Old buttons, socks, and clothes can be turned into really fun things. Before throwing stuff out or donating them to Goodwill, see what kinds of crafts you can make with your child. Craft items are great for gift ideas. They can turn what you once thought was useless into something useful. There are lots of suggestions for these craft items, and we bet that your child will be excited to embark on a cool activity. Here are a few of those ideas.
Blue Jeans Purse
Before throwing that old pair of jeans away, make a cool purse for your daughter or as a gift to give away.
Here is what you need:
• Old jeans
• Needle and thread
• Appliqué
• Scissors
Cut the legs off of a pair of jeans. Then, cut the hem. One leg will be used for the purse and the other for the strap. Sew across the bottom of one of the legs and sew about 1” from the edge. Snip up to the sewing line every ¼” for some frays. Repeat these steps for the top of the purse.
Cut the other leg half into nine ¾” strips. Tie the ends together and braid. Sew to the top of the purse. Stitch on appliqué and decorate as freely as you want.
Bead and Button Teacup
This makes a very colorful and pretty gift for an aunt or grandmother. Here are the materials that you will need:
• Solid colored teacup with saucer
• Decorative beads and buttons
• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Tweezers
Wash the teacup to ensure that it’s completely clean. Using the hot glue gun, glue the decorative beads and buttons onto the teacup. You can also glue beads and buttons to the outer rim of the saucer as well. To prevent you from burning yourself and to give you an easier time for arranging, use the tweezers.
Button Bracelets
There is nothing like creating your own jewelry. Your kid will love making these to wear on their wrist. What you will need are colorful buttons and elasticized cords. Cut the cord so that it is long enough to wrap around a wrist twice. Thread the cord through the holes of the back of the buttons to the front and then back again. Once that is complete with every button, thread both ends of the elastic through a metal crimp tube. Using pliers, squeeze it tightly and then trim the excess elastic.
Button Key Ring
Do you always lose your keys somewhere? Why not keep them in tact with a new key ring? What you will need are ten buttons and 12 inches of fine cord. First, fold the cord in half and make a knot about one inch from the fold. Thread the buttons onto the cord and push each end of the cord through one of the holes in the buttons.
When the last button is threaded, knot the ends of the cord. Cut off excess cord. Slip loop of cord into the key ring.
See What Ideas Your Child Has
Once you've finished with these crafts, see what sort of ideas your child might have for their own crafts. These craft ideas will get them thinking about their old clothes in a brand new light. They might have an idea for an old jacket, scarf, pants, or something else. Ask them if they want to try making up their own craft with another old clothing item.
Many kids will jump at any opportunity to use their imagination and creativity. Let your child take the lead here. This is their craft, so they should be able to experiment and come up with an idea all on their own. Of course, make sure they're working in a safe manner at all times. It's probably best to avoid letting them use the hot glue gun; if they want to use hot glue in their craft, give them a hand and do it for them.
If they can't find a suitable piece of clothing for their craft, see if you can find any old clothing of yours to use. Or, ask their siblings, if they have any, to go through their closets and see what they have. This can be a good way to get an inventory of all the old clothes you need to find a use for. Donate whatever you can't repurpose!
Once your child has a firm idea down, gather the supplies for them and let them have at it! Even though it may be tempting to step in if they hit a roadblock, it's important to let them try to figure it out. It will improve their problem-solving skills and critical thinking. Plus, they'll be so proud of themselves when they figure out how to solve the problem all on their own!