Arts and crafts are fun! Plus they are a great way for children to express themselves. However, they can easily become very expensive and messy. With a little pre-planning and work setting everything up you can solve both of those problems. These three tips will help set you up for success and save money!
1. The best way to combat mess from glue, glitter, markers, and so much more is with contractor paper. For about ten dollars at your local home improvement store you can buy a roll that will last you years. Roll it out before craft time, tape it in place, and afterwards roll it up and trash it. The contractor paper can also double as paper to doodle or draw on. My kids love rolling it out on the floor and creating masterpieces together.
2. Buy a craft supply kit. These kits include an assortment of the most popular craft items such as googly eyes, pipe cleaners, feathers, pom poms, and so much more. This will give you an idea of what your children lean towards. As things run out you can stock up on larger packages of those items at bulk pricing.
3. Buy a multi pack of primary colored tempera paint. Tempera paint is washable. These packages often come in larger bottles. Save yogurt cups or egg cartons to use as your paint tray. You can add the colors needed for each project to the empty yogurt containers or egg cartons. After the project is over just throw away the paint tray. You can mix the colors together to create the colors you don’t have.