Weekend crafts that are easy on the pocket

Crafts are a great way to keep the kids occupied over the weekend. You’ve come to the right place if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on expensive art supplies. It can be difficult to plan fun weekends on a budget, especially when you have an active toddler who needs to be entertained. The good news is that these fun crafts can keep your child occupied and happy with just a few basic and inexpensive supplies.

Here are some of our favourite crafts for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Dinosaurs made of paper plates

If your child enjoys dinosaurs, this craft is a must-do! It’s simple and quick to make, and it’s ideal for kids as young as three years old who will enjoy painting their creations and drawing on the faces.

You’ll need

• A large paper plate and scissors.
• Googly eyes
• Black marker
• Pencil
• Glue
• Toilet paper
• Poster paint
• Paint brush or sponge brush

Make it this way:

1. To make the dinosaur’s body, fold and cut the paper plate in half.
2. Draw and cut out a head and tail, as well as a few triangular spikes, on the other half of the plate.
3. Glue the spikes to the other half of the paper plate’s rounded side.
4. Apply glue to the head and tail and let dry.
5. Cut 3cm into each side of the toilet paper roll to make the feet.
6. Cut slits a third of the way down the opposite end of the toilet paper roll.
7. Insert the body into the foot slits; your dinosaur should now be able to stand on its own.
8. Let your child paint the dinosaur on a tablecloth or newspaper to protect the table surface, then let the paint dry.
9. To make the face, glue on a googly eye and draw the mouth with the marker.
10. Give the dinosaur a name and get ready for some fun games.

Fish made out of toilet paper rolls

Toilet paper rolls, paint, and googly eyes are all you’ll need to make these adorable fish. We painted ours in various colours, but you can also decorate them with various bits and pieces of paper. You may need to assist your child with the cutting, but after that, he is free to decorate his fish however he wishes.

You’ll need

• Toilet paper rolls
• Scissors
• Paint and brushes
• Googly eyes and glue
• Various bits and pieces of paper to decorate

Make it this way:

1. Paint the toilet paper roll and let it dry, or cut out and fold the fish first, then paint and decorate.
2. Press down on the toilet paper to flatten it and make two neat folds along the top and bottom.
3. To make the tail, cut two 45-degree slits at the bottom and angle them towards the centre.
4. On both sides, fold inwards from the slits at a 45-degree angle.
5. Unfold the slits, flip the toilet paper over, and repeat the process on the other side.
6. Insert the folds into the roll.
7. To make a fish, cut the front end of the toilet paper roll into a round shape.
8. Allow your child to colour and decorate his fish.
9. Finish with googly eyes and a mouth.

Butterfly paper hand puppet

What child doesn’t love butterflies? When your child has finished making this pretty butterfly paper hand puppet, she can move her hands up and down to see how the wings begin to flap as she runs around the lounge.

The following items are required:

• White paper
• Pencil
• Black marker
• Khokis or pencil crayons
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Glitter glue or glitter (optional)

Make it this way:

1. Draw a long oval on a white piece of paper that is about three-quarters the length of your child’s hand. To make the butterfly’s head, draw a small circle at one end and outline with the marker to cover any pencil marks.
2. Colour the body and head, then cut them out.
3. Add two googly eyes and a mouth with glue.
4. To make the legs, colour in six 1cm x 8cm long strips of paper, then cut them out.
5. Fold the legs into an accordion and glue three on each side to the butterfly’s body.
6. Fold the paper in half and draw a 5cm x 4cm block over the fold to make the butterfly wings. The butterfly’s body will then be attached to this.
7. Draw the wings on the block as a base and cut out the block and wings as a single piece.
8. Fill in the wings with colour, and remember that the brighter the better.
9. Attach the block to the body with glue on the underside.
10. Cut out a 13cm x 1.5cm wrist strap from the paper.
11. Join the two ends of the strap together by gluing the butterfly to the strap.
12. Slip your hand over your child’s and start flapping.

Puppets with googly eyes

With this sensory craft, you can create an endless number of characters. When your child’s puppets are finished, she can play with them in a way that builds her confidence and engages her imagination.

You’ll need the following items:

• White cardboard
• Googly eyes
• Orange, yellow, and brown poster paint
• Paintbrushes or sponge brushes
• Black marker
• Scissors
• A wet cloth to wipe your child’s feet clean before changing colours.

Make it this way:

1. Cover the floor with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth, then place the cardboard on top.
2. Place your child on the floor and use the first colour to paint one of her feet.
3. Remove her foot from the cardboard by pressing it against it.
4. Using the cloth, wipe the paint off her foot and repeat with the other colours.
5. Allow for complete drying of the paint.
6. Glue on the googly eyes and use the marker to draw a mouth and nose.
7. Cut out the animals and adhere them to ice cream sticks with glue.