DIY Craft Kit For Kids- The Gift Hamper That’s Fun All Year
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A craft kit encourages creativity and keeps kids busy without a screen and it makes a great gift. Create an awesome DIY craft kit for kids on a budget with these tips.
Yes, you can buy premade arts and crafts kits. But they aren’t as good as what you can put together yourself for two reasons.
The first is that they can be super expensive. You can save money and still inspire hours of creativity by selecting a few key craft items yourself. The best craft item, in my opinion, is never in the pre-made sets, and that is masking tape.
The second problem is the cheaper sets tend to be full of junky stuff. For some craft items like pop sticks, it doesn’t matter.
But bad art materials that don’t work properly are a creative turn off. For art materials like paints or crayons, it really pays to get good quality (without spending a fortune, of course).
Which is where the DIY craft kit comes in. You get to select the kit and shop around the sales to maximise savings and crafting fun. A DIY craft kit makes a great gift for kids and teens (and even adults). Put together a hamper of craft supplies and keep the crafty person (the good kind of crafty) in your life happy.
You might also like: Low-waste gift ideas for kids.
What to Put in a Kid’s Craft Gift Hamper
When it comes to arts and crafts supplies, you could definitely go crazy. But it’s not necessary to include the kitchen sink. In fact, a few choice materials are more inspiring than so much stuff that it just fuels overwhelm.
To narrow things down, consider what type of craft your child tends towards and create a hamper around that theme. For example, if they are into art, you could put together a kit with a sketchbook and different art supplies. Younger kids might be inspired by glitter, glue and googly eyes.
I’ve included a whole bunch of ideas that could be put in an arts and crafts kit for inspiration purposes below but just pick a few things your recipient would like:
- art book/art journal
- pencils
- crayons/pastels
- felt pens
- markers
- scissors
- glue
- wool/string
- stickers
- pop sticks
- matchsticks
- pom poms
- coloured papers
- beads
- masking tape
- paints and brushes
- glitter
- pipe cleaners
- feathers
- sequins
- googly eyes
- felt
- clay
- playdough (you can make your own very cheaply and easily)
- fabric
- recycled items (kids love recycled stuff like egg cartons and young kids don’t care that it’s not purchased)
For more kid’s craft ideas check out the 15 Best budget craft supplies for kids.
Where to find art and craft supplies on a budget
You can get craft supplies in all sorts of places. Keep an eye out for sales and clearance items. Even supermarkets have half-price sales on craft items that are good quality (like Crayola and Faber Castell) and secondhand stores can be a treasure trove of discarded (but quality) craft supplies. I’ve found scrapbooking paper, origami paper, fabric, and all sorts of goodies when browsing charity stores.
Here are some places you can find craft items:
- supermarket
- discount stores (like Big W)
- dollar stores (like Reject shop)
- department stores
- hardware stores
- craft stores (Spotlight, Kaiser Kraft and Lincraft- their clearance section is a bonanza!)
- art stores (like Riot and Eckersley’s – super expensive but sales can be good for items like quality watercolours for your budding artist which last for ages and it’s one of the things that are worth getting quality)
- office supply stores (Officeworks)
- stationery stores (like Typo)
- online (lots of online stores – Amazon has a surprising array of quality items)
- secondhand stores (think bits of lace and fabric off-cuts and crafty bits and tools others no longer want)
- craft stuff you have at home
- craft stash of friends and family (things they no longer want)
You might also like: How to Make a Recycled Materials Craft Box
Packing a Craft Gift Hamper
The best choice for packing your hamper in is something the child can store their craft supplies in. The packaging then becomes part of the gift, reducing waste. Put a bow around the handle to dress it up.
A caddy with a handle is a good option (like this one). So too is a fishing tackle box because the supplies can be sorted and organised. An organised workspace is more inspiring than a mess.
Even a calico bag where supplies can be packed away or carried around is a great idea. My daughter has made up a travel craft pack for long trips and long waits.
Rather than wrapping it in wrapping paper, you could wrap it in an art smock, which then becomes part of the gift. This no-sew art smock is made from a recycled adult t-shirt, making it a cheap and waste-free addition to the craft kit.
For more information on how to put together the perfect personalised hamper, check out the article: How to Make a Personalised Gift Hamper For any Occasion.
A DIY craft kit for kids makes an excellent gift that will inspire hours of creativity and screen-free fun. And when you make it yourself, you can curate the kit to include a few quality art items as well as budget craft materials.
