6 Simple Kids Crafts With No Supplies At Home
Easy Craft Ideas for Moms Who Have Nothing on Hand
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What can I make with my kids when I have no craft supplies?”, you’re in the right place.
As a mom, I’ve had those moments when I wanted to get crafty with my kids, but I didn’t have any fancy craft supplies, and I was clueless about what to create with the limited supplies I had. But since I started crafting with my kids, I’ve discovered other ways to still create without needing so much, and it’s been amazing knowing this.
In this post, I’m sharing six low-prep ideas for what to make when you have low to zero craft supplies, from cereal boxes to socks. So let’s dive in, mama, because you’ve got more “craft supplies” than you think.
1. Cereal Box Puzzles (The Easiest Craft with No Supplies)
If you’re wondering what to make when you have low to zero craft supplies, start with that empty cereal box in your recycling bin. I made these as an after-kindergarten and road trip activity.
How to make it:
- Cut out the front of the cereal box.
- Use a pen to draw zigzags or fun puzzle shapes.
- Cut it into 6–10 pieces.
- Give it to your child and let them enjoy solving.
Why moms love it:
It’s mess-free, builds problem-solving skills, and recycles packaging you’d toss anyway.
2. Magazine Collage Art
This is one of the best crafts with no supplies. all we used were an old magazine, and a glue stick, and if you don’t have glue available, cellotape works as well.
How to make it:
- Flip through the magazine you pick out and cut out colours, and bold pictures that also look cute.
- Arrange them on paper into animals, scenes, or on a simple plain white paper (like we did in the pictures).
- You can talk about the images: “What colours do you see? What story can we tell?” (I had my kids make up a story using their collage. It was fun, but quite funny at the same time).
3. Sock Puppets
My kids had an absolute blast making this one. All we used were old socks, googly eyes, old buttons, glue and cotton wool.
Instructions:
- You can either choose to use googly eyes, pompoms, buttons and wool to make the face or simply draw the face with a marker.
I love this particular one because it eventually leads to hours of pretend play and high-pitched voices.
4. Playdough Crafting
For this one, we used our store-bought playdough, but if you’d prefer a homemade version, then you should definitely check out MOTHERCOULD. She has the best homemade playdough recipe you’ll ever find. But here’s what we crafted.
Craft Ideas:
- Make animals, flowers, or their favourite foods.
- Use forks or spoons for texture.
- Add buttons or pasta if you have them lying around.
My favourite thing about crafting with playdough is that it’s it’s sensory and it’s open-ended.
5. Clothespin and Tissue Paper Craft
I love how we can just pick up a clothespin and a piece of tissue paper, and suddenly, it’s a butterfly. My two kiddos were amazed (and so proud!) that they made one all by themselves. I think I was just as excited watching them do it
Instructions:
- Pinch the middle of a sheet of tissue paper and clip it with the clothespin.
- You can add googly eyes if you’ve got them; otherwise, simply grab your pen or marker and draw a face on.
Bonus points: if you want, you could literally make a whole clothespin zoo, no, seriously. LOL!
6. Picture Frames
We cut up an old delivery box for this and made picture frames out of it.
How to make it:
- Cut out a square frame from a cardboard panel and decorate around it
- Add a photo or drawing inside.
A beautiful way to reuse and decorate without any craft store run.
Final Thoughts
So, the time you’re caught off guard, just remember this list. You now know exactly what to make when you have low to zero craft supplies, and better yet, how to turn everyday scraps into fun moments with your kids.