I'm sorry to say that I hate going to the craft store, a la carte, every time I think of a new project that Pip and Sprout might like to do. It seems quite ineffecient and it is probably quite expensive in the long run.
So...I am asking for your help. What items would you keep stocked in your Ultimate Craft Closet? Felt? Glue? Pencils? What's around your house? Old yogurt containers? Toilet paper tubes? Bubble wrap? Ribbon?
SusieJ is looking for a film canister, some balloons, an Alka Seltzer tablet and a box to get her through another snow day. I wouldn't have any of those things on hand either, I'm afraid. Would you?
6 comments:
Junk sculptures can be a lot of fun to make. Just keep a big bag of 'junk' like yogurt containers, plastic plant pots, egg cartons etc...plus some decorating supplies like felt, old beads, ribbons, pipe cleaners, wrapping paper scraps... I use a glue gun with my older son but just plain old Elmer's with the younger one.
We keep a very well-stocked 3-drawer cart in the hall closet. We always have the following on hand to keep my 3 kids busy: glue, glitter glue, paints, markers, stampers, construction paper, white paper, felt, tissue paper, small items for glueing like feathers, buttons, googily eyes, "jewels", stickers, baby pine cones, tons of glitter, confetti, various scissors, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners, tongue depressors, and TONS of more crafty crap!
I didn't find those film canisters after all... yet, we did manage to make a traffic light out of a butter sticks box. IT was cool for the trains. I have to get a picture of that before they destroy it.
As an art teacher and mum I say you can't beat the basics. Paper, good scissors (not the child proof kind, they don't cut), white glue, glue stick, markers, crayons, a selection of paints & brushes.
If you want to go furher, add to that tape (clear and masking)masking tape can be painted for junk modelling, a tray of watercolours (could for tidier painting), air dry clay (I like DAS brand best.)
I buy boxes of paper in bulk from a paper outlet so I always have a wide selection on hand.
Add to this any items you have around the house. Magazine pages, all varieties of cardboard & boxes, styrofoam discs that pizza comes on (make block prints with these, old sponges for printing, clear plastic (some can be put in the oven to shrink,) buttons, felt, fabric scraps, etc. I could go on and on, but that would be boring.
To save trips to the shops, it's best to see what's on hand and create a project from there. This is ultimately much more creative and cheaper than using manufactured craft supplies.
Oh dear, that was rather too long, sorry! ;)
Some other things great for sculpture are wire (especially copper) and aluminum foil. Personally I like to have the usuals like felt, glue, and beads, but also toothpicks or chopsticks, small boxes, cotton for stuffing, and embroidery floss. Maybe even a hole punch to make your own confetti and larger round toothpicks or skewers for making paper beads.
Sounds like a great craft stock can come from all the comments!
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