Having trouble finding something for your crafty children to do without breaking the bank? Want to save money and allow your children to express their artistic side? Well, worry no more. Here are ten fun, easy craft projects that use things you already have around the house.

1. Pen holder – Any tall, thin container can be turned into a pen holder. Old coffee cans, jars, and even drinking glasses can be used. Cover the outside in interesting fabric or paper or paint it. It is as simple as that. Personalized pen holders make great gifts for office workers and add an exciting touch of color.
2. Paperweight – Virtually anything weighty can be used as a paperweight. For an entertaining kid-friendly project, find several hefty rocks and clean them off. If they are smooth, then have the kids drawn on them with markers or paint or even decorate the rocks with sticky eyes, making their own rock pets. If the rocks are too uneven then they can be covered in material, painted with acrylics, or decoupaged. Monster or alien paperweights are a hit with little boys.
3. Cookies in a jar – There are many variants to this simple standard- soup in a jar, chili in a jar- you get the idea. Whatever food your child likes best; they can make an enjoyable, attractive ‘kit’. All they need is a large mason jar with a lid and a few ingredients. By neatly layering the ingredients, the jar becomes an objet d’art as well as an easy-to-make meal. Embellish the jar with lively material over the lid or painted patterns along the glass. Make sure that you include a recipe so everyone knows how to recreate the treat later!
4. Bird bath or feeder – Do you have a clay pot and saucer hanging around? Yes? Well, your child can make a bird bath. Durable and easy to work with, clay pots provide a great medium for many art projects. Have the child turn the pot over and attach the saucer on the ‘bottom’ of the pot. Presto, they have a birdbath. You can even leave it unattached or unglued if the saucer is heavy enough to stay on by itself. That way it is easier to empty out the old water and refill it. Your child can paint or use markers to adorn the pot. Have them fill it with birdseed instead to make a simple birdfeeder.
5. Wind chimes – There are countless ways to make stunning wind chimes. One of the more stress-free is with a small clay pot, a rope, and a sea shell. Have the child turn the pot upside down and thread the rope through the drainage hole. Have them tie a knot large enough that the rope will not fall back through. Then, using a portion of fishing line, have them tie a sea shell to the knot, making sure it is suspended halfway out of the bottom of the pot. Hang the pot up outside and listen to the pleasant chimes. For more color, have the child paint or draw on the pot and even decorate the sea shell.
6. Treasure box - Any box will do. Old shoe boxes, gift boxes, any box with a lid can make a great treasure box. Have the kids decorate it with stickers, colorful paper, material, or even macaroni and they have a fun place to store the little odds and ends they pick up.
7. Collage – Wall art was never easier. Using old magazines and photos have children decorate a piece of poster board with all their favorite things, people, and places. Include the year somewhere on there and they can make a timeline of their interests and adventures. A perianal activity that will bring back great memories as they get older.
8. Journal – A personalized journal is a great way to get kids writing. A plain spiral notebook can be turned into an exciting work of art. Just have kids collage or decoupage the cover, adding their own personality to the notebook.
9. Storybook – Similar to a journal, a storybook is a great way to encourage artistic expression and creativity. Have children write their own story with illustrations and then bind it together in a book that they created. Thick paper, like construction paper, works best to keep the book together. Simply use a hole puncher and some yarn to tie it together.
10. Fun with boxes – A large box can become anything your kids desire. A spaceship, a doll house, a car, no matter what they are interested in, a cardboard box can become it. All it takes is some markers or crayons and a little imagination. You can help out by cutting windows and doors, and the box can even become a robot or alien costume in a pinch. Let your kids go crazy and see what they come up with.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to come up with fun, creative crafts for kids to do. Great for rainy days and holidays, kids will have fun using their imagination to create new things out of everyday ITEMS. You can even give some of their creations as gifts.