50 Fun Crafts for Teens and Tweens That Can Be Done at Home

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If you’ve never dabbled in crafting, you’re missing out on a world of fun. Rather than letting your kids remain glued to their phones or tablets, introduce them to the exciting and creative world of DIY crafts.

Let me share with you 50 amazing arts and crafts for teens and guide you on how to make them!

50 Cool Arts and Crafts Projects for Teen Boys and Girls

1. Repurposed Art From Magazine Pages

christmass tree From Magazine Pages

There are a lot of cool DIY projects you can make out of old magazine pages. Most teen craft ideas are easier to execute when simpler materials like this one are needed. 

You can roll the magazine pieces and use them to decorate paper mache or small Christmas trees. 

2. Ref Photo Magnets

Ref Photo glass Magnets

Most craft ideas can be either gifts or a source of income. One example is these ref photo glass magnets which are common as event giveaways. Learn how to make this kitchen staple accessory with a few purchases from Amazon or Dollar Tree. 

Just buy a magnetic sheet and photo top the photo before sticking it to the adhesive. Shape with a paper cutter, and there you have it – a DIY ref photo magnet.

3. Personalized Notebook Cover

Personalized Notebook Cover

Getting your school supplies personalized is often a common craft idea for teens. Paper crafts are relatively easy to make and can make a unique touch to your school stuff. 

You can use old magazines or scrapbook papers to cover your personalized notebook and print a vinyl sticker of your name to go with it. 

4. Personalized Organizers

Personalized Organizers from cereal cartons

Take a couple of cereal boxes and transform them into a customized organizer. Simply use duct tape to hold the sides together, then wrap them in craft paper that complements your desk’s color.

As kids grow older, they start to take more pride in their belongings but might not always want to ask their parents to buy organizers. That’s when they tap into their creativity and come up with fantastic DIY solutions like this one.

5. Handbag Charms

Handbag Charms diy

Apart from keeping two objects together, duct tape can also be used to create cool crafts like a handbag charm. It’s a fun and easy craft for teens since it only requires cutting tapes and stringing beads which require no professional skills. 

6. Wooden Earrings

wooden earring

Who says the wood is solely for woodworking only? Cop wooden earrings and personalize them, so you know you don’t see someone else wearing the same. You’ll need a few earrings for tools such as pliers, cutters, and earring hoops. 

7. Multi-Colored Candy Earrings

Candy Earrings

Another inexpensive craft and gift idea you can consider is this multi-colored candy earring, which only costs around fifteen cents to make. Art ideas like this can be another way to generate income since most handcrafted goods sell like pancakes on Etsy. 

8. Paper Folded Bracelet

Paper Folded Bracelet

Upcycle your junk mail, and keep your kids busy with jewelry crafts like paper-folded bracelets. While it may not be as durable as other handcrafted bracelets, these are fun projects for kids to spend time on. 

Awesome crafts like this can entertain teens and tweens alike to spend their vacations on DIY projects rather than just staying on their phones. 

9. Wooden Keychain

Wooden Keychain

Personalized keychains are great ideas for holiday gifts, and can be beginner-friendly woodworking project for tweens, especially when school is about to start. 

Paint your wooden circles with any design you want, whether it be your name’s first letter or a symbol like a sunflower and a moon. 

These DIY crafts for teens are another avenue to express their appreciation since they can use them as gifts without spending a lot.

10. Customized Mini Erase Boards

Customized Mini Erase Boards

Discover how to create these personalized mini-erase boards using just two basic materials: a frame and a printed background. It’s incredibly straightforward and offers another budget-friendly craft option for your kids to explore.

11. DIY Mousepad

mousepad

A DIY mouse pad is probably one of the most common DIY crafts you can make with dollar tree supplies. Round a scrapbook paper, cork boards, and the infamous mod podge to create this project. 

It may seem overwhelming to make, but more than just utilizing your creation, these cool DIY projects can also be great gifts for the holiday season. 

12. Customized Pill Tubes

medicine containers

You’re probably just as bored with your pill tubes that you’re thinking of decorating them. But this is a cool craft you can make in less than 5 minutes. Grab your adhesive and any design of your choosing to wrap your pill tubes. 

It’s the perfect design to make and another cost-efficient way to store your medicine tablets. Instead of purchasing a new pill tube, you can recycle small old jars or plastic tubes and paint the covering with a mod podge for a sleeker finish.

13. Redecorated Magazine Holders

Redecorated Magazine Holders

Instead of buying another decorated magazine holder, try this easy DIY project for a more personalized craft. Punch your designs on any plain magazine holder, preferably from IKEA, and you’ll have a magazine holder customized perfectly depending on your preference. 

This easy craft is best for beginners and will only need basic supplies like ribbons, paint, or even magazine papers. It’s cute and fun to make, especially if you’re doing this project with your close friends. 

14.Wall Photo Montage

Wall Photo Montage DIY

Putting together a wall photo montage requires no artistic expertise. All you need for this project are your favorite photos, foam boards, mod podge gloss, and some glue.

I’d suggest using standard bond paper for printing because you’ll be coating the photos. Using photo paper might result in ink bleeding, which could mar the finished look of your montage.

15. Tissue Paper Art

tissue paper arts

One of the best crafts for teens to make, especially for kids, is tissue paper art which only utilizes simple supplies like canvas, tissue paper, and glue. These easy crafts keep kids busy during summer breaks or even holidays. 

Cut random shapes from your tissue paper, preferably colored, and position them on your canvas before applying adhesive. You can use clear glue or other adhesives like nail polish if it allows the tissue to stick well on the canvas.

16. Stained Glass Art

Stained Glass Art

Another fun project that suits every age in the family is this stained glass art. Grab an acrylic paint or mod podge, and choose a unique design. Store your combined paint and mod podge to create an outline on your glass. 

Fill the remaining areas with your chosen color, and shade accordingly to how transparent or color-blocked you want your design to be.  

17. Cartoon Coasters

Cartoon Coaster DIY

Learn how to make unique cartoon coasters with your comic book. Peel off your desired pages, and gather the following supplies: outdoor mod podge, electric outlet covers, spray paint, sandpaper, and scissors. 

Cut the comic paper into the shape of your coaster, and dampen it to avoid wrinkles when applying the podge. Apply coats of mod podge, and then lightly sand before finishing it with another coat. 

Lastly, glue gaskets on the bottom of the coaster to apply to the pad and prevent the coaster from slipping. 

18. DIY Book Safe

DIY Book Safe

You’ve read a book repeatedly and you’re thinking of other ways to make it useful. Here’s a trick: convert it into a book safe instead. Even if it’s our own room, we can’t help but bring other people over, which means they can scan the room and easily locate our valuables. 

To avoid your valuables being a prank target, keep them inside a book instead. Just draw a square or rectangle on the book, and cut it with a heavy-duty cutter tool. Voila, instant safe!

19. Wooden Rings

Wood rings

I’ve seen earrings and bracelets as fun crafts your teen can create, but another piece of jewelry you can add to the mix is wooden rings. This is the perfect craft if you have an older teen who wants to work on a more advanced project. Tools like a hand saw and a drill will be used for this task.

Wooden rings are rustic but elegant accessories. Some jewelers actually sell them, and there are even men’s wedding rings and men’s wedding bands that are crafted from real wood. For people who like the outdoors, wooden rings are a unique expression of that.

20. Clay Jewelry Holder

Clay Jewelry Holder

To make your clay jewelry holder, you will have to shape your clay ball. Place the shaped clay on a mold, and cut the uneven edges before allowing them to dry. You can also store your friendship bracelets in this clay jewelry holder.  

21. Instant Lip Gloss

Instant Lip Gloss

DIY your lip balm with these easy steps. Keeping your lips hydrated especially during the winter season is crucial, and there’s always this female urge to store so much lip balm. 

You would surely enjoy making and using this one of those teen crafts. You’ll need beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil. You can then include your choice of color and essential oil, so you make sure your own lip balm is flavored and scented too. 

22. Scented Soaps

DIY Scented Soaps

This project often needs a professional to help guide on the correct procedures and ingredients to use. However, if you’re wary of asking someone for help, you can search the web about scented soaps and see tons of tutorials that will elaborate a step-by-step process. 

Then you customize the colors or even mix to make a rainbow soap! Make sure you only use organic and safe ingredients to avoid complications, especially if you’re thinking of DIY gifts. 

23. Shimmery Shoes

DIY Shimmery Shoes

Dress your flat shoes with a shimmer of glitter by pouring glitter onto them. Use an adhesive or glue, and make sure to put a newspaper on the sole or linings to prevent the glitters from sticking onto the soles.

24. Easy Tote Bag

DIY Tie Dye Hair Tie or Hair Band

Tote bags are relatively easy to make. You can either sew your tote bag, buy a ready-made one for about $1, and paint it with a telco or sublimate it. 

Some teen girls love designing their tote bags because it’s more unique and says a lot about their personality. Easy crafts like this are also one of the best gift ideas to make and gift with your friends.  

25. Tie Dye Hair Tie or Hair Band

DIY Tie Dye Hair Tie or Hair Band

Use old shirts to create a dye hair tie. Tie-dyeing is very common and is another fun craft to make with your friends. 

Just toss your old shirts on a colored dye, or paint sharpies and soak them in water before cutting them into strips. After drying carefully, sew them until they make the perfect hair band.

26. Decorative Ball Lights

Decorative Ball Lights

Mimic a Pinterest-inspired room with this DIY decorative ball light that can be made with ping pong balls and Christmas lights. 

All you need to do is wrap your Christmas lights with ping pong balls before hanging them in your room. This fun craft will surely make your room more aesthetic.  

27. Pebble Photo Holders

DIY Pebble stone Photo Holders

Get some pebbles in your backyard and turn them into this easy project which you can use to decorate your desks or the living room. 

Paint the pebbles with acrylic and smoothen them with a mod podge to avoid the paints from chipping. Wrap a copper wire and loop it uptight to create a holder for your photos or polaroids.

28. Personalized Note Cards

DIY Personalized Note Cards

Pair your DIY gift with a personalized note card which you can also make at home. Learn how to make this super cute note card with only colored paper and art materials. You can also elevate your note card with pop-ups, which are very trendy and cute at the same time.

29. Personalized Altoid Tins

DIY Personalized Altoid Tins

Put life into your dull altoid tins, and wrap them up with colorful duct tape. Duct tape sticks well with a tin can and is the cheapest way to decorate it. Personalize with a letter of your name, and there you go – a personalized altoid tin.

30. Customized Cord Organizer

DIY Customized Cord Organizer

This customized cord organizer is a perfect DIY gift you can give your friends. It helps organize your cords, so they don’t get all tangled up. Grab a leather scrap or use cardstock covered with duct tape for durability.

31. Mason Jar Terrarium

DIY Mason Jar Terrarium

Creating a mason jar terrarium can be a bit tricky, but with a bit of guidance, you’ll have it set up in no time. A quick tip: Include some activated charcoal in the mix; it will help prevent any unpleasant odors or decay in your terrarium.

32. Glazed Planter

DIY Glazed Planter

Paint a faux ceramic glaze on your regular pot by utilizing a mod podge. Gather supplies such as acrylic or watercolor paint, and mod podge. Paint a watercolor ombre effect on your pot and finish it with a mod podge for that faux glaze. 

33. Cardboard Letter Made From Yarn

DIY Cardboard Letter Made From Yarn

Toss around 2 to 3 balls of yarn and turn them into this DIY bedroom decor. Kids often enjoy it when they decorate their rooms with handicrafts, and you can consider more crafts like this to keep them busy throughout their school break.

34. DIY Phone Case

DIY Phone Case

Elevate the look of your phone cases by adding a touch of sophistication or a splash of bubbly flair with a personalized design. Grab your hot glue gun and start attaching blings or beads to your case.

Embarking on DIY projects like this not only unleashes your creative spirit but also lets you express your unique style. When store-bought designs don’t quite capture what you’re looking for, why not craft your own?

35. Paper Beads

DIY Paper Beads

Turn old magazine pieces into paper beads. Measure strips of paper into long triangle shapes. Roll the paper beads through a toothpick, and create a string art or a friendship bracelet with only papers and a mod podge.

36. Customized Stickers

DIY Customized Stickers

This DIY Craft will require a printer with dye or pigment ink and a few sticker papers from the supply store. Create your preferred design and print it on sticker paper. You can opt for kraft or glossy ones as long as it will match your printer’s ink.

37. Baggage Tags

DIY Baggage Tags

Are you traveling anytime soon? Then this is the perfect craft for you. Sandwich two cardstocks of the same length together and cover the paper with your choice of fabric. 

Use an adhesive to secure the fabric on the cardstocks and attach your embellishments or ribbons for a more creative design. Use either a ribbon or ID lace as strings on the luggage tag. 

38. One of a Kind Washi Tapes

DIY Washi Tapes

Washi tapes are undeniably expensive. If you’re thinking of saving costs, you can opt to create one by yourself instead. Print designs on sticker paper and stick them on regular tape. Cut accordingly to the size of the tape, and there you go, a custom washi tape. 

39. Cork Board

DIY Cork Board

DIY your corkboard and decorate it with your choice of embellishments. You can add duct tape strips or grab other recycled materials to personalize this basic teens and tweens craft.

40. Custom Designed Pencils

DIY Custom Designed Pencils

Design your pencil by spraying paint on your pencils or covering them with duct tape. You can also create stencils of your name to get a more custom-designed one and to avoid losing it over and over. 

Often, kids lose pencils because they look all the same, but with custom-designed pencils, you can ensure this doesn’t become a problem anymore. 

41. Coasters

DIY acrylic photo Coasters

Create Instagram coasters with acrylic, mod podge, and a photo. Paint the acrylic with a photo and furnish it with a mod podge—secure foam on the bottom of the acrylic to prevent the acrylic from sliding and easily breaking.

42. Picture Frame Made From Tissue

DIY Picture Frame Made From Tissue

Teens and tweens can also recreate a colorful picture frame with cardstock, cardboard, and colorful tissue. Cut the cardboard into a frame shape and the cardstock in enough length to cover the cardboard. 

Use glue dissolved in water to paint adhesive on the frame and gradually stick the tissue paper onto it until the picture frame is covered with tissue. 

43. Personalized Sunglass Frames

DIY Personalized Sunglass Frames

Another accessory you can personalize is your sunglasses. Add candy-colored strips on the handle of your sunglasses, and seal them with nail polish to achieve a high-gloss finish on wood. Cute ideas like this can make your accessories stand out on you. 

44. Paracord Bracelets

DIY Paracord Bracelets

This is the perfect craft for teen boys because it uses basic paracord, buckles, bracelet jigs, and all manly stuff. 

Lock the simple cobra looping technique to create a basic paracord bracelet, and if you’re thinking of cheating one for your friends, too, it’s best to invest in a jig, so it frees up your hands when knotting. It’s also a version of men’s friendship bracelets. 

45. Geode Eggs

DIY Geode Eggs

This is one of the crafts that will require a little time spent since it’s a very long process, and you’ll have to be more patient before this DIY home decor comes to life. 

Sprinkle allum powder and coat the eggshell until it becomes sturdy enough. To grow crystals, stir the dye solution and remove it carefully, as wet crystals can be very fragile. [1]

46. Custom Slime

DIY Custom Slime

Fluffy slime is amongst the most fun projects that even adults enjoy. Do you know that you can make your slime magnetic or turn it into a heat-changing type? 

Toss the common slime ingredients and mix them with iron oxide to make magnetic slime. Buy a Neodymium magnet and start playing with your magnetic slime. 

47. Star Paper Origami

DIY Star Paper Origami

Origami paper stars are probably very common and are very easy to learn as well. Use magazines or construction paper and follow this pattern. Position your paper in an upside-down position like the breast cancer awareness ribbon style. 

Tie it into a knot, and tuck in the short edges. Wrap the paper continuously and gently pinch the edge of the pentagon to confirm a star. 

48. Paper Pinwheels

DIY Paper Pinwheels

Another home decor favorite, especially by teens, is paper pinwheels. Just ensure you get sharp scissors to get precise cuts, as it’s essential to keep the pinwheels spinning. 

49. Dried Flower Crown

DIY Dried Flower Crown

Use a tape to bind your flowers of choice together to make a fine crown! You can dry and preserve the flowers first before you tie together to make an easy and colorful accessory.

50. Dreamcatchers

DIY Dreamcatchers

Another easy room decor that will keep nightmares at bay are these cute dreamcatchers. It may seem complicated to do at first, but with practice on the patterns, you can easily craft this project.

Conclusion

There’s a plethora of crafts out there for teens and tweens to dive into, especially during the summer or holiday breaks. Engaging in these activities is not only fulfilling and wallet-friendly but can also be a productive way to spend your time.

And who knows? If you master your craft, it could even turn into a lucrative side hustle.

robert headshot

Robert Johnson is a passionate furniture maker & carpenter, sought after for his knowledge on the craft.
You’ve probably seen his down-to-earth wisdom in USA Today, Bobvila, Family Handyman, and The Spruce, where he has shared commentary and guidance on various woodworking topics.

Robert is the brain behind Sawinery, where he aims to share tips, tricks, and a passion for all things carpentry.

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