Arts and Craft Supply Gift Ideas

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Arts and craft supplies make great holiday (and birthday) gifts for kids.  They are relatively inexpensive and easy to find.  You can make gifts out of things you would probably buy anyway, such as crayons and markers.  Kids can use them for fun at home or have them on hand for school projects and assignments.

Here is a list of some arts and craft supplies that we use in our house.  The list is not exhaustive, of course.  However, it is a good start and may give you some ideas.

Kids’ Art and Craft Supply Ideas:

Easel 

If you have room for an easel, they are great for kids to do artwork on. An easel with adjustable height is even better.

Easel Supplies

1. Rolls of paper: An easel that allows you to attach a roll of paper is more versatile.
2. Jumbo crayons:  The really big crayons are good for the really big space on an easel.
3. Dry erase markers: If your easel has a dry erase side, you’ll need dry erase markers.
4. Dry erase board cleaner:  Dry erase markers can cause a buildup over time. If you use cleaner made for dry erase boards, that will do the trick.
5. Chalk: If your easel has a chalk side, you’ll need chalk. The less-dusty kind is great.
6. Eraser: We have an eraser for the chalk, and an eraser for the dry erase side. Erasers usually don’t work super-well, so you have to actually clean the boards periodically.
7. Art smock: We hang our smocks right on the easel, so they are always handy
8. Spill mat/floor mat: We literally just use a giant outdoor trash bag that we unfold and set the easel on top of it when my son is doing the messier artwork.

Other Supplies

1. Storage bins: I prefer clear (so you can see into them), plastic (so you can clean them), and a bin with a lid (prevents spills, dust, etc.). I store crayons, magnets, paper, etc. in our bins.  Just use them for whatever you need.  I like to use all of the same style/brand for a clean, uniform look.
2. Dry erase/magnetic board—If your easel does not have a dry erase/magnetic board, you can hang one up separately
3. magnets for the magnet board—We like the letters and numbers, animals, dinosaurs, etc.
4. Safety scissors
5. Decorative edge scissors
6. Pencil erasers: Kids often like to erase for fun, so it’s a good idea to have nice, big pencil erasers
7. Colored pencils: These are both fun and practical, as your child can practice holding a pencil for school. Many times the grip that kids use on crayons is not the grip they need to use on pencils.
8. Pencil sharpener: Keep pencils sharpened and teach your child to safely use a pencil sharpener
9. Markers, washable (curse non-washable markers!! 🙂 )
10. Dot markers, washable: Dot markers are fun, but they make dot markers for Bingo players/adults that aren’t washable. Make sure to get the kind for kids.
11. Stamper markers: Several brands make markers that act as a stamper.
12. Rulers: It’s good to introduce kids to rulers young. They can learn how measuring works, and how to draw a basic line
13. Stamps
14. Stickers: My son is a “sticker-aholic.” He loves stickers!  Buying separate sticker pages can get costly.  Sticker pads are a great option.  Michael’s often has them based on holidays/seasons for $1.00 each (the Creatology or Paco brand).  My son likes to put stickers on construction paper or other things that he makes.
15. Sticker books: Sticker books are fun if your child likes a certain theme, or likes direction as to where to put stickers
16. Watercolors, washable
17. Watercolor books or paper—There are little craft books that your child can use water on a brush and paint in. Or you can buy thicker style watercolor paper.
18. Glue bottles
19. Glue sticks
20. Glitter : If you’re brave, glitter is awesome.  As for me, I won’t allow it in the house 🙂
21. Colored masking tape
22. Paint brushes:  A variety is a great idea.  Use smaller paint brushes for watercolors and bigger ones for paint.
23. Paper bags: Plain or colored paper bags are great. We use paper bags to make puppets.
24. Paper towel and toilet paper rolls: We use these for a variety of projects.  It’s a great way to reuse them.
25. Clear, plastic drinking cups: We use these to put paint colors in, and then set them in the holders on the easel. When we’re done, we throw them away. They make paint cups intended for certain easels, but why spend the extra money?  Plus, then you have to clean them out to reuse them.
26. Paper plates, plain, different sizes: My son likes to glue things to paper plates, put stickers on them, etc. They are all-purpose.
27. Rubber bands
28. Craft sticks
29. Drinking straws: We use these for random things, like puppet arms. You can staple things to them.
30. Wire craft sticks/pipe cleaners
31. Fake feathers
32. Pompoms: Known as “fluffy balls” in our house, these are an all-purpose item. My son will sometimes just glue a bunch of them onto a paper plate, or he’ll make faces with them.
33. Googly eyes: Another all-purpose item, good for puppets, faces, or my son just likes to glue a bunch of them down.
34. Stencils—For kids, look for bigger stencils with less detail in them. We have a set of animals, letters and numbers, vehicles.
35. Spiral notebooks:It’s great to introduce kids to writing on lined paper. The paper is attached but you can also tear it out.  My son likes to color pages, or put stickers in spiral notebooks.
36. Wide-lined paper: We use this to practice writing.  You can get whichever size lines for your child’s age.
37. Coloring books or coloring pages
38. Construction paper
39. Felt pieces
40. Fabric scraps: I sew, so I always have some fabric scraps around. If you don’t sew, you can buy inexpensive scraps at a craft or fabric store.
41. Ribbon
42. Velcro: I like the self-stick kind for puppets and fixing random things.

Happy crafting!!

What else do you like to use for arts and crafts?  What are some other supplies that you suggest?  What have you created with your little one?  Share it in our comments!

–Mellie