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Crafts
The 25 Craft Supplies You Need to Make Hundreds of Crafts
By Jennifer Cox
PHOTO © Sergey Novikov/123RF
Feb 15, 2018
Whether you're a crafting novice or a total pro, there's one thing you and your kids need to ensure hours and hours of creativity: a well-stocked supply pantry.
With the right materials, you will have no trouble building a tiny (or huge!) city, putting on a show or making something special for a friend. In fact, it will seem like the possibilities are endless, and they are! Very quickly you'll be able to see your child's imagination at play, and all it took was some odds and ends, a handful of dollar store grabs and maybe a recyclable or two.
So let's get crafty! Here's everything you'll need to create a great base:
25 Items Every Crafter Needs
Click on an item to find new crafts to try with your new supply stockpile!
- Popsicle or wooden craft sticks
- Pompoms
- Paper towel rolls
- Paper plates
- Coffee filters
- Corks
- Styrofoam balls
- Buttons
- Pipe cleaners
- Feathers
- Beads
- Paper lunch bags
- Rocks
- Yarn
- Washi tape
- Play dough
- Sharpie markers
- Construction paper
- Card stock
- Magnets
- Googly eyes
- Washable paints
- Tissue boxes
- Egg cartons
- Clothespins
Popsicle or wooden craft sticks
This simple supply is so reminiscent of my childhood, and it can be used to make cool structural items like a spaceship or a watchtower. But there are so many different ways to play with sticks! Try making an evening routine jar, a rainbow popsicle stick pencil holder or a birdhouse!
Pompoms
These soft puffballs come in a variety of sizes and colours, and kids can turn them into animals or shapes found in nature. They can even make Princess Presto's wand!
Paper towel rolls
Don’t throw out these handy rolls. Use them in their entirety or cut them down a bit to make rain sticks, a cardboard castle desk organizer or painted snowglobes!
Paper plates
There are tons of paper plate crafts out there. Try making folded paper plate owls, purses, dreamcatchers, rainbow mandalas and tambourines!
Coffee filters
Coffee filters have this unique ability to mix and swirl colours when dampened. And they’re very pliable. You can make monarch butterflies, daffodils, poppies (perfect for Remembrance Day!) and more cute flowers!
Corks
Had some wine? After all, you need corks for crafts! Like a cork-stamped flower wreath!
Styrofoam balls
Whether you get small or big ones doesn't matter, because these balls can be decorated easily and transformed into all kinds of cool things. For example? Making a soccer ball for these adorable soccer player finger puppets. 
Buttons
Give these little gems the recognition they deserve! With buttons, there are thousands of options, so you’ll find plenty of uses for them. Try a Canadian flag button craft for a bit of national pride!
Pipe cleaners
Everyone loves fuzzy, bendy pipe cleaners because they’re so versatile. Make everything from a backyard heart bird feeder to a snowflake!
Feathers
Whether it’s a birdie craft or something a bit more zany, feathers in all colours and sizes will be a go-to supply for little working hands. Try making these rocking birdies!
Beads
Younger children will enjoy simpler versions, like pasta or thick wooden beads, while older kids with more fine-tuned motor skills will be able to manipulate smaller beads, like fuse beads. Your kids will love painting and assembling wooden bead necklaces or making fuse bead bike license plates!
Paper lunch bags
They’re not just for lunch anymore! They can be used to make all sorts of cool crafts, like a Canadian animal paper bag puppet or a monster hat!
Rocks
Collect rocks wherever you go and then use them in activities, like making an indoor sand castle!
Yarn
Knitting and needlepoint can always be fun for older children to learn, but yarn can also be used in an infinite number of ways during craft time. Your kids will get a kick out of making this star stick mobile, which also uses found objects. So, the little ones also get time outside!
Washi tape
This decorative tape is available in an endless array of colours and designs, and everything looks prettier with Washi tape! Kids can make your flower pots cooler, but they can also make a unicorn horn!
Play dough
Standard play dough or air dry clay can be formed into all kinds of neat objects. To start, why not try making a play dough snowman set or a Busytown Mysteries car!
Sharpie markers
Yes, they’re permanent, so these will definitely require adult supervision, but they’re very useful for precision and a little bit of magic. You can use Sharpies to colourful CD suncatchers and tie-dye bookmarks!
Construction paper
Have lots of it, in all different colours, because kids love construction paper and the projects that come along with having a rainbow of options. Try some pencil pinwheels to start! 
Card stock
If a craft calls for sturdier paper, you’ll want to have stronger, thicker card stock on hand. Perfect for a marbled shaving cream art project or a stained-glass butterfly crown!
Magnets
You’ll find magnets in the craft aisle of your local dollar store — you can buy little round individual magnets or a rolled strip of magnet that can be cut down to size. Take a trip to the moon and stars with a space-themed craft or create DIY magnetic bean frames!
Crafts:
Googly eyes
Big and small, black and white or super colourful, googly eyes are always a funny supply to have in your toolbox. They'll add expression to recycle robots and a paper plate cat!
Washable paints
Have a few bottles of washable paint in stock, and a variety of brushes, too. Once you have the supplies, you can make art with basketballs or create a stamped leaf garland of thanks!
Tissue boxes
Imaginations run wild with these empty boxes, which can be transformed into a guitar, buildings, or whatever else your child thinks of! I recommend making your own instruments!
Egg cartons
There’s so much you can do with an old empty egg carton, whether you use the whole thing or the individual parts of the container. Plus, it makes for a great paint holder (pour paints into the separated cups and stand the brushes up in the middle, and when you’re done, just close the lid and your paint won’t dry out!). Try making a duo of egg carton bouquets, or an egg carton Froog!
Clothespins
The opening-and-closing mechanism makes clothespins intriguing for kids to use in arts and crafts. You can make a letter recognition game called ABCs on the clothesline! 
Jennifer Cox
Read more Jennifer here.
Jennifer Cox is the mama behind Whoa Mama! on Instagram and Facebook, where she shares her craft and DIY projects at home. She is also the mama of an eight-year old. She is a self-proclaimed addict of kids' books, and she admits to spending way too much time after her son goes to bed scouring Pinterest. She's also written for Today's Parent, Parents Canada, Today's Bride, and more.
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