Photo: WellspringCS / Flickr

Children love arts and crafts projects and DIY projects are a great way to create ornaments for the home while keeping your children busy. Children have a fairly short attention span, so DIY projects should be easy to do while at the same time providing a tangible outcome. DIY projects can get messy, but that is half the fun, so let your hair down and enjoy the time spent with your kids.

Artwork

Painting and artwork can get really messy and you can easily end up with a hundred paintings that simply get thrown away. If your children are really young painting can be tiresome and difficult so instead simply get them to put their feet or hands onto the copy machine, place a towel over them, get the child to cover their eyes and just like that you have an interesting picture that can be framed. Do this often to keep a record of your child’s growth.

Gift boxes

Gift boxes are really easy to make and you’ll never have to buy another pretty bag or parcel again. Simply use the boxes that everyday household items come wrapped in like toothpaste, biscuits or cereal. First open out the boxes so that they are flat, now get going painting the boxes in bright colours or cover them in pretty cellophane or wrapping paper. Put the box back together and you have a ready-to-go gift box.

Walking sticks

A home-made walking stick can be a great gift for granny or gramps. Simply grab a long and sturdy stick from the garden and paint it in bright and fun colours. For added interest you can glue beads and feathers onto the stick. For a final touch carve your child’s name into the stick.

There are many things that you can make at home with your children that are bound to save you money in the long run. Whether you’re making a raincoat from plastic bags or transforming a plain duvet cover with your child’s handprints you can have quality time with your children while having fun!

Tags: children, diy