6 Kids Crafts to Make the School Year Even Better

Nothing beats the squeak of new sneakers in the hallway and the smell of Poptarts on back-to-school mornings. Excitement in the first weeks of school can be found in every new pair of jeans and on the tips of every fresh crayon. But if your kids have settled in and suddenly become less than thrilled about leaving summer barbeques and weekends at the lake behind, surviving the rest of the school year can be a challenge. If you’re looking for a solution to the post-summer-blues, getting your kids’ creative juices flowing with these custom kids crafts might really make it happen.

1. Decorated School Supplies

Your kids will always know which #2s belong to them if you use this simple trick– and if you haven’t met a little something called washi tape yet, this is a great way to introduce yourself to its powers of versatility. Grab a few rolls (Amazon has a great selection!) and get the kids to work.

2. Customized Binders

If you picked up a couple of binders during your back-to-school shopping, your kids may have been less than impressed with the flat, single-color options that most stores carry. They may change their minds when they see what can be done when they really get their craft on.

If simplicity is your goal, a bit of bright patterned paper may be all you need. But don’t be afraid to go a step further and try colored duct tape, fabric, or even family photos!

If your child really wants to get expressive, a collage is another great way to go!

3. Personalized Pencil Boxes

And we can’t forget the everloving pencil box. That wonderful bit of plastic that leaves home in September filled to the brim with dazzling new crayons, freshly sharpened pencils, and unopened glue sticks… and returns at school’s end with nothing but broken bits of wax, a stub or two, and the dry, shriveled remains of that glue, along with whatever other horrors one collects in the classroom. But if you try this craft, at least it looks snazzy in the process.

4. Backpack Style

With all those great, personalized supplies, the kiddos are going to need something a bit more spectacular than your typical pack to haul them around. Take a look at these ideas for DIY custom backpacks!

5. Stylish Shoes

Two words: Canvas. Shoes. All the rage, right? And many of them come in plain colors – that’s a cool craft just waiting to walk the halls on your kid’s feet. Stripes, polka dots, rainbows, superheroes… the options are endless!

6. Candy

And when all else fails, bribe them with candy. You can always bribe a child with candy. Especially if there is a corny bit of wordplay you can stick to it.

Getting back into the swing of school days may be tough, but the mood can certainly shift when you pull out all the stops and get those little minds pumping with a craft or two. If nothing else, the kids will be excited to show off their new and totally custom supplies and accessories to all of their friends! Mission accomplished.

Kayla Lilly is a photographer, writer, wife, and mama making a house a home in eastern Idaho. She met her mister while working at an amusement park and married him a year later after deciding there was no way to live without him. The amusement has continued as they’ve added three kids and a passel of pets to their lives while finishing college and starting a photography business. Drawing inspiration from the whirlwinds of marriage, parenthood, and the media, Kayla blogs at www.utterlyineperienced.blogspot.com, and spends the rest of her time chasing chickens, organizing junk drawers, diapering toddlers, and photographing everyone willing to step in front of her lens.