Pipe cleaner bracelets are one of the easiest and cutest crafts you’ll ever make. Plus, they don’t require very many supplies and you can make one in less than two minutes. Check it out!

If you’re looking for a fun summertime craft with your kids, for summer camp or birthday parties, these bracelets are perfect the perfect craft for toddlers and big kids alike. Plus, you only need two simple craft supplies to get started and clean up is a snap. Check it out!

Gather supplies for your pipe cleaner bracelets

You might already have all of the supplies for this fun craft and didn’t even know it. Regardless, you can find these simple craft supplies at any craft store. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Colorful pipe cleaners (12-inch chenille stem)
• Pony beads
• Scissors

3-strand pipe cleaner bracelet

Both bracelets on this blog post are super easy, so let’s start with the 3-strand bracelet. You’ll need three different colored pipe cleaners. Twist the ends together and then braid the strands a couple inches. Then, add one pony bead to the middle strand and braid around it. Continue adding beads in this manner (around four or five total).

To finish off the bracelet, braid the strands another couple inches and twist the ends of the pipe cleaners like you did in the beginning. You’ll want to keep measuring your wrist to make sure it’s not too long or short. Then, bring the two ends together and twist them to finish it off. You can make these with whatever colors of beads and pipe cleaners you want!

4-strand pipe cleaner bracelet

I think the 4-strand bracelet is actually easier than the 3-strand because it doesn’t involved braiding.

You’ll need:

• 12 pony beads (one color)
• 5 pony beads (a different color)
• Four pipe cleaner strands

Twist the ends together and then thread a bead through the top two strands and then thread another bead through the bottom two strands. Next, thread just one bead through the middle two strands. Repeat this process until all of the beads are gone.

To finish, twist the ends to complete the bracelet and then spread the strand out to reveal the pattern. Twist the ends together around the wrist and you’re done!

All of my kids really liked making these bracelets. They are perfect for kids of all ages. They were even easy enough that my three-year-old was able to help as well. And it helps with her fine motor skills. These work great as friendship bracelets too! Let me know how it goes making these bracelets in your home.

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Every kid loves to play with kinetic sand, but it can get kind of pricey if you buy it in the store. So, here’s a super easy DIY kinetic sand recipe that you can make from home for less than $10! Let’s get started.

My two-year-old daughter loves playing with kinetic sand and moon sand plus it helps with her fine motor skills. The best part is this is a fun way to have play time with your small children. So, after sweeping up and throwing away our last batch of kinetic sand, I wanted to see if there was a more affordable option. And of course, that option was to make it ourselves. It was super easy and only took three ingredients. Take a look.

Gather your DIY kinetic sand ingredients

This super simple recipe only requires three simple ingredients. Some of which you probably already have in your home. Here’s your homemade kinetic sand recipe:

• Vegetable oil or baby oil (1/2 cup)
• Corn starch (1 1/2 cups)
• Fine play sand or regular play sand (2 1/2 cups)

I already had vegetable oil and cornstarch at my home so all that I really needed was the sand. Of course, you can buy it on Amazon but it’s waaay more expensive than buying it at Home Depot or Lowe’s. I bought a 50-pound bag of fine sandbox sand for only $7. What a steal! It’s up to you the type of sand that you want to use.

Mix your ingredients

This seriously only took me like five minutes to make. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of fine sand with 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch. Mix until well combined and then add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Stir until combined really well. Then, you’re done! If you would like, you can also add some food coloring.

Add food coloring

If you want to add a splash of color to your kinetic sand, you can add some food coloring. I separated a cup of sand into four different bags and added about a tablespoon of food coloring into each bag. Shake the bag and move it around with your fingers until the food coloring in well combined.

Helpful kinetic sand tips and tricks

• Moon sand or cloud sand – If you want to convert your kinetic sand to a different texture, add about a 1/4 cup of dish soap.
• Clean up – Sweep and throw away the extra sand that falls on the ground. Then make a ball and dap the remaining sand on the table.
• Drying out – Kinetic sand is not supposed to dry out because it is oil-based, however humidity can affect the texture. In that case, just add a little bit of water to turn it back to normal.
• Wet sand – Don’t worry if it gets wet. Spread it out on a table and let it dry. It will go back to normal.
• Cookie cutters – Get out the cookie cutters, sand castle molds and sand molds. They work great with kinetic sand
• Air-tight container – You can store in an airtight container for literally months
• Sensory bin – Use the kinetic sand for a sensory bin and sensory activities.
• Essential oil – Add some drops of essential oils for an extra yummy smell.
• Kinetic sand kits – If you’re not into DIY project, you can buy your own kinetic sand kits on Amazon.
• Party favor – If you have a birthday party coming up, use this DIY sand as a party favor! This is a great way to engage kids of all ages in imaginative play.

Here’s a video showing how I made this sand. I hope you have as much fun making DIY kinetic sand as we did. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

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Sometimes the simplest craft and the most fun. And these toilet paper roll towers were no exception. I’d count it as one of the easiest toddler crafts out there and it costs next to nothing. So here’s how to make it for your toddler today!

I only have one more toddler left in my house filled with five kids. So, I’m trying to make the most of it and do fun little crafts with her. So, I started collecting toilet paper and paper towel rolls around the house and came up with one of the best toddler crafts around. Here’s how to do it.

Collect your toilet paper roll tower supplies

You don’t need very many supplies for this craft. Here’s the list:

Cut and paint the rolls

I cut about three inches off the top of each of the three paper towel rolls. So, I ended up with nine different lengths of toilet paper rolls. You can collect and cut as many rolls to as many different lengths that you want.

Two of my boys really wanted to paint the rolls so I let them go to town. They ended up really cute and colorful. They did a much better job than I could have done.

Glue toilet paper rolls to the cardboard

Take your rectangular piece of cardboard and wrap it in colorful wrapping paper. Then, arrange your painted toilet paper rolls on the cardboard to your liking. Trace a circle around each roll. Put hot glue on each circle one and place the rolls one at a time. It’s easier to put the glue on the cardboard than on the rolls directly.

Start playing!

Fill some bowls with your buttons, beads and/or poms poms and place them on the floor next to the towers. Try to do it on a hard floor so you can clean up with a broom. It will get messy but it’s tons of fun. My one-year-old loved it! She didn’t need any explaining. Her favorite part was dumping out all the buttons onto the floor afterwards and then starting all over again.

Important note: Make sure you keep a close eye on your toddler while they are playing with this craft. Some of the pieces are really small and you don’t want them to choke on anything.

Of all the toddler crafts out there, I hope you enjoy making and playing with this one with your little one. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

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