How to Become the Crafty Mom for your Kids, When You Just Aren’t

Want to become the crafty mom, but you aren’t sure where to start? This is a great place to start. Learn how you can be more crafty with your children when you feel like you just aren’t!

The Crafty Mom

I feel like people categorize themselves as either a crafty mom or a non-crafty mom. Most people see “the crafty mom” as the mom who can make Pinterest-worthy crafts without skipping a beat. But what if I told you that you didn’t need to make the perfect craft to be a crafty mom?

I think it’s more of: I do crafts (or activities) with my kids, or I don’t do crafts and activities with my kids. However, I have heard from a variety of friends that they have the desire to do more crafts and activities with their kids, but they struggle. Sometimes it’s finding the time or the supplies. Other times it’s finding the motivation, the money, or the desire to clean up their mess.

*Disclaimer: I am in NO way saying that if you aren’t doing crafts and activities with your kids then you are a bad mom. I think all moms spend time with their kids in their own way and what works for them. I’m just speaking to the moms who wish they could be more “crafty” and have that desire, but seem stuck to get where they want to be.

What if I told you that crafting and doing activities with your kids doesn’t have to be so hard? It can be super simple and fun! Awesome can be fun! Plus, I have realized that the more I do with my kids, the more I want to do with my kids.

Side note: Sometimes it can seem very daunting to spend time with your kids (for me anyway). There is usually something else I’d rather be doing, and playing with kids can seem pretty boring. However, I have never regretted spending time with my kids, and I have almost always had a blast doing it. It’s good for adults to take time to be a kid again.

My Soap Box about Kids Crafts and Activities

Okay, maybe this really isn’t a soap box, but a little plug about doing crafts and activities with kids. I don’t LOVE doing crafts with my kids 100% of the time. Sometimes I don’t have the patience for it. However, most of the time, I love to see my kids eyes light up. I love to see their excitement when I tell them we are doing a craft or activity. I love when they tell me I’m the best mom in the world because I made a balloon fly across the room!

These are the things they are going to remember, these are the moments they will cherish and the moments where we bond.

And most of the time, it took about 10-20 minutes of my time to make their whole day! This is one of the many reasons I created this blog:

I wanted to challenge myself to do more activities and crafts with my kids because I realized I loved it and had a passion for it.
When I do crafts with them, I am the awesome mom, and it feels great!
I can discover and nurture their passions and creativity.
I wanted to help other mom’s find SUPER EASY and SIMPLE ways to do these same things with their kids.
I wanted to be a resource for mom’s to find cheap crafts, so they don’t have to spend a ton to be the crafty mom.
I wanted to show other mom’s that they could be the crafty mom too, without giving up their life.
I wanted to help other mom’s teach their kids and fuel their passions.

How to Become the Crafty Mom

So, how might you do this you ask? How can you become the “crafty mom” you have always wanted to be, so you could have these same experiences with your kids? Let me tell ya, cause it’s super easy.

Keep it Simple

Let me tell you a story. We went to Wal-Mart the other night on a whim. We decided we wanted to play a game as a family so we were going to pick one out at the store. My 7-year-old instantly picked Pie Face. As we were walking to the check out, we spontaneously decided we could get some ice cream to go with our evening. My daughter, eyes wide and jaw dropped, shouted, “For real?!” Then she started shouting through the store, “We are the luckiest kids in the world, we bought a game and now we are eating ice cream, I have the best family!”

Now, my first thought was, oh my gosh! I am one of those parents who never let my kids do anything so this small activity is exciting. But as I was thinking back on her life, she’s done a lot of fun stuff, including going to Disneyworld. Now, I’m not claiming that she would pick a game night with ice cream over a Disneyworld trip, but that it’s the little, simple things that make kids happy.

Simple IS awesome. Find more ways to put simple crafts and simple activities into your schedule. Kids just want you, your time, your talents, your love, and your attention. Simple crafts and activities are a great way to provide that.

Skill

Let me tell ya, buying Pie Face and ice cream took literally no skill at all. Okay, I know that that’s not a craft, but it’s the same idea. Gluing cotton balls to some construction paper to make a ghost, takes literally no skill at all. And if it’s not Pinterest-worthy? Oh well, don’t post it! You’re not trying to win an award. Plus, kids don’t usually know if you’re messing up OR that it looks bad. My kids think I am the best painter. I’m sure they won’t later, but they do now. Take that in!

My blog is full of super simple crafts that take absolutely no skills and it comes with step by step instructions. It might seem simple to you, but it’s glorious to them!

Also, if you are one of those perfectionist people, [*cough*] me [*cough*]. It does NOT have to be perfect to be done. The kids don’t care, and they might decide to go their own way with their project, and that’s okay!

Side note: I would also encourage you to make your own craft along with them. It can be fun to make your own, and you’re less likely to project what you want your child’s to look like onto them!

Supplies

One of the many problems among my readers is that they find a craft online to do, and they get all excited about doing it, but then when they go to find the things they need, they don’t have it. Then the motivation is lost and the vicious cycle starts all over again.

The best thing to do is to keep a craft box. Now, if you aren’t a crafter yourself, you might not have a lot of crafting supplies around. Make a craft box just for your kids. Also, if you ARE a crafty mom, but just for yourself, create a separate craft box for your kids. This is because you want to put the cheap things in their box, so if they get ruined, you won’t be upset. I always recommend raiding the dollar store to find just about all the supplies you need to complete a ton of different crafts.

Here are some basic crafts that I recommend that can be found at the dollar store:

Cotton balls
Q-tips
Popsicle Sticks
Glue
Scissors
Construction Paper
Googly Eyes
Pom Poms
Pipe cleaners
Markers
Paint
Paint Brushes
Yarn
Paper Plates
Balloons
Masking Tape

For even more supplies, you can check out my Resources Page. I also have a post about Top Supplies you Should Keep in Your Kids Craft Box.

You don’t have to be the best DIY-er. Just a simple craft will do.

For reference, I have a post about Easy Kids Crafts You can Do with Very Little Supplies (4 or Less)

Also, rely on resources. There are a ton of templates, craft sheets, coloring pages, and activity sheets out there on the World Wide Web that make your job super easy. I also have a shop you can check out with printables, quite a few are FREE!

As another side note, you could also subscribe to a craft box to get all the supplies shipped to you with instructions to make a simple craft! Here are some of the best Craft boxes to subscribe to.

Cost

Cost goes hand in hand with supplies. It is a myth that you have to have lots of money to do crafts with your kids. When I started this blog, we were living on one VERY SMALL income while my husband went to nursing school. We bought almost everything at the dollar store. The list above is all supplies I have found at the dollar store at any given point. You CAN spend a lot of money on crafts, but you don’t HAVE to. It’s actually relatively cheap.

31 Cheap Crafts for Kids that Cost Less than $5.00

Actually the cheaper, the better because if your kids break something, it’s not that big of a deal.

Time

It is also a myth that you have all the time in the world if you are a crafty mom. Again, when I started this blog, I was working full-time. I’d do crafts with my kids on the weekends or on my days off. It’s not something you have to do every day. You can make it a weekly activity. AND it doesn’t have to take very long. There are a ton of quick crafts you can do that take very little time, but mean a whole lot to your kiddos. I have a list of 31 Quick Crafts to Do with Kids that Take 10 Minutes or Less. That’s it! 10 Minutes.

Patience

I know what you are thinking: Okay, so I have the time, but do I have the patience? The patience to prepare, to teach, and to clean up! I know that it can be extremely frustrating to teach or do anything with kids. Here are a few tips to help with that:

Don’t do a craft during their most tiring time of the day. We all know that time of day that hits and they are just rotten as can be. Avoid that time.
Don’t do it if you are having a hard day or struggling with any type of patience with your kids. We all have those days. Pick one of your best days. Those days where you are on your A game or right before you ovulate! (look it up, it’s a real thing)
Be prepared for messes. I am not saying you have to clean up a huge heapin’ mess every time. I mean some crafts aren’t even that messy. But be prepared for it. Lay down a “craft sheet” or newspaper. Have a craft table or designated spot you like to do crafts. Don’t get frustrated when spills or messes happen. Have the proper supplies to clean up the mess. Have the kids help clean up so they are more cautious to not make mistakes.
Set appropriate expectations. Don’t expect your child to get it right the first time, or the second. Don’t expect them to even do the same craft as you. They might find their own creative spin on it.
Don’t do a craft that is not for their age group. If it’s too hard, they probably won’t like it and vice versa.

For even more tips check out my post Tips and Tricks for Doing Crafts with Young Kids

It really is more of a mindset than anything else when it comes to being patient. Learn to lower your expectations a little bit and focus more on being with them and helping them create than just trying to finish a simple craft.

Finding the Motivation to be a Crafty Mom

This is a hard one and probably one of the ones I get a lot: You just can’t find the motivation. It is really hard to solve someone’s motivation problem. Simply because nobody can create motivation in anybody else. That has to come from you. However, I can give you some tips that work for me when I’m feeling unmotivated:

Remember the Kids

Remember the look they get in their eyes when they created something. Remember the feeling you get when you see that they had fun with you, and you feel like the awesome mom again. Remember their laugh. Remember all the awesome things they say to you!

You get more time

Have you ever noticed that when you give your kids some time, you end up having more time to yourself later. If you haven’t, start paying attention. In fact, this might be science. When you give your kids 20 minutes, they are more likely to play better by themselves and listen to you better throughout the day. (I mean, I wouldn’t quote me on that, but I know I read it somewhere). Even if it’s for the selfish reason to get more time with yourself later.

Your Desire

Don’t forget about the desire that you have to teach your kids, spend more time with them, and nurture their passions and creativity. Just think, you can do all that, and it only takes about 20 minutes a day!

Your Kids will do it

Once you start doing crafts and activities with your kids, they will start asking you to do it more. I’m not saying you always have to say yes, but at least make a plan with them. You can tell them you will do it tomorrow or first thing in the morning, that way you have time to mentally prepare, if need be. They’ll be your motivation.

Can You Be the Crafty Mom?

Can you be the crafty mom? Absolutely! It’s super simple, cheap, easy, and anyone can do it! Start simple and work your way up. Or just always be simple because simple IS awesome. And kids love awesome!

How to Become the Crafty Mom for your Kids, When You Just Aren’t

How to Become the Crafty Mom for your Kids, When You Just Aren’t

The Crafty Mom

My Soap Box about Kids Crafts and Activities