Essential craft supplies to keep in the house

Everyday craft supplies found in the home

Many crafting supplies can be found around the home. In addition to your trash and recycling bins, create a crafting bin and start collecting items around your home as they appear and teach your children about the art of reusing. Suddenly an empty toilet paper roll, empty tissue box, cardboard boxes and scrap paper all have a new purpose and can be used for fun and simple crafting at home.

Things found around the home to keep for art projects:

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Essential craft supplies to keep on hand for kids

There are easy to find and inexpensive craft supplies that can be used many times over and for multiple arts and crafts projects with kids. Take this list with you next time you’re out and about to stock your craft closet or drawer with crafting must-haves.

• Paint: Paints can be used on paper and with paintbrushes, sticks, marbles, bubble wrap or fingers.

• Wooden sticks: Wooden sticks make a great addition to puppets, stick buildings and fake flowers.

• Beads: Use beads to make homemade jewelry or to decorate different creations.

• Craft glue: Glue is a staple item when it comes to crafting with kids.

• Drawing paper: Every artist needs a place to sketch and draw before creating a masterpiece.

• Markers and crayons: Bring some color to the paper, your puppets and play houses with a wide variety of colored markers and crayons.

• Kid-friendly scissors: Scissors allow a child's imagination to run wild. Create grass by cutting slits in green paper and a sail for your wooden stick boat by cutting a triangle. Just make sure the scissors are out of a young child's reach for safety precautions.

• Ruler: Create perfect lines and shapes with a ruler to enhance your crafting experience.

• Compass: A compass is the best trick in the book when it comes to creating different circle sizes.

Craft supplies that spark a child's imagination

Sometimes children need ideas or something to spark inspiration. Craft kits make a great gift, rainy day activity or help get your child engrossed in a positive activity.

Check out the Alex Toys Eco Crafts Kit (Amazon Prime, $15). With this mega-kit your kids can create 20 earth-friendly projects using everything from recycled paper to wooden buttons. This craft kit is aimed at ages 6 and above.

Kids love kaleidoscopes and they'll love making their own even more! This Cool Kaleidoscope Craft Kit (Discount School Supply, $14) features enough materials to build 12 of them! It's perfect for parties or anytime your kids want to get crafty.

This ToySmith Green Creativity Kit (Green Apple Supply, $7) provides parents and children with the necessary supplies for a creative art project.

Why it’s important for children to have arts and crafts time

Keeping a closet, drawer or space for arts and crafts supplies is an open invitation for a child to use his or her imagination. The beauty about kids doing craft projects is there’s really no need for a child to ask, like he or she would to turn on the TV or go play outside with a friend — with the exception of paints and other messy materials. When you give a child the option to choose an activity at their leisure, they are more likely to initiate the activity and accomplish results with a positive and creative outcome.

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