The Chaos of Crafting with Kids
Messiness is inevitable when you’re crafting with the kids. While making crafts is a wonderful way to keep them stimulated and having fun, we all know who needs to deal with the aftermath (yes, that’s us!).
Let’s be honest – real life does not look like Pinterest. Hand-sewn felt foxes do not magically appear overnight. Paper puppets do not cut, glue and fold themselves, taking care to toss every microscopic offcut into the dustbin. In reality, we’re just trying to come to terms with the fact that there is glitter everywhere.
Let’s have a look at some simple things we can do to keep the mess to a minimum, while still keeping the fun times rolling.
Keep it contained
Believe it or not, it is possible to keep the mess in one, manageable area.
If you’re thinking that you’re going to need iron fencing and password-protected vaults to keep your children from ruining the couch, don’t worry. The trick is not so much to stop them from going “over there”, but to keep them engrossed in what’s happening “over here”.
The simplest way to do this is to create a dedicated craft area with everything they need, and a couple of details they’ll love. It could be as simple as a table or a page stuck to the wall, themed to the colours and style of their favourite character, place or activity.
Sure, you may have a paint splatter here and a sprinkling of tissue paper there, but the mess will be (mostly) under control.
If you really can’t keep it contained, why not look for a crafting spot outdoors?
A box – with a lid – for everything
Little ones love structure, and every parent loves a system that works.
Ensuring that you have a dedicated, sealable container for everything from pipe cleaners to paint pots. This will help you and your child find what you need very easily, and also keep your craft area neat and organised. These boxes can be bought, or they could be repurposed cereal boxes covered in painted paper, or empty ice cream containers and yoghurt tubs that you’ve marked or colour-coded.
A pouch or drawstring bag also comes in handy for keeping paper offcuts, which you can use later, as well as smaller items like sequins, paper clips and pom-poms.
If you like, you can easily pack each little box into one giant container, perfect for storing in the cupboard if that’s what you prefer.
Timing is everything
The simple truth is that busy parents don’t get much done without incredibly proactive planning – and that includes crafting sessions with our children.
Ideally, keep crafting for before bath time. It’s a great way to lure them indoors after a solid run, and the perfect buffer before the dinner-bath-and-bed drill. Before you head out of the craft room, make a game of packing everything away into its dedicated container.