Knitting Fever Yarn

Get Ready for the Rain by Stocking Up the Craft Closet

As the winter month's approach, children spend more and more time indoors. At first watching TV is a novelty, so it is fun, but after a while boredom and cabin fever begin to set in. Before you children are climbing the walls from boredom, get them interested in doing craft projects as a fun way to pass a rainy afternoon. By keeping craft supplies on hand, you will always be ready when the creative bug bites your kids.

Stock the Basics
By keeping a storage box full of craft supplies, your children can spend an afternoon doing craft projects without you having to make a project out of making preparations. Good supplies to have on hand are paper, scissors, staplers, tape, white glue, and marking pens. Things like a hole punch, tape measure or ruler, paint brushes or a hot glue gun may also come in handy. A word of caution, though, make sure that you do not hand a small child a hot glue gun and walk away unless you want to spend the second half of the afternoon in the emergency room.

Lots of Paper
You can never have too many types of craft paper on hand. Start with construction paper and poster board in a rainbow of colors. Then add card stock, colored tissue and plain white typing paper. You may also want to have tracing paper, cardboard, colorful gift-wrap, vinyl adhesive paper, and scrapbooking sheets as your child's crafting talents become more refined.

Drawing Supplies
If your child likes to draw and paint, a box or bin of pastels, pencils, crayons, chalk and markers will be well used in your craft closet. Coupled with a variety of paper, you child will always have the makings of an art project. If you add paint to the mix like simple tempera, fabric, acrylic or watercolor paints, your child is ready to knock out a masterpiece at any time.

Other Things
Along with drawing and painting there are many other craft projects that a child may enjoy. So if you keep glitter, a glue stick, pipe cleaners, stencils and foam sheets in you supply box, your children will never be at a loss for new projects. By keeping some sewing supplies on hand including knitting and crochet needles and yarn, you may encourage your child to develop their talents in multiple arenas. Primarily older children will use sewing supplies and small items like beading.

Found Items
If you maintain a steady supply of scrap craft supplies, you can encourage your children to develop their imagination and creativity. Collect pie pans, egg cartons, rolls from paper products and any other container that looks interesting. By having a great selection of buttons and bows, glue and glitter, paper and pipe cleaners on hand you give your children license to exercise their creative selves.

Organization is Key
Of course the only way any of these craft items are of any use to your children is if they can find what they need. By organizing in boxes and bins you can clearly label everything for easy access. That way you also keep your craft pile from taking over your house. By assigning a shelf in the closet with three craft bins, you will have to edit out old supplies before you can add in new supplies, and this will help to make sure that all of your ingredients are viable. There is nothing worse than finding the red marking pen only to find out that it is dried up. So keep your supplies organized, and get crafting.

About the Author

Angela Glancy, staff writer for http://www.americanartisanart.com/, describes how to add
copper wall sculptures
and
metal wall hangings
with style.

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