Craft Consultant! Episode 3: Crafts for a 1-2 Year Old
If you follow me on Instagram then you may have already seen this series! If not then it's pretty simple, you submit your burning craft questions right here at emilymakesstuff.com using the contact form and then I answer it on Sundays in an IGTV video! What kind of questions? Literally anything related to crafts. Whats my favorite material, what was the hardest project I've worked on, what type of glue is the best, where do I shop for fabrics, etc. It's kind of like that episode of Parks and Rec where Ron goes on Joan's show and he's supposed to be answering questions about the park but then he's like ask me about any of my hobbies: woodworking, fishing. It's like that! Ask me about crafts, wholesale, lines sheets, retail, house plants, dogs, New Orleans, whatever!
What started as a fun IGTV project is now something I'm sharing on YouTube & now on my website so you can find it on whatever platform you like best!
Do you have age appropriate craft ideas for a 1-2 year old?
Whenever I give advice regarding kids I want to preface by saying I do not have kids of my own! I have a dog! And while that's all fine to joke that she is a practice kid I'm fully aware having a human baby is a whole other level that I don't understand. Now that that's out of the way, I have 3 ideas. Let's go!
1. Sensory Bin. I first heard about this from my friend Renu of Maker Mint on instagram. Sidenote, let's talk about how amazing Maker Mint is. She has 3 kids and does so many fun projects with them and I love watching along. She actually had a little snippet in a magazine about some sensory bins she's made for her kids. Basically they're like little cleaner version of sandboxes. You can do garden themed ones like I show in the video with black beans as the dirt and little shovels and rakes and felt plants or root veggies to "plant." You can do outdoor ones with water and found things in nature like leaves, sticks, and flower petals. I saw one where you could freeze things in big ice molds and then have that added to outdoor sensory bins in the summertime. There are literally endless ways you can make a sensory bin and there are loads of examples on Pinterest.
2. No Mess Painting. This is perfect if you want a legit craft your child has made as opposed to something you craft for them like the sensory bin. The idea of no mess painting is that you take whatever the base for your artwork is going to be (cardstock, tiny canvas, wood block, old greeting cards you want to recycle) and you put it in a large ziplock bag, squirt in blobs of paint, seal it shut, tape the ziplock to the table on all four sides, and then let your kid go to town smooching the paint around. I saw this from another instagram account that I love to follow, Amanda Evanston. She mostly focuses on her own paintings and adult teachings but every so often she will share a craft she's doing with her kids who are quite young and this one of those projects. I thought it was such a good idea.
I think using old christmas cards or postcards that you're ready to recycle would be excellent because those are usually thick good quality paper and I would have my kid make a bunch of them and have that be my christmas card is sending handmade cards from them. Especially if this is an activity they love to do then it's such a good idea. It doesn't have to be Christmas but it could be for family members birthdays or Mother's or Father's Day cards.
3. Bead Maze. This is kind of a lagniappe option because it's not something your kid is crafting and it falls under the category of toys you're making for your kid. But I love the idea and so I wanted to include it anyway. This feels like the classic toy that was at doctors offices when I was a kid but it actually looks like it would be so easy to DIY, even for a beginner crafter. Your base could be anything from a drink tray to a wooden box to a piece of furniture you get from the thrift store. Then the only thing you need is some sturdy thick gauge wire and beads of your choice. If your kid is really little maybe you want to opt for something non toxic and safe for mouths like natural wood or silicone. I am so positive that I saw this diy on the Sorry Girls Youtube channel but I could not find the video to link!
Let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these crafts. If you have a burning craft question you'd like me to answer in this series please send it in using the contact form in the main menu.
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