IDEA SET

IDEA SET

Arts and Crafts

Arts and Crafts

Get ideas for fun crafts you can make on your own or with a friend.

Grades

All

Subjects

Arts and Music, Experiential Learning

Photograph by Mark Thiessen and Becky Hale

Get ideas for fun arts and crafts you can make on your own or with a friend. Recycle everyday objects by turning them into works of art. Let your creativity shine!

Green recycling logo on a burlap sack
Recycled Art

Create a work of art made entirely of recycled objects. Using your family's or school’s recycling bin, collect cans, jars, and other recyclables. Add discarded wood or paper to create your artwork. Give your artwork away as a gift.

Photograph of rocks and a leaf.
Found-Object Art

Create a piece of art made entirely from products made or found in your community, such as plants, sticks, rocks, newspapers, local food, and more.

Photograph of a tree.
Create a Family Tree

Start by interviewing your family members. Get your family's help in researching parts of your family tree that are unknown.

Photograph of a bird on a branch.
Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder

Tie a piece of yarn or string to the top of a pine cone. Spread peanut butter onto the pine cone. Roll the pine cone in birdseed. Freeze it until hard. Hang it outside in a tree.

Photograph of a globe.
Make a Papier-Mâché Globe

Use newspaper strips and a balloon. Use colored paints to show land and water and add borders and labels.

Photograph of flags blowing in the wind.
Make a Flag

Country flags are designed to represent the history or ideals of a country. Design a flag that represents you—you can model it on your heritage, favorite activities, sports, animals, or family.

Photograph of a glass window ornament.
Make an Earth Pendant or Light Catcher

Trace the earth onto a piece of acetate, using colored cellophane for land and water, and hang it from your window with yarn.

Picture of colorful slippers.
Before You Recycle, Upcycle

Take something that you would otherwise throw out and find a way to make it into something else that you can use. For example, make a bag with fabric from clothes you don't want. Or turn a broken bowl into a plant pot.

Picture of fall foliage.
Draw the Seasons

Over the course of the upcoming year, draw a picture of a place in your yard or near your home at 6 p.m. on the autumnal equinox (September), the winter solstice (December), the vernal equinox (March), and the summer solstice (June). Include in your drawing as many natural things as you can, such as flowers, insects, and birds. Also include what they are doing, as well as things you see people doing, such as gardening, walking, or playing games. When you have drawn all four days, share the pictures with your family and talk about similarities and differences, depending on the season.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Writer
Christina Riska Simmons
Editor
Jessica Shea, National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society
Photo Researcher
Emily Connor
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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