Most adults do not think teenagers care about making crafts and, because teens play into that stereotype, they do not go to craft stores or make crafts of any kind. However, many teenagers have discovered that they enjoy making crafts and they take pride in creating cool crafts. The trick to getting teens excited about anything, including making crafts, is to introduce craft ideas that they can relate to; therefore, think about things they enjoy using or things they consider fun, cool or creative. Here are few easy craft ideas for teens:
Bandana Totes and Bags
Bandanas come in all sorts of fabrics, patterns and colors and you may already have bandanas somewhere in your home. While your teen may not be great with a needle and thread, with a basic knowledge of sewing, and maybe a sewing machine, you can help them create custom bags and totes that they will love to use. To make a bandana bag, put one bandana on top of another with the pattern side facing in. Sew the two sides and the bottom of the bandana. Add your favorite ribbon or even belt pieces to make the straps for your bag. As your teen becomes more confident in their abilities, they can create more detailed bags and make bags to give as gifts.
Tie Dye
Tie dye fashion has definitely made a comeback and teens today love the brightly colored pieces that were first made popular when their parents were younger. Making tie dye shirts is as easy as wrapping some elastic bands around a shirt and dunking it in some dye. However, they need not stop there! Encourage them to tie die a bed sheet, pillow cases, white bandanas and whatever else they can think of. There are also different tie dye strategies that you can experiment with to create all sorts of interesting shapes and patterns. Different dye combinations will also create completely different looks. Your teen will be excited to wear and show off a cool creation of their own.
Jewelry
Costume jewelry is very popular right now. Since costume jewelry is known for its funky, homemade look, making your own jewelry allows you to have accessories that you could buy at a store, with added bonus of being able to personalize the pieces to blend in well with the rest of your wardrobe at a fraction of the cost. Using fishing wire, chain or ribbon and beads, which you can buy at a craft or bead store, you can create custom jewelry that reflects your personality. You can also give your jewelry a rustic look using hemp and macrame. You can also recycle beads from one piece of jewelry and re-use them in another of your custom creations.
Message Board
Staying in contact and communicating with friends is very important to teens. Therefore, message boards are the perfect craft for teenagers to make as they can be displayed and used in a dorm room or a locker at school. Making a message board requires a cork board or magnetic board as the base. If your board is not framed, create a frame using wooden sticks or a padded fabric frame the decorate the frame. If your board is framed, decorate the frame with stickers, puffy paints, glitter, ribbons or whatever best expresses your style and personality.