Amber from Kids Craft Weekly is one of our primary sources for kid craft ideas, all year long. Amber and her two children create their crafts together and share ideas based on a theme in an online newsletter. Check out the impressive archives, and sign up for newsletter updates! In addition to sharing some of her favorite kid craft ideas for the holidays with us, Amber has provided some wonderful prizes for fifteen winners today. See the details below, and comment today for your chance to win.
From Amber:
Hello to everyone at Sew,Mama,Sew! My name is Amber and I’m crazy about kid’s craft. I started the Kids Craft Weekly website and newsletter back in 2006 as an outlet for the insane number of craft ideas going around in my head at any given time. My free theme-based email newsletter now gets sent to more than 20,000 people from all corners of the globe. You can check out previous issues and subscribe to future ones at www.kidscraftweekly.com.
I’m a big believer in *simple* kid’s craft. First and foremost I like craft ideas that have a fun process and that use everyday objects. If the finished product is really cool then that’s great too but I tend to discourage people from focusing too much on the outcome. That’s tricky with gifts of course (!) but I’m convinced that the key to a positive parent/child crafting experience is for everyone to be chilled out – particularly important at this time of year!
I hope that these craft ideas inspire you and that you and your little ones have a great time working on them!
Make It
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For parents – a miniature work of art Child-painted canvases (2) are a great present for proud parents and doting grandparents. Consider purchasing a set of small canvases – one for each child perhaps.When doing this craft with very young kids it’s a good idea to think carefully about which colours you will give them to paint with, and whether you would like to prime the canvas with a different colour before you start. |
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For relatives – a colourful framed picture Using this technique (3), kids can transform their favourite artwork into something even more special – perfect to hang on the wall or stick to the fridge! We’ve used rectangular lids but I think these would look great with circular or square lids also. |
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For grandparents – a beautiful hand-crafted bowl These translucent paper maché bowls (4) are simple to make and beautiful to look at. Perfect for gifts, you can fill them up with something special or simply give them as is. |
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For teachers – a colourful bouquet Show your appreciation with a bouquet of child-made paper flowers (5) and perhaps a gift voucher for a local book shop or department store. |
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For children – a teeny bucket of trinkets or treats Children as young as three can help to make these adorable little buckets (6) and then fill them with whatever they fancy – a great gift for their friends! |
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For someone special – a treasure made from clay When children work with clay it encourages them to plan and create a permanent object. These custom-created clay treasures make meaningful gifts for the closest friends.When buying clay, make sure you get the kind that hardens with exposure to air rather than the kind that requires baking in a kiln. For those just starting out with clay, here are a couple of projects to try: Clay Beads & Pinch Pots (7). |
Win It
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Everyday Craft & Christmas Craft mini-booksAmber has graciously offered a bevy of fantastic prizes today. Her Everyday Craft book is a hardback mini-book full of great ideas to keep everyone busy and inspired; it’s “an indispensable guide for parents, grandparents, childcare workers, teachers and anyone else who wants to explore creativity with the children in their lives.” Find more information, sample pages and how to order via the Kids Craft Weekly website, and comment today to win one of five free copies! |
Amber is also giving ten free copies of her Christmas Craft mini-book, “twenty pages of the ultimate in Christmas crafting for kids.” Christmas Craft is a PDF so once winners are selected the kids can get right to work! Comment today for your chance to win (that’s fifteen winners today!).
Don’t forget: There’s still time to enter to win our giveaway from the first kid craft ideas post via The Crafty Crow!
» Sewing Inspiration, Sewing With Kids » More!… Kid Craft Ideas for the...
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Thanks for this! Perfect timing!
the bowls for me!
How cool! I am so glad y’all posted about the Kids Craft site, AND that I actually caught it. Now we’ll have some new ideas to try out over the holidays.
definately going to try the bowl! looks like messy fun!
This is fantastic! Not only am I a mom of two, but I’m also a director and preschool teacher of a small center… and always looking for new ideas! Thanks!
My girls love to craft!
Thanks for the ideas! I’d love to win the Xmas booklet.
My Grandsons and I enjoy crafting together often….love the bowl making project! But they are all wonderful crafts to create together, Thanks!
I love Kids Craft Weekly. I read it every week and pick out all the fun things I want to do with my 3-year-old.
I could use some new crafting ideas for my three! Thanks!
I have 5 nephews who LOVE crafts. These are great ideas!
Yeah! how great…I LOVE doing crafts with my daughter and can’t wait to try some of these!
The paper bowls are great. My son brought home one of these from school last month and it’s still sitting on our living room shelf holding some sea glass treasures from our summer vacation. They are amazingly durable.
We are always looking for ideas and inspiration. Thanks!!! :~)
I’ve given up trying to think of my own crafty ideas to share with my girls. This site provides the wealth of information/ideas that I need – thank you!
What fun! I love the canvas idea. I’m so doing that for Mother’s Day!
I’m all about the crafts this year. Always excited to have some fresh inspiration!
Wow this is great! I’m going to go sign up for the weekly newsletter.
these are all great ideas! I cant wait for crafttime with my nephew!
Thanks for sharing, Those are great ideas. We are always crafting at my house. helena
Wow! What an amazing web-site. Thanks again for introducing us to so many great ideas online!
These are all such cute ideas. I can’t wait to try them all!
Help make a family very dear to my heart have a memorable Christmas. It only takes a stamp. http://www.three-peas.com/2008/12/operation-christmas-card.html
Very cute projects!
Great ideas! I will definitely be making some of these! Thanks!
I want to enter to win! I love these ideas and my almost-three-year-old is quite creative, already!
Great ideas – please enter my name for the draw!! Thanks!
I love crafts that the kids can do as presents for grandparents. What grandparent (aunt, uncle, etc) doesn’t love something made by a little one? A favorite in our house is carpet square with footprint snowmen & puff paint to write “Welcome” complete with lots of snowflakes, puff paint as the eye, nose, mouth on snowmen, and kids names written under their snowman. We do this every few years for grandparents
Melissa
What wonderful ideas! My little one is just 2 but already loves craft time.
This is an awesome blog. I just discovered it today and am having a blast looking around. I homeschool 4 kids so the book would be great for us!! Thanks for letting me enter!
Like the idea of not focusing on the result, but rather the process. So important as you say during this time of the year.
We have three little ones and this would be a great thing to have! Thanks for the chance.
What cute ideas!
i love the idea of giving kids their own real canvas to work on!
Those are some great ideas. I hope I’ve got time to follow through with some of them before the holiday is upon us. Otherwise, we’re giving gift certificates good for finished projects. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to exploring the kids’ crafts website and getting more ideas. We’re hosting a toddler cookie decorating party on Thursday, so nothing will be happening until after that.
Very cute. Love the child painting on canvas.
What neat ideas. I can’t wait till school finishes at the end of the week so we will have time to try some
With a 4 year old and an almost 3 year old under foot every day I’m always on the look out for fun projects… And boy, aren’t these fun! Love the bowls, I can see doing those and putting them in their room to collect odd trinkets. Great ideas:)
Oh how we’d love to win one of these. My 5 year old son was just threading some wool felt squares to form a wreath for his teacher (ala Family Fun magazine) and said ” I looove doing this”! Oh, the joy for his momma!! We love little projects together. Please, please, pick me, pick me.
Those are such cute ideas, thanks.
I awoke from a much-needed nap yesterday to find my husband helping my four-year-old daughter paint a child-size canvas. This is a GREAT idea! It was so fun to listen to her describe the monster’s world she was creating!
Great ideas! I’m going to pass this one on to my Sister-In-Law, she’ll love them!
Love the Christmas craft ideas, please enter me to win!
I am so happy to discover your newsletter–what a generous soul you are to take the time to share your ideas! Thank you! The bowl is especially lovely!
First, thank you for these consistently wonderful giveaways! I would love these books! And I like Amber’s philosophy that it isn’t about creating a gorgeous end-product all the time but about the creating itself. Bravo!
I’ve been a subscriber for a while and LOVE all of these ideas!
LOVE anything to do with kids crafts… lovely ideas!!
Such cute ideas!
Such great giveaways! I love the small canvas idea. My LO is only 1, so maybe next year on that one.
Excellent ideas. I love the canvas paintings!
Wonderful ideas! I need to subscribe to her newsletter. My kids love arts and crafts. Think they get it from me???
Thanks so much for these ideas! I’ve been looking for things my kids can make for family for Christmas!!
I am definitely sharing the kids craft weekly url! so glad to see it! this blog is awesome, too!
What fun ideas! I think we will tackle the bowls since we have a snow day tomorrow.
wow! there are great Ideas here! I’m going to add her to my favorites.
Mrs N
I have twin toddler boys and would love to have more ideas for crafting!
I’m getting my son a whole box full of crafting supplies for Christmas…now all I need are ideas! This is just in time! Thanks!
The painted canvases would surely be a treasured gift!
Amber, thank for sharing even more craft ideas. I love your newsletter and each month look forward to receiving it. Happy Holidays to you and your family! Sara
Wow, sounds and looks like a lot of fun. My girls would LOVE such a book! Thanks for another great resource.
Great ideas! Keep ‘em coming.
Might have to try some list! of these. We do an art project almost every friday with my 2 year old. He loves it and i love projects that don’t have a long shopping
Wow! Great ideas!
Love the ideas and craft books! Thanks for the offer!
I made those same clay beads in kindergarten and my mom still has the necklace. So cool to see it resurface. Some things are still good ideas years later.
Glad to be made aware of this person. Thanks you guys!
These are great gift ideas, love them. Especially the painted canvases. We paint a canvas over a couple of days to stretch out the painting experience and to save paper. My sons love it!
This would be perfect for my moms group.
love the kid craft ideas
Awesome craft ideas! I love getting the kids involved in making the holiday gifts.
It is so hard sometimes to find good kids crafts! Thank you.
Wow, you have some great projects. Love all your ideas.
Mary Ann M
My 6 year old daughter was looking over my shoulder as I read this, and she immediately found several things she wanted to make… thanks for the ideas for kids!
What great ideas- thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for the great ideas and giveaway! I love the cute little flower bouquet.
I love your newsletter. Thanks for all of the great ideas!
I love the kid’s canvas painting idea. What a great way to display a child’s creativity. And thanks so much for the great giveaway!
cool! I love using everyday objects in craft too. Cheers, Kat
What’s more fun than crafting? Crafting with your kids!
I love Kids Craft Weekly – love seeing it in my inbox.
great ideas! i love the flowers- really cute idea.
Wow what a great link….I have three children who love to craft, so now I have lots of new ideas!! Thanks!
We have the Everyday Craft book and love it. So many fun things to do. I’d love to win the Christmas crafting book!
I love to craft with my kids…count me in!
laura f
Another wonderful kids crafting post. Thank you. We love our crafts around here…running to the attic to scrounge up some canvases right now!
We’re always looking for more craft ideas around here!
We love kids crafts too!
Such wonderful and simple ideas! Love it!
I love the paper mache bowls, the framed pitures as refrigerator magnets and the painted canvases! I think my girls would love making these as much as the recipients will love getting them!
these are terrific ideas..i will keep some of them in mind for next year
I’m on the look out for things to do with my son, especially now that the weather is colder and we’re spending more time indoors.
I will definately add this great site to my favorites! Thanks for the ideas!
I just recently found your site, and it’s so inspirational. Thank you for taking the time to put this together for us! I am forwarding these Kids Crafts to my Mom for ideas- it’s nice to have something for the kids on Christmas Eve when we’re all cooking. Usually when we have a craft set up, though, all the adults leave their duties and sit to craft with the kids. It makes for a lovely way to spend time together. Thank you!
What great ideas, I love the little buckets! Very Cute!! Thanks!
kids art is great as wrapping paper too!
Nice! I’ve been straining my brain to come up with fun activities to do with my 2-year-old. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this is the first I’ve heard of Kids Craft Weekly – I almost feel cheated out of the awesome things my daughter and I could have been making all this time! Don’t worry, we (and my son) will definitely be making up for lost time. Thank you!
Cute ideas! We have made the paper mache` bowls before and we made our own paper first. While they were drying we put dried flowers on the outside and they turned out so pretty!
Wow. Such great ideas. I don’t have enough time to do it all, but love the time I have for crafting. Would like more resources; who wouldn’t?!
how fun!
We LOVE Kids Craft Weekly in our home. What a fabulous giveaway! Thanks for continuing to share some of the greatest ideas for kid’s crafts. Happy Holidays everyone!
These look like wonderful prizes!
I actually just went over to Ambers website and signed up for the newsletter. It looks like she has a lot of really cool ideas. I have a budding crafter in my house….. it is nice that she is three now and getting into a lot more crafty things.
We are heavy into kid crafting here. More ideas would be wonderful.
Thanks for all the great ideas! I can hardly wait for Christmas break to start!
Oh, I have some small canvases I got for something else that didn’t pan out. My kids would love this! Thanks for the great ideas, I’m always looking for fun and different projects for my kids!
What a fantastic resource! There are tons of ideas on the website, and I love the fact that they are not only educational and fun, but inexpensive!
I love crafting with my kids. My 2.5 year old can do quite a bit now and my 1 year old just started drawing with crayons today! This post is perfect. Seeing my kids make crafts remind me how much fun it is to be creative. I reminds me that I don’t always need a pattern to make cool things. Thanks for the constant inspirations.
These are wonderful ideas, Thanks!!
My kids are just old enough now to really enjoy crafts and sit still long enough to do them! looking forward to trying many of these out!
What a great book! Please include me!
I’m always looking for more craft ideas for my kids. Thanks!
Great ideas! I especially like the kids’ canvas paintings. What a nice way to “dress up” kids’ art and make it last.
Please enter me! I would personally be most interested in the everyday crafts, but winning is winning too….LOL
I am so excited to learn about all these craft ideas for kids. I am always looking for ideas for my 3 kids and their classrooms. What a great topic!
Oh, I love the paint the canvas idea. I can’t wait to try some of these crafts, we are enjoying a cold cold and snow day so what better way then to craft.
Thanks for sharing the many ideas
Please enter me in the drawing- I’m all about the craft ideas!
Thanks!
Fun ideas! Thank you.
What a great site! I am off to check out more!
I am trying to do so many new and different things with our kids. Some of these look like great things to try! Thanks so much! Missie
My oldest is just getting interested in crafting — I was just planning on making some clay for her make something this week! Thanks for all the great ideas!
we love amber’s newsletter in this house! Thanks for all of the ongoing great projects!
Wow! Great ideas…I’m ready to get started!
I love these ideas!! Thanks
Wonderful ideas!!
What fun ideas for crafts! I’ve been feeling my lack of craft ideas lately when I give my toddler a bowl of oatmeal to paint with on the table… Amber’s site was quickly added to my ‘Favorites’! Thanks!
I’m never disappointed with all the great kids craft ideas. I’m always looking for new and simple ideas for my 4 year old whom I’m homeschooling.
Awesome project ideas! Thanks! We will have to pick some to try!
My daughter loves to paint. I would love to find more ideas from the Kids Craft Weekly newsletter… going to go sign up now.
I love the bowl, I can’t wait until my little guy is old enough! (He’s only 13mo right now)
Too cute! I love the idea for parents, the little canvas!
I may have my two girls make me a painting!
I love the idea of the painted canvases!!
Great ideas! My little one is just on the verge of being able to do some simple crafts, and it is so helpful to get ideas of things to do together. We are big into handmade gifts, and I am so looking forward to including him in this tradition!
oh i love these type of crafts! My DD does too, I can hardly wait to show her some of the ideas
These are great ideas. My son loves crafts.
Great ideas, they look like fun!
My 11 year-old daughter would devour this book! Crossing my fingers.
Great ideas! I’m going to start my list of crafts for my kids to make for next Christmas now!
Oh, I love Kid’s Craft Weekly! These ideas are great and I’m so excited about the giveaway!!
Great ideas!
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!!
Those are some neat craft ideas, I am going to try some with my kids this week.
Wow what a great prize~ count me in please!
And thank you too I was wondering what I was going to do
today, we had a lot of Ice ..that means no school!
Take care all and keep warm!
Rane and 4 crazy kids!
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Add me to the giveaway! I already get the Kid Craft weekly newsletter and the book would be a great bonus!
These are all such great ideas – and we still have time to make them!
These are some super cute ideas! I love that handmade bowl and the bouquet
I love making crafts with my kids. this is great!!
All of these would be great to do with my nephews when they are at my house (which lacks toys)
These books look like good resources. I fall short when it comes to finding crafts my son and I can do together. Crafting is such a big part of my life that I’d like to include him in it more often.
I love the paper mache bowl! So clever!
What a generous give-away! Thanks! I know my boys would truly have a blast with the creative ideas in these collections. How fun?!
Wow this sounds awesome! I can get my preschooler involved!
Valerie
Please enter me for the giveaway. I have four kids who love to do all things crafty!! Thank You
Thanks for the link to kidscraftweekly. I’ve never been there before, but it looks like there are loads of great ideas!
I love kids craft weekly. I look forward to the e-mail and we have incorporated several ideas in our homsechooling day.
I teach little ones, and it’s so refreshing to see projects and ideas that focus on the child’s enjoyment and creativity, rather than the finished product (there are far too many teachers out there obsessed with the idea of their display looking perfect and losing any creative spark in the process, which I find very sad). Thanks for the great ideas!
Kids Craft Weekly is the BEST! When I found it I believe my exact reaction was, “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this sooner?”
We made a clay necklace for Grandma last year. It didn’t look nearly as nice! What great ideas, Thanks.
Awesome! I love kids crafts. Can’t wait until my son gets a bit older. He’s just now starting to draw instead of eating the crayons.
not sure I’ve ever been the FIRST to post!
I have sure admired Amber & her amazing ideas for quite a while.
thanks for sharing, SMS!
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I would love to win either one of these!
That book sounds great, especially for moms who plan on homeschooling and is always looking for fun crafts to do during their art lessons. I hope I win!
what a graet prize, and great ideas!!
Fingers crossed! Thanks to Amber for her generosity and to Sew, Mama, Sew for hosting this!
What wonderful ideas, I will definately check out her site!
What cute ideas! I can’t wait to try some of these with my daughters. Thanks!
How wonderful! I love the child-painted canvases idea! Thank you!
I love the little buckets and the clay bead necklace. These kid’s crafts posts are great. Thanks for the inspiration.
What wonderful ideas!
I love the bowls, most especially!
These kid craft posts are wonderful! Last night our church had a Christmas party and I used craft ideas that I found on the Crafty Crow blog (ice skate ornaments, and the foil tree Christmas cards). It was a major hit! The kids had a blast and everyone was commenting how cute and great the ideas were. So thanks for the post and helping out with our little party!
That translucent paper maché bowl is beautiful! I love it!
I love all these great kids’ crafting ideas! My two 2yo’s are a bit young for some of them, but I’m still getting great inspiration.
Oh! I can’t wait until my little one is old enough to start crafting! Would love to win! Thanks!
What great prizes! I hope I am lucky enough to get one of them! And what a great little site. I’ve been there and LOVE IT. It’s so fun to make time to spend doing up some of these fun crafts with my kids. Makes me feel young again.
Great ideas!
These are wonderful ideas… I’m going to the store and getting some canvas for my twins to paint.
Thanks,
carol