15 Fun Art and Craft Ideas for Kids that Won’t Break the Bank

It’s not always easy to come up with creative art projects for kids. Finding the ideas can be challenging, and the materials required often come with hefty price tags.

If you struggle with these things as well, then you can bookmark this post for your future reference.

We have compiled a selection of fun art and craft ideas for kids with simple and affordable materials, most of which are everyday things you can find in your home. Even better, you can use some of these ideas for your recycling projects.

Materials You Can Easily Find at Home

These art and craft ideas are so easy and yet, they can result in something to be proud of.

1. Cherry blossom art

Image credit: Alpha Mom

This is something easy with a result that won’t be disappointing.

To create a cherry blossom art, cut the bottom of an empty soda bottle, and dip it in pink paint. On a sheet of paper, draw the tree trunk and branches, then stamp the ‘flowers’ using the bottle. The result will be something stylish as wall art.

2. Tissue transfer art

Image credit: It’s Always Autumn

You wouldn’t believe that this beautiful art can be done by kids, as they look like the work of a professional artist.

There are only 3 things you need for this: different colored tissue paper, a canvas, and a spray bottle. First, spray the canvas until it’s fairly wet. Then cut the tissue paper into various shapes, and place them on the wet canvas (it doesn’t matter if they overlap, it will create cool effects). Spray water onto these pieces of tissue paper, and leave them for 20 minutes to let the colors bleed. After that, remove the tissue paper and let it dry.

Isn’t it pretty? This artwork looks like something that you would see in interior design magazines, especially with a beautiful wall photo frame!

3. Stick dolls

Image credit: Molly Moo

Stick dolls don’t need much work, nor materials. Popsicle sticks, markers, and washi tapes are everything you need. To make a doll, wrap the stick around with washi tapes for the clothes. Once done, draw the face and other body parts using the marker.

Now this is where they can get creative, as they can expand the collection with animals such as dogs, cats, birds, and many more.

This craft idea is suitable for slightly older kids, as painting intricate details on these tiny sticks needs more skills and practice.

4. Popsicle bee puppets

Image credit: The Spruce

Popsicle sticks can do more than just dolls. For younger kids, these sticks can be made into puppets. You’ll need paper (yellow, black, and red) and popsicle sticks.

To make a bee puppet, cut the yellow paper into a big circle (the body) and a smaller circle (the head). Draw the face on the smaller circle (play around with different expressions to make it fun). Next, cut the black paper into thin strips for the stripes and antennae. Use a hole punch to cut out the antennae toppers. The next step is just gluing the body parts together, and the assembled bee onto the popsicle stick.

5. Rainbow squeegee painting

Image credit: Hello Wonderful

Three words to describe this idea: fun, effortless, and satisfying!

You’ll need watercolor paper, paint in squirt bottles, and of course, a squeegee. To create the painting, just squirt the paint on the paper (make sure you use a variety of colors) and scrape the paint with the squeegee. Keep scraping until the paper is covered with paint. Once it’s dry, this will look like one of those wall art prints by an amazing artist.

Want more ideas for kid’s paintings? Check out these 30 Fun and Easy Painting Ideas for Kids.

6. Paper Plate Rocking Birdies

Image credit: CBC Parents

Ah, paper plates. Easy to find, cheap, and versatile. It’s the perfect material for kid’s craft.

For this, take out the materials: paper plates, paint, and construction paper. Fold the paper plates in half, and paint it in whichever color (s) the kids fancy. While waiting for the paint to dry, cut out the construction paper into long strips for the feathers, and a small triangle for the beak. Once the paint is dry, stick on the feathers, the beak, and don’t forget the googly eyes as well.

7. Matisse-inspired art

Image credit: Playful Learning

Matisse is well known for his use of bold colors and revolutionary style. The Snail, The Sheaf, and Memory of Oceania are some of his works that can be used as inspiration for kids’ art. Using various colors of paper cutouts, let the kids use their creativity to make a collage of something they envision in their heads, just like Matisse did.

Once they’re done with this, let them tell the story behind their creation, and document their projects for a photobook of their artwork collection.

8. Egg carton ladybugs

Image credit: One Little Project

Don’t throw away your egg cartons once you’re done with them. This humble material can be transformed into adorable creatures with fun craft activity with your kids.

To make this, cut the cups from the carton and paint them in red. Use a black pom pom for the head, and black pipe cleaners for the antennae, cut into 2 inches long pieces and bent into an L shape. Glue the head and antennae onto the body, and the googly eyes onto the pom pom. Easy!

You can find the detailed instructions to make these cute ladybugs on One Little Project’s blog.

9. Animal paper crafts with scraps

Image credit: Fiskars

Recycle your scraps into something your kids could get creative with!

Draw an outline of their favorite animal on a piece of paper. Next, take out the colorful scraps and cut them into pieces (you can use craft punches for this, or you can just use plain old’ scissors). Glue these tiny pieces inside the lines to fill in the drawing; the more colors, the better!

To make it interesting, venture beyond the paper material. If you have other leftover materials lying around in the house, don’t hesitate to use them. Candy wrappers can be used for fishtails, while a button can serve as an eye, for example.

10. Rubber band flick painting

Image credit: Reading Confetti

Ordinary painting can soon get boring for kids, so make it fun by adding a little twist: rubber bands.

Prepare a baking tray with a sheet of paper on top of the tray. Wrap the rubber bands around the tray, and paint them in different colors (go easy on the paint to avoid too much dripping). Once the rubber bands are covered in paint, now it’s time to go crazy! Flick the bands and watch as the splatters create a colourful, abstract painting.

11. Minion crafts

Image credit: Crafts by Amanda

Everybody loves minions, even adults. There are minion toys sold everywhere, but why buy it when you can make it with your kids?

To create these cute minions, you’ll need toilet rolls and construction paper (in yellow, blue, white, and black). You can download the printable and follow the instructions here. Once you have the construction papers cut, it’s just the case of gluing it all together before you can say hello to these minions.

12. Squirt bottle painting

Image credit: Mess for Less

This is an art activity for kids that’s been proven to be a big hit because it’s so much fun. With just a big sheet of paper and a few condiment squirt bottles filled with various colors, you’re ready to start.

Lay the sheet outside, and let your kids have fun squirting the paint all over the paper. Seeing the colors mix on the paper can be as fascinating as it is fun for the kids, and this activity alone can help tire them out for the day. Bonus for mama is that these pictures can be captured and create baby photo albums.

13. Paper unicorn craft

Image credit: Arty Crafty Kids

Children adore unicorns. And for such mythical creatures, they’re actually not that hard to create from a bunch of materials you’ll most likely to have at home.

Just draw the outline of a unicorn’s head on a sheet of newspaper, and cut it out. For the mane, cut the newspaper into little strips, and some colored yarns to put in between them. Complete the feature with a horn (using a cutout triangle from the newspaper) and a googly eye. Once everything is glued, sprinkle some glitter for a more magical touch, and the unicorn will be ready.

14. Personalised piggy bank

Image credit: Hobbycraft

Get the kids to put a twist on their ordinary piggy banks with a fun project. Armed with paint and brushes, they can unleash their inner Picasso to transform their piggy banks into works of art. There’s no rule for this one, they can paint it however they like!

15. Fingerprint heart rocks

Image credit: Hello Wonderful

Take your kids outside to collect flat, round pebbles. These pebbles will be the characters in the story that they are going to create.

Once inside, clean and dry the pebbles. Get your kids to dip their fingers in paint and stamp them on the pebbles. Once dry, draw the face, hands, and feet. Get creative and draw different expressions for variety.

What to do with all the artworks?

Once the kids are done, their artworks are usually kept in the filing storage or cupboard. The number of these art pieces can increase at an alarming rate though. Some of the artwork can be used to decorate their nursery rooms. You can use wall photo frames to give it a more refined look.

The other thing you can do is document each piece of artwork before you lose them, and create an art photobook which will be a precious keepsake for when they grow up.

How do you keep your kids’ artworks? Let us know in the comments below!