Crafting may seem like an expensive hobby, especially if you have a house full of kids who want in on the action. Fortunately, frugal families don’t have to put the kibosh on creating handmade masterpieces. Rather, with a little ingenuity you can make priceless crafts on a tight budget.
Clothespin Pinwheel
Materials:
- Double-sided patterned paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Glue
- Thumbtack
- Wooden clothespin with spring
Directions:
- Cut a five-inch square from a sheet of patterned paper.
- Draw an “X” on the paper from corner to corner.
- Cut three inches along each line.
- Fold every other point toward the center of the paper, and then secure with a drop of glue.
- Attach the paper pinwheel to the clothespin with thumbtack.
Mod Podge Pencils
Mod Podge is an affordable all-in-one glue, sealer and finisher that makes decoupaging a piece of cake. It’s also a great tool to customize plain pencils.
Materials:
- Plain wooden pencils
- Foam paint brush
- Mod Podge
- Colored tissue paper
- Block of florist foam or Styrofoam
Instructions:
- Use the end of the pencil to make a few holes in your foam block.
- Tear or cut the tissue paper into one-inch squares.
- Gently brush Mod Podge over the entire pencil, and then cover with the tissue paper squares, slightly overlapping each one.
- When the entire pencil is covered, add another coat of Mod Podge.
- Place the decorated pencils into the floral foam block, eraser side down. Let the pencils dry completely before sharpening.
Homemade Beads: Have your children cut-up pages from old magazines or tear up junk mail, used greeting cards or wrapping paper. You could also use scraps of construction paper or scrapbook paper. Next, have an adult roll the paper tightly around a thin needle. Then, while a grown-up holds the paper, have the kids coat it with Mod Podge. Once the beads are dry, you can make jewelry or attach them to bookmarks.