I want to like crafts and art projects, but I think I get discouraged because there is always someone craftier. I love Pinterest, but I look through the boards and think, “good for the person that can do that craft!” I don’t have the time or talent. My kids beg to do artsy stuff. I feel badly that I’m not more into it for their sakes. ArtSkills is the answer to my crafting shortcomings. We were able to review a few of the craft kits and they are wonderful. Easy enough for my 4 and 6 year old, and I enjoyed doing the crafts along with them. They needed a little guidance, but they were very capable of doing the crafts. Better yet, they are $1 crafts you can find at Dollar General stores! It makes my frugal and craft-phobic self happy. The crafts we tried were not messy either. In an ideal world, I’m the involved mom that offers to do a craft with my son’s 1st grade class. Now that I know about ArtSkills, I will most certainly be devoting my time and “talents” (or ArtSkills craft kit) to Jack’s class in the near future. It’s lots of fun for the your kids who aren’t in school yet too. I think a homeschooling momma could enjoy an easy, no prep art class day as well.
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One SIMPLE reader will win the Activity Bucket (400+ pieces of crafting goodies) and Clay Art by Number (our personal favorite). Enter via Rafflecopter:
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Melinda Stephens
October 4, 2013 at 11:12 pmMy son wears an art bib/smock thing and I wear a chef’s coat when we do crafts.
trixx
October 4, 2013 at 10:10 pmWe do crafts outside in the backyard to minimize messes
Lisa L
October 4, 2013 at 10:06 pmWe do crafts play dates…it saves on buying supplies when you can buy in bulk, plus my kids thinks it’s more fun to do them with friends
Karen Propes
October 4, 2013 at 9:46 pmWe all have aprons we use while crafting along with table coverings we are off crafting…
Thanks for the chance.
ncjeepster@aol.com
Nancy
October 4, 2013 at 5:30 pmWe craft at the kitchen table that is covered with a plastic cloth. We wear an extra large t-shirt over clothing.
kathy dalton
October 4, 2013 at 3:00 pmmy three year old grand daughter loves to paint so we need lots of newspaper down
Deborah Mireles
October 4, 2013 at 1:35 pmI put one of my husbands old dress shirts on my grandaughter and roll up the sleeves in order to keep her clothing clean and not have to worry about her messing it up
kemberley crosswhite
October 4, 2013 at 12:36 pman old daddy t shirt and showers after 🙂
Darlene Owen
October 4, 2013 at 12:16 pmI would alway put old shirts on my boys so it didn’t matter if they messed them up.
Brigette Streeper
October 4, 2013 at 11:24 amI always put down newspaper when crafting!
Amber L.
October 4, 2013 at 10:28 amI cover our surface with an old vinyl tablecloth and put the kids in play clothes. I don’t really worry that much about them getting messy. If we have somewhere to go and I don’t have time for a bath I will make sure we do a low mess craft.
lisa kay
October 4, 2013 at 10:24 amWe have the crafting table set up in the garage.
Messes are welcome as long as they are craft related.
courtney cox
October 4, 2013 at 9:51 amI have an area set up outside during nice weather, but that really stinks if its windy. Inside we do all of our crafting on an old dining table that I have kept over the years…so I don’t care if it gets paint or what not on it. I actually love seeing the stains, paint, glitter and stuff it reminds me of all the fun times we’ve had there.
Diana Hatch
October 4, 2013 at 9:29 amI let them wear old tshirts of mine while we are crafting
Pamela Halligan
October 4, 2013 at 7:26 amI try to buy kid friendly art supplies, such as stainless crayons and markers.
Pat
October 3, 2013 at 10:47 pmThe kids wear a smock and we use a vinyl tablecloth to work on.
wendy b
October 3, 2013 at 8:58 pmWe have aprons and special art clothes so we don’t get stressed out about staying clean.
Alycia
October 3, 2013 at 7:50 pmWe use drop cloths when inside and try to do tons of art projects outside during the summer.
Danalee Davis
October 3, 2013 at 5:09 pmWe wear aprons.
Teresa Thompson
October 3, 2013 at 4:02 pmWe try to clean as we go but sometimes the mess just doesn’t matter.
Les Johnson
October 3, 2013 at 3:46 pmI usually put a cheap table cloth underneath the art project to keep things clean. My daughter likes to paint and draw the most.
jeremy mclaughlin
October 3, 2013 at 10:37 amAlways make sure they have an old shirt on.
Samantha Daleo
October 3, 2013 at 9:58 amMy kids have always loved crafts and I hav always encouraged them. I don’t really worry too much about keeping them clean, I worry more about keeping the surroundings and surfaces clean. We would usually work on spread out newspaper or old sheets. Once they were done, they would have great fun in the shower getting all cleaned up.
rochelle johnson
October 3, 2013 at 8:52 amwe put the kids in their daddy’s old t-shirts
Brandy Davis
October 3, 2013 at 8:33 amLots of newspaper and old shirts.
Joana A
October 3, 2013 at 2:49 amwe do crafts in the kitchen because it’s easier to clean the mess from there than the carpet
Sue Hull
October 2, 2013 at 9:54 pmI follow you on Pinterest
suelvsbucks
Sue Hull
October 2, 2013 at 9:52 pmWhen my nieces come over to do crafts I put an old blanket on the floor so nothing gets on my carpet. They stay pretty clean doing them. They may get alittle sticky but I keep a wet towel on the floor if they need it. I don’t do glitter a lot, it seems to get everywhere. Old shirts or an apron are great for kids to wear during crafts also. Thank you 🙂
Katie L
October 2, 2013 at 2:50 pmwe use an old t shirt to keep the kids clean and a lot of patience
Claire
October 1, 2013 at 6:00 pmmake them stay at the table
Jean
September 30, 2013 at 4:13 pmI have a couple of reusable drop cloths I bought to protect the floors. And we have “paint clothes” that I don’t care about getting messy, because sometimes you just have to get messy when you’re crafting or painting!
Casandra
September 30, 2013 at 3:25 amWe ALWAYS craft on a mat. We have a big world map mat that we usually use. Its been a really fun learning tool. When my daughter is looking for something, I can say, “Look near Australia for the scissors!”. Geography + crafting! I love it!
Jessica Wyatt
September 29, 2013 at 10:23 pmreserving a tablecloth just for crafting and aprons go a long way!
Jessica H.
September 28, 2013 at 9:33 pmOur crafts are never clean, but that is part of the fun! My youngest loves to sew and after she is done there are fabric pieces everywhere. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!
Laura Jacobson
September 28, 2013 at 2:07 pmHmm…good question! We always do ours at the kitchen table, and I love to search Pinterest for fun ideas! Our craft supplies are a mess though….and I really do not worry about making a mess too much! Thats the fun of it! Just takes longer to clean up! LOL We should get a smock or some old tshirts!
Lenora D
September 28, 2013 at 11:24 amWe scoot the table up next to the kitchen sink and they wear old T-shirts.
Elizabeth Splinter
September 27, 2013 at 7:23 pmKeep them clean? HA! They have huge tie dye art shirts they wear and I always put a tarp down on the table. I’ve been known to make them paint in the bathtub with the washable paint.
Janell
September 27, 2013 at 1:16 pmNo lie, if I do a yoga session prior to our crafts, I’m much less worried about the mess!
Jennifer T.
September 27, 2013 at 11:13 amWe always use washable markers and paints. And, I try to do arts/crafts on our back porch as much as possible.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
kelly tillotson
September 27, 2013 at 1:37 amwe have smocks–some times I have them paint shirtless {I have boys!}, cheap clearance table cloths=drop cloth under the table or we paint outside. I also decided awhile ago that I need to not stress about cleanliness while crafting and making projects. it takes away from the fun of the activity and something is bound to spill, so whatever!
*Kelly
Kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com
Amy Franz
September 26, 2013 at 7:59 pmWe manage our crafts by keeping our ‘craft area’ separate from all the other spaces in our house. It was hard to carve out a space just for supplies/table/easel/etc, but it definitely helps us to keep the house clean, and at least ‘contain’ the mess that grows out of our supplies/projects!
Linda Meyers-Gabbard
September 26, 2013 at 4:57 amI am entering to win for my niece she is 2.
.
Ladyblueeyez1960 (at)(aol)(dot)(com)
Becky VanGinkel
September 25, 2013 at 10:17 pmThe only way I know how to keep kids clean while doing crafts is by putting them in a bubble! j/k 🙂 Lol I put my husbands old work shirts on over our kids clothing when doing crafts. It has saved their clothes from going in the garbage many times! Another thing we do is put down newspaper while we are crafting so if they spill or tip something over they don’t automatically try to pick it up with their bare hands.
babydjs_mom@yahoo.com
Misty Woods
September 25, 2013 at 10:26 amwe have a craft room we do crafts in.
Laurie Adams
September 24, 2013 at 9:35 pmI am in the same boat as you, if it’s messy or to complicated, I wont do it. I need to get better about stepping outside my comfort zone. My two little girls LOVE doing arts & crafts projects. I need to remember that these are the moments we remember…not the mess. Thank you for sharing!
Terra Heck
September 24, 2013 at 2:30 pmI keep the kids and area clean by laying newspaper down on the work area and using old tshirts for the kids to wear. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
Masooma F
September 24, 2013 at 2:14 pmI lay down a lot of nespapers on the floor and wear old aprons yet my floors and walls still get messy! No matter how much you try to protect if you’re doing crafts and having fun, things will get messy. You just have to have patience and make the clean up just as fun as the crafts!
Luna S.
September 24, 2013 at 12:16 amI always try to do easy crafts that don’t requite a lot of glue or a huge mess,if it is messy we do it outside.
Heather!
September 23, 2013 at 11:48 pmIf it’s a REALLY messy activity, I’ve been known to have the kids (and me) wear trash bags! Hey…I’d rather waste a few cents on those than several dollars on ruined clothes! But I do try to do really messy things outside.
casey
September 23, 2013 at 10:57 pmi let them experiment with glue and safety scissors from a young age. you can do a lot with plain old paper!
Nannypanpan
September 23, 2013 at 10:55 pmWe use plastic table cloths that we can throw out when we are done
Katherine Donovan
September 23, 2013 at 8:14 pmWe do a lot of craft projects outside on the picnic table. In fact, I did finger paints with my 2 year old grandson yesterday. Oh my! Thank goodness we didn’t do it inside 🙂
Sindy Murray
September 23, 2013 at 6:40 pmold t-shirt or no t-shirt and outside most of the times!!
ColleenMarie
September 23, 2013 at 5:37 pmPatience, and keep it simple
Anne N.
September 23, 2013 at 5:11 pmI have her wear an apron while doing crafts and cover the table with newspaper before starting.
Sacha Schroeder
September 23, 2013 at 11:32 amWe wear aprons as smocks! The kids love wearing them!
Carrie Phelps
September 23, 2013 at 3:59 amI’m a childcare provider and crafting is my specialty! Our most recent craft was to paint leaves and press them on paper, the kids loved they were left with leaf prints. I made aprons for the kids to wear when doing extra messy crafts.
Heather Swarthout
September 22, 2013 at 11:37 pmI usually have a splatter mat under my daughter when she paints or draws with chalk, and a hand towel nearby damp with water just in case she runs off and wants to paint the house with her messy hands.
adina
September 22, 2013 at 8:52 pmwhenever we use glitter we put the item in a disposable baking pan first- this way the glitter stays contained and it’s easy to pour back into the container.
Kathy
September 22, 2013 at 5:05 pmI keep an old vinyl tablecloth handy to whip out and cover surfaces easily. If it’s too messy, I can always toss the tablecloth, otherwise I just wipe it down and stash it for the next time.
Rebecca Parsons
September 22, 2013 at 4:44 pmWe use are smocks and they have an art table in playroom
Leslie W
September 22, 2013 at 2:23 pmI set up craft stations inside cookie sheets. Makes for easy clean up and its harder for things to spill out with a lip on the cookie sheets.
Danielle M.
September 22, 2013 at 1:45 pmHave an old table cloth or sheet that you can put down on the table or floor so you don’t have to worry about messes.
Meghan Finley
September 22, 2013 at 1:43 pmwe clean up to have a craft area and then clean up again
Shana
September 22, 2013 at 8:55 amI had a stack of aprons!
Patricia
September 22, 2013 at 12:06 amSome time the mess is the funest when making the craft.
Janet F
September 21, 2013 at 9:40 pmI do easy cut and glue crafts or kits with my grandson.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Kimberlie
September 21, 2013 at 9:24 pmWe use washable markers and do most crafts on the table outside on our patio to avoid getting the big fancy table dirty. Lots of breaks to wash hands while working on big projects.
Jeanna
September 21, 2013 at 6:28 pmWe have an arts & crafts center and each of my kids has a tray w/sides that they work off of to contain the mess!
Mary Dailey
September 21, 2013 at 4:05 pmMy grandkids don’t get to do too many messy things at home, so we do them at my house. How else will they know if they are artistic? I have old t-shirts I put on them so they can play to their hearts’ content!
Laura
September 21, 2013 at 3:31 pmTo me part of the fun of crafting with kids is the mess, the creative silly fun! So to have less cleanup it’s fun to do something outside.
jennie sanderson @jenpsht
September 21, 2013 at 1:56 pmI have a one year old, it is pretty hard to keep him clean. We just make sure to use all washable markers, I make his paints, and we do stuff outside!
Yesenia
September 21, 2013 at 1:44 pmThey usually do their arts and crafts either on the table with plastic sheet over table or on the floor.
Julia
September 21, 2013 at 12:07 pmI put a old men’s dress shirt on them backwards to keep them clean.
Misha Estrada
September 21, 2013 at 11:17 amI just make them stay at the table. Other than that, it’s pretty much a free-for-all 🙂
Kerrie Mayans
September 20, 2013 at 6:58 pmI usually use crafts that can be done with stickers or glue sticks. We use a lot of the already sticky foam for crafts.