Personally I think everyone should have a Crafty box in their house. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is a good-sized box containing all sorts of items for doing sudden crafts with. Think of it as what the people from Blue Peter probably have under their desk!

It should sit poised and ready especially if you have children and get (as often happens) a last minute request for some random requirement for an art project they have probably known about for more weeks than they’d like to admit!

As a child there were many days I watched programmes like Blue Peter or Art Attack and some interesting project would be created. I’d rush to my parents only to find they had JUST thrown away that egg box or washing up bottle that would have been perfect and I would now have to wait until the new one had been used.

It wasn’t just programmes either which created an idea, there were art projects from school and these didn’t stop at Primary. Even into high school my teachers could always find some unusual ideas. I once remember in Science class having to build a mini house designed to keep heat in and reduce sound.

I never really lost the “creative” bug and so still come up with some very strange craft ideas. This has probably increased since I got rid of the TV. So I still have a full crafty box ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice!

So, whether you are crafty yourself or have children and feel it better to be prepared! Here are some ideas for your Crafty box:

THE BOX
First, you will need a box to keep your crafty items in. My advice, it should be bigger than a shoebox. Why, because you should have 2 shoe boxes in there ready! Make sure it’s sturdy and can be closed. Getting one of those stackable storage boxes can be very useful! It will also stop you from using the box itself in an art project and thus leaving you with lots of items without a home.

THE ITEMS

Shoeboxes
I can’t even remember just how many projects I did that involved a shoebox. They appear to be the perfect size for a lot of projects whether it’s “building a mini house” as mentioned above or a diorama scene. Keep at least two with lids! You can also put other items into them to save space.

String
Most houses have string but when you need it is the time when you run out. So keep a small ball of string in the Crafty box JUST for use on craft projects. It may also be a good idea to keep odd shoelaces in here too that can substitute for regular string.

Pots
Yoghurt pots of various sizes have always been the very centre of all Crafty boxes. They are our paint pots, our puppet hats, our candle moulds or even just to draw around to get the perfect sized circle! Keep a good few in your crafty box as they will prove invaluable.

Egg boxes
Cardboard, plastic, foam whichever you happen to have keep at least two! Perfect for storage or add great texture if used as the scaly hide of a dragon or cut into the little individual cups.

Glitter
Glitter, the scourge of a clean house! It does not matter how well you prepare you will be finding glitter for weeks after you finish your project! The last time I handled glitter was on an Xmas card. I am STILL finding it all over the house! However it is great for crafts and there will be some project (usually for Christmas) that will require it.

Cardboard
The best cardboard to keep is cereal boxes. Cut them up so you have several of the larger pieces that make up the front and back of the box. Then whether you need to make stencils, or cut out special shapes or even just as a makeshift mat to keep the glitter and glue off the table these are perfect!

Newspaper
Mainly used for protecting surfaces for when crafting is in full swing! But newspaper has some uses all of its own such as papier mache. So keep a few full newspapers handy.

Scissors
Scissors seem to have a very good talent for going missing so like the string, keep a special pair in your Crafty box. If the box is for kids, keep a pair of safety scissors inside for them. Scissors are invaluable, not just for cutting but for scoring or curling ribbon!

Glue
Try and get some nice eco-glue and keep a stick or tub of it in the box. It will mainly be for cardboard, glitter and paper so it doesn’t need to be the super stuff! But always keep the lid on tight when not in use otherwise your crafty box will become a crafty mess!

Material
Scraps of material are good to keep hold of. So if you have old pillow cases, old t-shirts that could normally be torn up for rags or just thrown out, keep them in your crafty box. Many a puppet made at school needed an outfit!

Sparklies
Sparklies, the perfect term for items such as beads, shells, glass nuggets etc that adds the “decorative” part to any project. Get yourself a few jars, the small ones for jam or paste are good sizes for keeping them stored. Be aware of keeping very small items if you have young children who use the crafty box! If you do keep such things, think about storing them in child-proof tubs (such as old medicine bottles).

Stationary
Have a set of pencils (don’t forget the sharpeners!), pens, rulers and rubbers because they are always needed. It will save you hunting the house for a pencil later. (Personally I think pencils elope with scissors because they all vanish at the same time!)

Bottles
Plastic bottles can always be good in crafts, they can be rockets or ships or the body template for a papier mache dummy. If you have managed to rid your house of plastic bottles in an eco-drive, I am sure someone at work or a neighbour will still use them so try and snag a few in different sizes!

These are just a few ideas for items to keep in your crafty box.

Eventually as you add more items, ideas for projects start to grow! This is great if you need to keep the children entertained over the long summer holidays or if you run a group such as Brownies or Rainbows.

If there are any other Crafties out there with other ideas for the Crafty box, please add a comment here with your suggestions! 

For additional ideas please check out my Reuse for the Crafty

Categories: children, craft

Tags: art tools, creative box

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