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What can you make when you’re bored at home? Start with what you already have: scrap paper, an empty box, leftover yarn, or a few beads can become a small project without a special shopping trip. These 27 ideas range from low-mess folding and drawing to crafts that use paint, glue, or dough. Pick one based on your supplies, the kind of mess you’re comfortable with, and whether you want a quick activity or something to finish later.
Start with paper, scissors, and a pencil
Paper crafts are good first choices when you want to make something without gathering many supplies. The Maine State Library lists origami, tangrams, snowflakes, and other take-home projects; the Natural History Museum in London also offers folded-paper and template activities.
- Fold an origami heart. Use a square of paper and follow the Maine State Library’s origami-heart instructions.
- Fold an origami frog. The Natural History Museum has a simple paper frog activity; use its folding instructions.
- Cut paper snowflakes. Fold paper, cut a pattern, then open it to reveal the design. The museum also provides printable animal-snowflake templates at the same activity page.
- Make a tangram picture. Cut or print the shapes from the library’s tangram template, then arrange them into an animal, object, or abstract design.
- Illustrate a poem. Choose a poem you like and draw or collage an image inspired by it. This is one of the activities listed by the Maine State Library.
- Make a paper-plate ocean scene. Draw or collage sea life onto a plate; the library lists this as a project in its Make & Take collection.
- Draw and decorate a mini canvas. Try a tiny landscape, pattern, or abstract painting. Mini-canvas projects appear in the library’s project collection.
- Try scratch art. Use a prepared scratch-art surface and reveal a design by scratching through its top layer. The library includes scratch art among its activities.
Turn packaging into something new
If you have a cardboard box, cereal box, paper roll, or egg carton, you may already have the starting point for a craft. PBS KIDS groups more than 50 upcycling ideas by reused household materials, including paper rolls, egg cartons, cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, cartons, and bags. Its DIY Upcycling Activities page has project instructions for these ideas.
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- Make a paper-roll butterfly. Decorate a cardboard tube and add paper wings.
- Turn a paper roll into a maraca. PBS KIDS also lists maraca projects made with rolls or cartons. Check its instructions for how to assemble and close the container.
- Make an egg-carton flower garland. Cut and decorate carton cups as flowers, then join them into a garland by following the project directions.
- Create an egg-carton turtle. Use a carton cup as the shell and add a head and legs.
- Build a small cardboard house or play scene. A box can become a little room, house, or setting for toys and stories.
- Make a cereal-box cityscape. Cut and decorate the box as buildings, then arrange it as a little skyline or play scene.
- Make a cardboard crown. A cereal box can supply the cardboard; decorate the crown with patterns, shapes, or drawings.
- Create a puppet and a short scene. Make a paper or cardboard character, then invent a small story to perform. PBS KIDS’ collection includes puppets and puppet-theater projects.
Reused packaging can reduce the need to buy craft materials, but some projects call for cutting, glue, or other supplies. Follow the linked project directions, especially when a child is using scissors or small pieces.
Use thread, yarn, beads, or felt
Choose these ideas if you already have a bit of yarn, cord, felt, or beads. They can be personalized with colors, letters, and patterns; some use small parts, so choose an activity and supervision that suit the maker.
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- Make a friendship bracelet. Use thread, cord, or beads. Both the Maine State Library and Camp Darcy include bracelet activities.
- Spell a name or message with alphabet beads. Add letter beads to a bracelet for a personalized version of the idea described by Camp Darcy.
- Set up a bracelet bar. Lay out a few cords and bead choices, then try different color patterns before assembling a bracelet. Camp Darcy presents this as a bracelet-making activity.
- Make a friendship pin. Add beads to a safety pin as described by Camp Darcy. Because the project uses a sharp pin and small beads, it needs appropriate supervision.
- Make a pom-pom decoration or necklace. Try a single pom-pom, a hanging decoration, or a jewelry variation. Pom-poms appear in the library’s project list, and Camp Darcy describes pom-pom jewelry.
- Try finger knitting. Use yarn to make a simple knitted strand with your fingers, following the library’s finger-knitting instructions.
- Cut felt shapes for a scene or garland. Arrange felt pieces into a little picture or string them into a decoration; both types of project appear in Camp Darcy’s craft ideas.
- Make a felt-letter banner. Cut letters and attach them to pennants to spell a name or short message, following the idea described by Camp Darcy.
- Make a no-sew knotted hair tie. Use fabric and knots rather than stitching, as in Camp Darcy’s no-sew hair-tie project.
Try a nature or dough project
These projects use materials beyond paper and packaging, and may involve waiting for a result to dry or appear. Use the Natural History Museum’s activity directions for the required materials and method rather than substituting steps.
- Make a sun print with leaves or flowers. Arrange natural items using the museum’s sun-print activity and follow its material and sunlight directions.
- Shape a salt-dough ammonite fossil. The museum provides a salt-dough fossil activity. Check its recipe and drying directions before starting.
Choose a craft that fits your supplies and patience
There is no universal time, cost, or age rating for these ideas. The project pages offer activities, not a shared comparison of how long each takes or how messy it is. Use the materials and steps in the linked instructions to decide what fits your situation.
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| What you want | Ideas to consider | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Use what is already around | Origami, snowflakes, tangrams, or a packaging craft | Whether you have suitable paper or clean, usable packaging |
| Keep the activity relatively dry | Paper folding, cutting, drawing, or thread work | Paper crafts may still need scissors; thread crafts may use needles or small beads depending on the method |
| Make something with paint, glue, or dough | Mini canvas, paper-plate scene, packaging craft, or salt-dough fossil | Protect the work surface and check whether the instructions call for drying or another follow-up step |
| Make a small gift or personal item | Friendship bracelet, alphabet-bead bracelet, pom-pom jewelry, or felt banner | Choose a color, name, or message before assembling |
| Share the activity or invent a game | Cardboard house, cityscape, puppet, or bracelet bar | Decide who will handle any cutting or small parts |
Optional supplies to gather
Check drawers and recycling first. If you do need to fill a gap, a few basic materials support several of the ideas above:
- Paper: Scrap paper is enough for drawing, templates, and many paper crafts. Origami paper is an optional choice for folding projects.
- Packaging: Save clean paper rolls, cereal boxes, egg cartons, and small cardboard boxes for upcycling ideas.
- Thread and beads: Bracelet cord or embroidery floss and a small selection of beads can support bracelet variations.
- Basic making tools: Keep scissors, glue, and drawing materials on hand only as needed for the chosen project, with supervision appropriate to the user and task.
The Maine State Library describes its take-home project kits for various ages as “simple, easy, and inexpensive.” Its collection and the other linked project pages offer starting points, but the individual instructions determine what a particular craft requires.
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