Arts and Crafts to do at Home
Now, there are a lot of projects to help engage and develop your creativity out there on the internet. Some are fake and complete waste of time because they are created for content farms (looking at you 5 Minute Crafts) and others require a bit more time or materials. So what are some real projects that you can do with little material and without having to spend three hours on (unless you want to…)?
Here are a few real ideas to keep your (and/or your kids) creativity well fed during quarantine:
A Number Doodle!
Materials: Paper and Pencils, Marker or Crayons
Write a number on a piece of paper. Now, you can turn the paper around in any direction you want (flip it upside down, to one side and then the next) and find a picture in it. Then draw in the picture using any color but the one you used to make the line. This is so that you can see the original line of the number.
Pictures from the Number 2 and 6.
The related, Squiggly Doodle!
Materials: Paper and Pencils, Marker or Crayons
The beauty of a doodle is that the same squiggly line can become so many different things! You never know what you’ll see and this helps keep your creativity muscle working. Remember: it’s very important to allow yourself to look at the squiggly line from all directions (upside down and on each side). This sparks an openness to creativity so that you are not stuck looking at something from one point of view ;) Repeat the same instructions as a numble doodle but free hand a squiggly line.
Pictures from different free hand doodles.
Scrap Pieces Animals
Materials: Things from recycling bin or other scraps around the house, maybe even food scraps, and a phone camera.
Take a cue from this wonderful artist -- Sabine Timm @virgin_honey-- and create some animals (or maybe space ships or cars or flowers) from scrap pieces in your recycling bin. Arrange the pieces (no need to glue or anything, and take a photo of them!)
Step 1: Collect scraps
Step 2: Arrange them out so you see what you are working with.
Step 3: Put together scraps pieces of paper to make unique creatures.
Homemade Puzzles
Materials: Paper with something on it like an ad from a magazine, or newspaper image, or anything with something written or drawn on it, and scissors
Love puzzles but can’t buy one right now? Just take a few magazines, newspapers or store flyers you got in the mail and cut up each sheet into interesting shapes or just random shapes (cut smaller shapes to make it more difficult). If you are doing this for yourself, cut up a few at a time and leave them for a while to make it more difficult. You can also combine pieces from two separate pages that perhaps look similar to make it even more difficult. And if your child doesn’t want to solve a puzzle, perhaps they might want to make one for you to solve.
Left is an easier puzzle, Right is a more difficult one. Made from a magazine ad.
Art can be therapeutic
Having fun right now is not only okay, it is necessary. It relaxes our nervous system, gives it a break and exercises our creativity which in turn helps us be better problem solvers.
I hope you are well and staying safe. We appreciate your commitment to the safety of our community and social distancing during this time.
Click here to learn more about creative expression therapy.
