INDEPENDENT handwork/crafty/art ideas needed please!

[moonlight]

This would be for my 9 year old. I want to put everything in a box and say "here." He can pull these activities out whenever he is bored or as part of school work. I have stuff pinned on pinterest, but are there any art experiences or crafty things your children have done on their own that are engaging? 

 

Some ideas I have so far:

 

-string art: wood boards, nails, hammer, string

 

-needle felting and wet felting 

 

-beeswax modeling

 

These ideas need to have an end result though rather than just exploring the materials or they won't get done/ hold his interest. 

 

Thanks!

[Erica in OR]

Latchhooking

 

Sculpey clay

 

Paper quilling

 

My son had a "paper airplane a day" calendar, where you take the square sheet for the day before and make it into a different style plane each day

 

Extreme dot-to-dot

 

Erica in OR

 

[Guest]

The only handicrafty typey thingy that's ever held my kid's interest long-term has been origami.

[shadah]

What about models, jigsaw puzzles, paint by number or designing a board game? Two of my brothers went through crafty phases. They checked out books from the library like outdoor projects, draw 100_____, the Boy Scout handbook-the old one.

 

I've also had good luck with the clearance section of Michael's and Hobby Lobby. I buy any kind of craft kit that is cheap enough. If my kids don't eventually use it, I can always use it for a last minute birthday present for someone.

[eternallytired]

Has he tried weaving?  You can go the cheap potholder-loom route or get a larger loom for bigger projects.  Finger weaving is also an option.  My kids also enjoy projects with perler beads--they enjoy making Christmas ornaments or window decorations.  Does he do Rainbow Loom?  My kids want to, but they don't have the dexterity yet.  You can make not only bracelets, but also animal shapes and other projects.  If he enjoys that sort of thing, there are also kits for creating bracelets with different patterns.  You could also throw in there some fabric scraps and he could design his own hand-sewn project (my DS recently made a little bag so he could carry things on his bike).

[UCF612]

My youngest got into weaving, fingering crocheting and hand sewing during a class he took at co-op.  He didn't really MAKE anything but he learned the basics and enjoyed it. He wants to do more and I'm planning to get him a box of stuff for him to work on himself like you're thinking.  I'm gonna follow this post to see what other ideas people have!