what kind of cool, easy crafts can i get teenage girls to do?

Question

for christmas, i'm trying to get my girls to make each other presents instead of buying things, so they can appreciate how much the others were willing to do for them. what kind of easy crafts can they make that will be useful for one another? (they don't knit very well)

Answer 1

No sew fleece blankets. Bracelets made with semi precious stone beads on stretchy bead cord. Decorated candles using super strong double stick tape and glitter or tiny hole-less beads. Flip flops decorated with beads or other embellishments. A paper mache box from the craft store decoupaged with copies of treasured photos and motifs cut from gift wrap paper to be used as a jewelry or treasure box

Answer 2

Even if they don't knit very well--encourage them not to give up! Get them some fun eyelash yarn--it's much cheaper these days. There are tons of sites on the internet that do knitting how-to's. lionbrand.com is a good one. That eyelash yarn (like fun fur) can really forgive a lot of mistakes, so it's great for people who aren't experts. Use big needles like 11's or 13's.

They could knit scarves, or if some of them already know a little bit they could make a pair of mittens or a hat. You'd be getting them to learn a skill they will use all their lives!

Have fun with it!

Answer 3

Well they could make jewlery for each other using seed beads, a downside is the beads are so small if they spill its a pain trying to get them all back together. Hemp jewlery is fun and not very involved, they even sell kits to facilitate the process of making them. Friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss can be made. While knitting may not be their forte they could try embroidery or cross-stitching. Out of the two cross-stitiching is easier because it does not involve as large a variety of stitches that embroidery does.

Answer 4

Go down to your local craft store. Look for inexpensive kits that come with all of the supplies to make the project included. I was at Hobby Lobby today and saw jewelery and candle kits as well as other projects including knitting and crochet all were half price!

Answer 5

Simple yet good results -- I did this at a party for 7 year old girls and they had no problem making these, and my teenager still makes them to match her clothes or to give as presents -- fun to do in a group!

beaded bracelets or chokers made with glass beads and "memory wire"

special tool needed - a pair of jewelry plyers with rounded tapered tips.

1. Cut memory wire (it keeps its circular form and springs back into place after opened - it looks like a coiled spring) proper size to fit wrist allowing an extra inch for overlap and turing.
2. Using the plyers make a small loop on one end of bracelet
3. Thread beads on the straight end leaving just enough exposed wire to al ow for another loop at the end to finish bracelet
4. Use plyers to loop the other end to keep the beads from falling off.

Variation: place charms on the looped ends of the wire, use a few charms on the body of the bracelet too, pick out special larger beads as accents or features & use smaller or solid color beads to fill in around them, charms or birthstone colored beads can make the jewelry more personal.

Answer 6

How about making having them make mini scrapbooks. Go to your local scrapbook store,local craft store or even target and walmart to buy all the supplies- collect a bunch of pictures and let them have at it. I've done this before with teenage girls and they loved it. Also making a variety of greeting cards(using stamps,etc) and bundling them up is a good idea.

Answer 7

Have them use polymer clay (or even air-dry clays like Makin's) to make jewelry for each other. There are loads of simple things that can be done that give a lot of bang for the buck, and teen and somewhat older girls really like even the simple ones.

The message boards at "Craftster" are also full of projects and examples of jewelry and other things that females (and a few males) that age (as well as older) have made with various materials... for projects and just inspiration as well:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php

There are also loads of ideas and lessons on making all kinds of jewelry (as well as other items) from polymer clay at my website, if they want to check into that:
Here are the pages that deal with making jewelry in particular:

http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/beads.htm
..... http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/beads-holes.htm
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/jewelry.htm
(necklaces,bracelets,earrings,hair,etc)
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/pendants_cording.htm
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/buttons.htm

(For other polymer items, and basic info about using polymer clays, look all the way down the Table of Contents page:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
...then go to each page from the navigation bar on the left side)


HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 8

Um...how about christmas cracker (the thing that 2 ppl pull and a prize falls out), oragami birds, things out of clay, Paintings, Christmas ornaments, paper mache, all that stuff =D

Answer 9

umm.... try to do something easy like make some christmas cards or a paper airplane or mabe some origami. ^_^