle.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://club.chicacircle.com/glass-stained-suncatchers-diy/

Sand Paper Art

Liquid chalk (cornstarch, water and food coloring) adds a vibrant texture when painted onto sand paper.  Kids play box shares the details.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.kidsplaybox.com/art-activities-for-kids-sand-paper-art13169/

Honey Bear Vase

An empty honey bear is repurposed into a vase with a beautiful mess.  She paints on gold leaf, but for an easier version simply paint with regular paint.  It should still be just as cute, if even not more so since the kids will do it.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/08/gold-honey-bear-vase-diy-.html

Cardboard Dolls

Paper dolls just got a whole lot sturdier with cardboard.  Paulet paula cuts out cardboard heads and clothes and lets the kids draw on faces and decorate to make these unique mix and match dolls.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.pauletpaula.com/craft-project-cardboard-dolls/

Hello wonderful makes the whole doll out of one piece of cardboard.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/kid-made-cardboard-dolls

Magnetic Car Race Track

Magnets are glued to the bottom of toy cars and to the top of a popsicle stick to make the cars move over a hand drawn paper racetrack.  Hello wonderful shares the details.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/BUILD-A-MAGNETIC-CARDBOARD-CAR-RACETRACK

Yarn Wrapped Stone Necklace

Colorful yarn can transform even a simple outside stone into a unique necklace with this diy jewelry project from quiet lion creations.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://quietlioncreations.blogspot.com/2015/04/ecuador-necklaces-diy.html

Glitter Vases

Glitter paint is all you need to make an ordinary vase sparkle.  The sweetest occasion shares the details.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2012/07/diy-glitter-vases/

Coconut Bowls

A coconut is turned into a bowl simply by sanding it down to remove any left over coconut.  Dragons n bottle caps shares the details.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
https://dragonsnbottlecaps.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/how-to-make-coconut-zen-bowls/

Jewelry Tin

An empty candy tin is painted and decorated with beads to make a cute little jewelry box with how stuff works.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/recycled/projects/jewelry-box-altoids-tin.htm

Kleenex Box Vase

Strips of newspaper are glued to a tissue box and painted to create a unique vase with crème de la craft.  She then adds a strip of felt just above the vase and decorative knobs on either side.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.cremedelacraft.com/2012/02/diy-tissue-box-flower-vase.html

Accordion Notebooks

Kids will love coloring in these diy notebooks using just paper folded like an accordion.  Crafting connections shares the details.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftingconnections.net/the-blog/diy-kid-made-collaborative-accordion-picture-books

Tabletop Golf Game

An empty cereal box is reconfigured into a miniature gold course with foam sheets. Kix cereal cuts out sand traps, water and bushes to surround the course.  They use a piece of Kix for the ball and mini pretzel sticks for putting.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-box-miniature-golf/

Balloon Basket Cars

An empty berry basket and a balloon make the basis for this diy car from one artsy mama.  She then adds pencils and wooden wheels.  Kids will have fun blowing up the balloons and letting them roll. 

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.oneartsymama.com/2015/03/craft-lightening-recycled-balloon-car.html

Nature Sculptures

Twigs, rocks and flowers are tied and piled together to make nature inspired sculptures with crafting connections.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftingconnections.net/the-blog/nature-art-inspiration/

Candy Tin Wallet

An empty candy tin is painted and embellished with stickers and turned into a wallet with roxy craft.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.roxycraft.com/altoidstinwallet.htm