Part 1: Kid’s Craft Party – Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Hosting a craft party is a fun and simple way to celebrate a birthday and provide activities the kids will love. You don’t need expensive craft kits or a huge supply list. You just need some activity ideas, space to create some fun, and kids eager to make their own great crafts!

Setup your craft party to allow more than one activity to take place at a time. It’s much easier to manage just a few kids per activity, than the entire guest list all at once. Dividing up the activities will also allow kids to move at their own pace, if they finish before everyone else, they can simply move on to the next table. Just make sure you have enough helpers for each activity you offer.

Here are some ideas of supplies and activities you can use to host your own super fun craft party!

Decorating:
Curling ribbon, paper, markers and balloons. Hang Balloons using curling ribbon. Make banners, signs and an array of fun decorations using paper and markers. Instead of traditional streamers, make pretty garland and streamer decorations using curling ribbons. Tie in some paper flowers or fabric scraps to create a fun look at little cost.

Painting table:
If it’s a nice day, cover your patio table with paper and set out washable paints, brushes and of course painting shirts. Your party guests can paint their own piece of a giant mural that your child can hang on their wall. If you want to offer an option for your guests to keep and take home themselves, provide smaller pieces of paper to paint and hang to dry before they go home.

Jewelry table:
Combine assorted pony beads, large plastic buttons, plastic tubes and curling ribbon to make necklaces, bracelets and other fun accessories. Cut the ribbon or loopie cord at an angle so it’s easier to thread the beads. If you have really young guests, use chenille stems (pipe cleaners) to make colorful bracelets that are easier to hold and thread through the beads.

Coloring table:
Set out a bucket of crayons and a bucket of washable markers and invite your guests to color pictures. You can select from a variety of printable pages or tear pages out of your favorite color book. It’s amazing how many kids will spend time just coloring!

(This cupcake coloring page is a free download by Jen Goode)

Just for fun project table:
Offer an activity that is not necessarily project specific but more just for fun. Put small cans of Play Doh or Model Magic clay out in small bags for the kids to grab and play with. When they are finished playing, tie the bag with a ribbon and let them take their piece of clay home.

Make a crown table:
Use white cardboard crowns to decorate and make your own unique crowns. Color with markers, glue on  beads and buttons, add gems and sparkly stickers. If you use foam crowns, stickers and glitter glue are great accessories to decorate with, too. For extra fun, include features, puffy balls and other unique items to include on the crowns.

General activity ideas:

You can use the same craft supplies to create multiple activities, saving on supply costs. Using the same supplies will also help cut down on the need to demonstrate how to make a craft and allow more time for the kids to have fun making the project. Think of basic supplies you can combine with fun extras to create unique projects for your craft party.

Regardless of what activities you provide at your craft party, make sure to keep it organized and simple. Make sure supplies are easy to find and use , and don’t just dump all the supplies in the middle of the table – you’ll have supplies all over and frustrated guests. Provide an example for each project table if you think your guests may be new the activity.

Most importantly, have FUN when you host your craft party! Make sure your activities are age appropriate and you have plenty of grown-ups to help kids successfully create their masterpieces. Crafting is about creativity and there’s no right or wrong when it comes to creating something fantastic.

Jen Goode

Jen Goode is the owner and “doodler in charge,” a Denver based art and design studio. She has been a creative professional since 1996, developing art for a variety of uses in an array of mediums from handmade crafts to Graphic design and illustration. Jen, a designer member of CHA, is a tech savvy, work-at-home mom of 3 who shares her creative inspirations with other moms through her site Projects for Preschoolers and as a featured contributor on various sites throughout the web. Jen’s motto is “Inspiring Smiles Every Day.”