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Do you hate how much junk food and junk toys your children get at every holiday? Would you rather give them something really useful that will stimulate their creativity? Of course you would! So today I’m sharing with you the absolute best stocking stuffers for crafty kids!
When my first-born was very little, I soon grew sick of all the useless gifts that people gave her and of all the occasions in which I was expected to give her things. So I changed my tactics.
At Christmas, instead of putting a candy in the advent calendar each day, I put a small piece of paper with clues to an activity that we would do that day. And I started putting arts and crafts supplies in her Christmas stocking.
Did she (or her brother when he later came along) miss the extra chocolate and candy? Absolutely not! She was thrilled to spend time together and to use her new supplies to draw, color and create!
The following items are supplies and products that my family uses. To this day, I still fill my kids’ stocking with some of them! They are all child-friendly and encourage creativity and manual skills.
I’m splitting up my list of 42 stocking stuffers for crafty kids into three categories for convenience’s sake. Just click on any of the categories below to jump right there!
- Best general crafting supplies for kids. These general crafting supplies are must-haves in a child’s creative artillery. Paper, coloring and glue are essential for all projects!
- Art supplies taken to the next level. Get messy and creative with these super fun art supplies.
- The most fun and unusual creative supplies. Kids will have loads of fun with these really special crafting supplies. They’re great for adding a unique touch to any project!
Most of these materials are small enough to fit inside a Christmas stocking. For those that are too large, you can put a note with a picture and/or instructions to find them hidden behind the couch or under the kitchen table. Kids always appreciate a treasure hunt!
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Best general crafting supplies for kids
Crayola Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are always my preferred coloring tool because you have total control. Crayola are always fab quality and these are non-toxic.
Faber-Castell twin hole pencil sharpener
Faber Castell is the best pencil sharpener brand that I know and these are super cute. The nose/beak is an eraser and these sharpen two pencil widths. My kids are still using the ones I got them years ago.
Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers
My daughter loves these markers and has said many times that they are better than any other markers she's used.
Crayola 64 Ct Crayons
I have been using and loving the classic 64 color box of Crayola crayons since I was a little girl. I've always loved seeing the new edition colors!
Elmer's Glue Stick, Disappearing Purple
The classic glue stick for all your kid's paper projects. I love this type that goes on purple and dries clear.
Scotch Brand Magic Greener Tape with Dispenser
Invisible tape is a must for kids' projects, and Scotch Magic is the best. I suggest getting a child a dispenser to be able to use for years to come with less expensive and less wasteful refill folls. Oh, and this dispenser is made with ecological materials!
Scotch Double Sided Tape
For a while my kids used double sided tape faster than I could buy it. I definitely suggest Scotch brand because I've found some other brands to not be as good quality.
Fiskars Softgrip Blunt-tip Kids Scissors, 5 Inch
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have used these scissors with many dozens of kids in and outside the classroom for about 15 years and they are the BEST.
Colored Construction Paper
Construction paper is a must for kids' colorful projects.
White cardstock, 110 lb
I love heavy white cardstock for making homemade book covers and more rigid projects.
Glitter Cardstock Paper
Glitter paper is SO much fun. I admit to having "borrowed" some of my kids' glitter paper for my own projects!
Art supplies taken to the next level
Kids' waterproof art smocks with sleeves
Before you even start getting super messy, make sure there's newspaper covering the table and your child is wearing a smock with sleeves to avoid staining the arms of his shirts!
Do A Dot Art! Washable Paint Markers
Are these markers or paint? Or both? These are so fun and eliminate a lot of the mess of painting with little kids. (But older kids love them, too.) They also develop different coordination and skills than traditional markers or paint.
Crayola Washable Window Crayons
We ALWAYS have these crayons in our home because they're the best cure for bored kids! We've tested a lot of different window crayons and markers, and these beat them all. They also work on mirrors. I use a rag with vinegar to clean the windows after.
Sidewalk Chalk
So. Much. Fun. I love it when my kids play with sidewalk chalk because then I can use it, too! I've found that some brands crumble and get used up fast, but Crayola tends to last longer.
Washable Ink Pads for stamping
Stamping is so much fun, but make sure your kids are using washable ink pads!
Washable tempera paints for kids
What better way to get your children started on their way to fine art than sitting them down with paints?
Paintbrushes in various sizes
This set of four paintbrushes in different sizes offers your child versatility and control over his painting.
Finger Paint
Got little kids who still can't hold a paintbrush? Or older kids who just like making a mess?! A favorite art supply that is meant to be messy!
Das Junior Air-Dry Clay
My kids go through a LOT of modelling clay. They make bones, dinosaurs, animals, little people, houses, and so on. Their favorite brand is DAS and they're recently discovered DAS Junior, which is softer than the regular one. There are lots of different colors, but they always use white and paint it after it's air dried.
Rainbow Scratch Art Paper
How magical to scratch off the black surface to create colorful drawings!
Fuse Beads (Hama beads)
I'll admit that I don't love these because they are plastic and you have to melt it, which is not healthy or ecological. However, they are addicting to use and get kids' creative wheels working in different ways. I eventually caved in and let my daughter get them.
Caran d'Ache Classic Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels
This choice may not seem exactly for kids, but a friend of mine let me in on a really cool trick. Dab the tip of these crayons in a little water, and they work AMAZINGLY for face (and body) painting! They easily wash off with soap and water.
The most fun and unusual creative supplies
PlayMais biodegradable building blocks
Biodegradable corn-starch building blocks have become quite popular in Europe and are making their way to the States as well. They are great guilt-free fun because they are free of harmful chemicals and can be thrown in the compost when they're no good anymore. Simply dampen a piece's surface and it will stick to another. You can cut them and build lots of great things!
Wikki Stix
I recently discovered Wikki Stix and they fascinate me so much! Bascially they're yarn coated in food-grade wax so that you can bend it into shapes and stick the pieces together. These are fabulous fun and perfect for travelling with kids.
Wooden Peg Dolls
A few years back I bought some of these for my kids and they had SO much fun painting and decorating them to make portraits of friends and family.
Wood Flat Clothespins
We also have these flat wood clothespins in the shape of a stylized person. These are also great to decorate and can be hung up easily.
Jumbo Glitter Glue
Glitter glue, a must for sparkles without getting glitter everywhere! I got these jumbo glitter glue tubes once and it was so great that they didn't run out right away!
Craft foam sheets
Craft foam is easy to cut and can be used in so many different creative projects.
Craft foam shape stickers
These foam sticker shapes are perfect for younger kids. You can compose all sorts of figures and scenes with these shapes!
Zig zag and other decorative scissors
This 3-pack has three edges and the quality of Fiskars, my #1 favorite scissors brand!
Colored felt sheets
I have a soft spot in my heart for felt because you can cut and glue it, but you can also sew it!
Washi Tape
Kids can decorate any and everything with washi tape! (And mothers can borrow it from their kids, haha!) My daughter loves making stickers out of washi tape.
Popsicle Craft Sticks
Craft sticks come in various shapes, sizes and colors, but I always prefer the traditional popsicle stick. You can build virtually anything with these things, you can color them in different ways, and they're easy to glue!
Sequins
This bulk package has sequins of all different colors and sizes. You can glue or sew them on to all your creative projects!
Self adhesive jewels stickers
Just stick these adhesive jewels for some easy DIY bling!
Assorted Buttons
Buttons are great to glue or sew onto all sorts of crafts. This assortment has lots of variety of color, shape and size!
Googly Eyes
Google eyes (aka googly eyes or wiggle eyes) make any face or object more fun! These ones are self-adhesive and the bag contains an assortment of sizes.
Craft Pom Poms
Pom poms are always fun! Glue them to paper. Glue them to each other to make 3D creations!
Craft Pipe Cleaners, colored and glitter
I'm always amazed at how many cool things you can make with pipe cleaners!
Want more great projects and ideas for the whole family’s creativity? Then sign up for the Cucicucicoo Newsletter here for dozens of free printables and projects, as well as all the best news!
Do you love the stocking in these pictures? Can you believe that I sewed it from an old felted wool sweater? You can, too, with my free sewing and embroidery pattern!
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This is such a thoughtful and practical approach to gift-giving for kids during the holidays! Focusing on creativity and quality time rather than junk food and toys is a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing these inspiring stocking stuffer ideas that encourage children to explore their artistic talents and have fun while doing so! #CreativeHolidays
Thanks for your comment, Stella! I get so sick of adding to the junk food and junk objects that my kids already are full of, especially during the holidays, so I thought this was a great solution!