5-Minute Crafts That Turn Ordinary Days Into Celebrations

The holidays may be a popular time for crafting with your kids, but you don't have to wait until then to have fun with creative projects. Researchers have found that crafting benefits overall well-being, whether you're crafty or not. You don't have to be artistic, and you don't need to spend a lot of money to make crafts with your kids.

DIY projects and crafting can be a great way to spend time together as a family. Also, crafting helps kids develop important skills, like hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and problem-solving. Check out the following easy crafts that you can make with your kids that won't require a lot of materials or time.

Homemade Playdough

If you've never made your own playdough, it's probably going to be easier than you think. Not only can you customize it to whatever scent and color you choose, but it's softer than store-bought and also much cheaper. Some ideas for seasonal scents include: pumpkin pie spices in fall, peppermint extract in winter, lavender for spring, and lemon extract for summer.

We have an easy recipe for you here that uses common household items such as flour and vegetable oil. (Pro tip: once the dough has cooled, you can knead it until it's soft and pliable. If using colors, be sure to wear plastic gloves if you don't want your hands stained with the dye.)

Slime

What kid doesn't like to play with slime? Although a lot of slime recipes are made with borax, we've got three recipes here that are borax-free and contain simple household ingredients like cornstarch. Some other ideas we have are glitter slime (using borax) or a really fun edible slime recipe that is made with sweetened condensed milk and cornstarch.

Tissue Paper Stained Glass Windows

This easy project is great for developing small children's fine motor skills. All you need is tissue paper, colored construction paper, and clear contact paper.

First, cut 1/2″ to 1″ square shapes out of the tissue paper.  Second, cut a frame out of the paper (it can be heart-shaped, rectangular, square, etc.). Place your paper frame on the contact paper and have your little ones place the tissue paper on the sticky contact paper within the frame. Once they're done, place a second sheet to seal it off, and then cut off the excess.

Hang their creation in the window and see the sunlight stream through the tissue paper.

Pinecone Bird Feeders

You can make a DIY bird feeder with your kids in about five minutes. And once it's done, and you hang it up outside, you can have the enjoyment of watching the birds come in for a treat. Here is a simple tutorial from Country Hill Cottage using pinecones, peanut butter, birdseed, and twine. Note: if you have a peanut allergy, you can still make these using sunflower seed butter, soy nut butter, suet, or vegetable shortening.

Pipe Cleaner Crafts

Kids don't need fancy supplies to get creative. Offer up some pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and glue, and see what creations kids can come up with. Check out these pipe cleaner craft ideas for inspiration.

Coffee Filter Butterflies

We got this idea from One Little Project. The only supplies you need are coffee filters, washable markers, pipe cleaners, and an eye dropper or small measuring spoon. To get started, flatten the coffee filters out a bit and have your kids color them. Next, use the eye dropper to drop water on the colored filters until they are wet. Once completely dry, fold them up accordion style, attach the pipe cleaner, and spread them apart. (Take a look at the instructions here and you'll see how easy it is.)

Salt and Watercolors (Raised Salt Paintings)

As long as you have cardstock or construction paper, white glue, table salt, and watercolors, you can get started on this unique craft. Take a look at the easy instructions here from Artful Parent.

Puffy Paint

We're back with One Little Project for an easy tutorial on puffy paint. Check out the blog for the full instructions on how to make puffy paint using only three household items: shaving cream, white glue, and food coloring. The paintings turn out puffy and colorful, and seem to pop off the paper.

DIY Popsicle Stick Puppets

Kids love puppets, but it's really fun to make your own. Your child can create any puppet they want by cutting shapes out of construction paper and gluing them to popsicle sticks. They can color their faces with markers or glue on googly eyes. For ideas, check out Momcaster, where they also suggest using items like felt scraps and buttons. Or Big Family Blessings has a cute idea to make DIY popsicle sheep puppets.

Homemade Bath Salts

Scented bath salts can make bathtime more fun. Or add them to a pretty glass container, and they make a beautiful and thoughtful gift. All you need are Epsom salts, essential oils, and liquid food color (optional). Check out this easy tutorial for instructions.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com