8 cool crafts for parents & teens

So many of today’s trendiest crafts all date back to our grandmothers and even our great grandmothers’ eras and were then passed down from generation to generation while evolving and becoming more innovative along the way.

One thing remains the same, crafting is an incredibly good way for moms (and dads) to connect with their teens while passing on skills and knowhow which has been learnt through time.

We love the idea that picking up a paint brush or needle and thread can be such a wonderful bonding experience for parents and their teens – a time when everyone has a reason to put down their devices, stop staring at their screens, enlist patience and focus on a creative task at hand.

Check out: 10-at-home activities for non-crafty moms

Here are 8 creative crafts which will also excite your teens:

1. Needle Felting

This is a tactile and intricate craft where you use barbed needles to repeatedly poke and compact wool fibres into desired shapes. It allows you and your teen to create charming and detailed sculptures together, ranging from cute animals to imaginative little characters.

What you’ll need to begin:

• Wool – roving or batting
• Felting needle
• Felting surface – foam or sponge which needs to be quite thick
• A simple tutorial – try this one https://youtu.be/PnkVLApVejc

2. Squeegee Painting

This simple yet effective craft involves using a (window) squeegee to spread and blend acrylic paints on a canvas, resulting in vibrant and abstract compositions. The process encourages experimentation with colour mixing, layering, and texture, making it a dynamic and visually stimulating collaborative art form.

What you’ll need to begin:

• Squeegee
• Acrylic paints
• Canvas
• YouTube videos for ideas

3. Macrame

This popular 70s craft involves knotting and weaving cords to create intricate and decorative patterns. Your teen will love collaborating on macrame projects with you, especially since boho is big and indoor plants are quite the thing. Weave together plant hangers, wall hangings, and even bracelets.

What you’ll need to begin:

• Cord such as cotton, linen, hemp, jute, leather, or wool.
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• A beginner’s tutorial – try this one https://youtu.be/HBgaRAE3GJk

4. Pottery

This timeless craft involves moulding clay into different forms, providing a hands-on and therapeutic experience. Collaborating with your teen on pottery projects allows you both to shape functional items like bowls and mugs or experiment with sculptural forms, promoting creativity and shared artistic expression.

What you’ll need to begin:

• Various clays
• Wheel
• Kiln (or you can use someone else’s)
• Various tools for smoothing, cutting, etc
• A few real-life lessons to get you started

Read: 11 games to encourage maths learning

5. Origami

The ancient art of folding paper into various shapes and designs will encourage precision and patience as you work together to create delicate animals, intricate geometric patterns, or even functional items like boxes.

What you’ll need:

• Paper in various sizes and colours
• An origami guide – this one offers loads of shapes and designs https://origami.guide/

6. Resin jewellery

Creating resin jewellery involves mixing and pouring resin into moulds, along with experimenting with colours and inclusions. This collaborative craft will get you both excited over the design process. Make cool and creative earrings, pendants, or bracelets to wear.

What you’ll need to begin:

• Casting resin or epoxy
• Mixing cups
• Stirring tools and utensils
• Gloves
• A safe space and surface to work on
• Wax paper
• Silicone moulds
• A video explaining everything from moulding the resin to making the jewellery like this one https://youtu.be/l51Y7EIU_o8

7. Embroidery

Likened to “the paint brush of the stitching world”, this needle-and-thread craft has come a long way since the traditional stitches of our old school days. If you can still remember how to do your French knots, chain stitches and lazy daisy then you’re good to go. Embroidery can be done anywhere and is the perfect bonding experience for parent and teen as they get to chat and sew at the same time.

What you’ll need:

• Needle
• Fabric
• Thread
• Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery scissors
• A tutorial that shows various techniques – try this one https://youtu.be/4tboUqTV41U

8. Tie Dye

This colourful and expressive craft involves folding, twisting, and binding fabric before applying dye. Tie-dye projects are exciting because they allow for experimentation with different folding techniques, and the results are always vibrant and surprising. You’ll have loads of fun doing this with your teen and the best part is you get to wear what you made.

What you’ll need:

• Plastic Sheeting
• Elastic bands
• Plain carrier bags/ large zip lock bags
• Rubber gloves
• Face masks – These need to be worn while mixing the dye powder.
• Dyes
• Squeezy bottles- you can order these online or even use old fairy liquid bottles.
• A tutorial video with different techniques – try this one https://youtu.be/v-BvyNgrthg

Also read: Unlocking creativity- the power of imaginative play