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in Crafts

Kids Frugal Fun: New Year’s Shakers

Each week Mom on Dealz brings us a craft to do with your child that is fun, educational, and frugal!

Wondering what to do with some of the boxes your child’s toys came in? Here are a couple of ideas!

Craft # 1: New Year’s Eve Shakers

Materials:
Small Box
Pencil
Construction Paper
Glue
Desired Decorations including a bell
Beans, rice, etc

Directions:


1. Fill the box with beans or rice and tape shut.
2. Wrap the box with construction paper and glue the pencil to the back.
3. Glue the bell and other decorations on the box.

Educational Activities:

  • Fine Motor Skill: Have your child rip or cut small pieces of paper to glue to the box.
  • Science: Discuss recycling the box and how important recycling and reusing is to protecting the enviroment.
  • Math: Create patterns with the decorations and identify them as AB, ABB,ABC patterns, etc

Craft #2: Box City Scape

Materials:
Boxes of different sizes
Tape
Markers, Crayons, Decor

Directions:
1. Tape boxes together.
2. Decorate to look like buildings and build your own city with the boxes! The kids will love this!

Other Box Uses:

  • Building blocks-tape together and let your child build towers, tunnels, etc.
  • Puppet Theatres
  • Magazine or book storage
  • Stencil or other craft mat
  • Shadow Box/Diaroma
  • Treasure/Treat Box
  • Baby Doll Bed

What are some creations you have made from cardboard boxes?

About Brett

I'm a 40 something lifestyle blogger living in Connecticut with my husband and our 3 kids, plus our two rescue pups. We love to hike, travel, play games, watch movies, and just be outside together! Having 3 active kids makes for a hectic schedule and I try to share content, recipes and other things that can help to make today's busy family life simpler, easier, or just plain more fun!

I started working full time at a local middle school in fall 2021 and some of my students are insistent that I am mean.

Comments

  1. Rebecca Shockley says

    This looks so super easy and you could use this really for any special occasion, thanks for sharing!

  3. Kristina Carr says

    This looks like a really fun craft my kids and I will enjoy doing together!
    Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to try it~

  6. Veronica Ward says

    I love this post!!! Thank you so much for all of the great ideas, we always have so many boxes that just sit around, so having a great idea like this is just great!!! Thank you again!

  9. anna middlebrook says

    supper cute you can also do this for kids at a birthday party CHEEP entertainment

  11. Donna C. says

    Wow! This is such a great idea. A fun project that doesn’t cost tons of money. thanks

  22. Chrissy Farmer says

    I did this craft with my Kindergarteners before Winter Break! They loved it… I’m sure their parents loved me for it too haha…

  25. Mary D says

    I have a 3 and a half year old great nephew and he’s here with me a lot and likes to make things, so we will do this and I know he will love it

  29. Michelle Washburn says

    I like this project because you can make it with things you already have around the house. My tween would even love to make this.

  30. Stephanie Phelps says

    You always have the best ideas. I know I loved doing this with my kids after reading your post. Thank you!

  31. Sue C says

    these are some really fun ideas that you can use with things you already have on hand! great way to recycle and have fun with the kids! I am a preschool teacher and am always looking for new creative ideas to use in the classroom!

  32. Stephanie Olmsted says

    Using the boxes from toys is a good idea. I have always used two paper plates. Maybe I will make one of these with my little girl, we already threw away the boxes from the toys but her big sisters b-day is around the corner. A mac and cheese box would work too! Thanks for the idea.

  33. Brenda Witherspoon-Bedard says

    Love this idea – going to do this with my kids at work – thanks for sharing

  35. cindy says

    love it! a way to keep them busy while school is out AND a way to recycle the millions of boxes that came with Christmas gift giving- thanks!

  38. Judy Bradley says

    Thanks for posting crafty ideas! When I have my grand children, they are always excited about our “crafty” time! It helps to have fresh ideas from others! Thanks again.

  39. Ada Miller says

    This is so cute,but I’m a little late for it. Oh well I will keep it in mind for the next occasion.

  45. Thao says

    I think its great to make use of boxes that would otherwise have no other purpose. I use my old shoe boxes as storage for my various craft supplies or papers. And use old papers such as magazines and old calendars to make paper beads for jewelry. There are many uses for regular objects that can be functional and sometimes just for fun. It’s great to teach children of that fact to better the earth as a whole 🙂

  46. shirley says

    Thanks, always happy to get the kids hands busy doing things, much better than in front of the tv.

  49. Danielle says

    My 6 yr old son LOVES to make noise and create things. We have one more week of vacation so I have to keep him busy. We will try this 🙂

  52. Stephanie Schuette says

    Absolutely love this idea! Going to try this with the kids just for everyday noise makers 🙂 Thanks!

  54. Sandee A. says

    Cute idea! I’ve seen it done similarly years ago as a guessing game at bridal showers. Include the groom’s name inside along with something like the beans or rice.

  60. Robin O says

    This is a great idea! Thanks for the simple instructions. I think we could make these for birthday parties too (when lots of noise is allowed).

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