The options for children’s craft parties really fall into two categories, using a craft party company or organising the craft party yourself, both options having their own advantages and disadvantages.

Focusing on kids craft parties that you will organise yourself, we have developed this page to give you lots of kids craft party ideas and tips based on our extensive experience in the world of kids crafts generally and children’s craft parties specifically.

You can go straight to the kids craft party section that interests you by clicking below:

Craft party location
Number of craft party guests
Craft party invitations
Kids party crafts for different age groups
Craft party kits
Kids craft party supplies – where to start?
Let’s talk about glue
Kids craft party budgets
Craft party themes
Seasonal craft party ideas
Craft parties timetable suggestion
Top craft party tips
Crafty party bags
Buying craft party supplies
Kids party supplies – tableware, party bags, games and more

Craft Party Location

The location for your kids craft party is probably one of your first considerations. It will give you an indication as to how many children you can invite and the types of kids crafts and other activities you will be able to complete.

Hiring a hall or function room can save you some stress and give you plenty of room. However, it can also add to your stress, trying to organise key collection, the possibility of the previous occupier overrunning, strict timescales etc can all cause problems. Overall though, it can prove to be the right choice.

Using space in your house, such as a dining room or conservatory, can save you money as you won’t have the hall costs and you will also be able to invite fewer kids! You can also set up when you want to, tidy up when you want to and you don’t have to wait for anyone to vacate before you use it – normally anyway!

“Picnic style” craft parties can work well, where the kids sit on the floor, on a table cover and the crafts are in the middle of the “picnic mat” instead of on a table. Make sure your table cover is either on a polythene sheet or is polythene backed, to protect the flooring.

Craft parties in the garden sounds lovely and planning your summer kids party crafts to take place in the garden can be ideal. Just some words of caution though, think about the heat, the sun, the risk of rain (especially in the UK!) during the party, before the party (wet grass) and distractions (swings, hose pipes etc). If you have a jumbo parasol or a gazebo and a garden table they can make life easier but you’ll still need to put the garden hose away – you know why!

Wherever you plan to host your party, make sure the kids will have a reasonable working space and that they can all comfortably fit around the space. In our opinion, unless you are having a “picnic style” craft party, they generally work far better where the kids can sit down. Aside from the fact that it adds to the party feel, you are likely to keep them sat still longer than they will stand still.

Number of Craft Party Guests

How many kids you allow to be invited will depend on where the party is to be held, your budget and the number of helpers you will have.

Older siblings, cousins, Aunts and Nans are all great at helping. If your helpers are the parents of party guests, make sure that they will actually help and not just spend the entire party helping their own child create a masterpiece or have a break in the kitchen with several cups of tea and a hunk of princess or pirate birthday cake!

You need enough people helping so that you can prepare crafts, food, party games etc, whilst the kids are still being supervised. This will ensure that your party flows well and that the kids have a great time. We suggest that you aim for one helper for every three kids.

Craft Party Invitations

We know that we have entered the technological era and that most families use a PC, in fact you are reading this from yours now…

Most people are holding a children’s craft party because they have, or would like to have, a crafty and creative child. It follows that the sensible option for party invitations is to follow the crafty route, rather than the pre-printed or computer generated route.

The benefits of this are two-fold. Firstly, it will set the scene for your craft party – crafty invites for a crafty party. Secondly, it will be a great opportunity to have a shared craft session with the party child beforehand.

It’s lovely if they also make an invitation for Nan or any other adults who will be attending, they will love to save them as a keepsake.

Making your own party invitations is simple, you just need some plain cards (C6 is always the most popular size), children’s stickers and felt tip pens.

A great way to mix the computer generated route and the crafty route is to print a sentiment for the front of the invitation and also the words for the inside on a computer, cutting them up and attaching them to your card.

Kids Party Crafts for different age groups

From our experience, kids craft parties fall into two main crafty categories, younger children with ants in their pants and older children (normally girls) who really want to get down to some crafting.

If you are organising a craft party for younger kids, we suggest that you choose two or three smaller and quicker crafts, which will give them something to take home but won’t be the result of an extended period of concentrated crafting. The attention span of young kids at a craft party will be fairly limited and will probably not extend to the time required for more complex crafts, especially when they can see party games being set up and food being laid out around them!

When holding parties for younger kids, choose crafts that can be adapted for older and more capable party goers, perhaps older siblings, cousins and even Granny, if they are likely to want to craft too! As an example, if you are making pirate door hangers, why not add some extra blank door hanger shapes and some crafty bits from our adult craft shop?

For older kids, who will want to create something of a higher quality and with some after party value, we would suggest one larger craft and perhaps a smaller fun one. Perhaps you could combine a box decorating craft with one of our crafty bug making kits.

Craft Party Kits

If you are an experienced and competent crafter, you will probably be able to look at a range of kids craft supplies and create some bespoke crafts for your party. However, many parents have limited craft experience and may have done nothing crafty since their days at school.

At littlecraftybugs.co.uk we are able to help party organisers who fall into either group.

Our comprehensive range of kids craft supplies, such as mask blanks, foam, pipe cleaners, pom poms, wobbly eyes, paper mache boxes and glue, will enable you to create a bespoke party crafts for kids.

Alternatively, if you are looking for kits that someone else has designed and tested, you will find that we offer an extensive range of children’s party craft kits. Our kits cover all of the popular children’s themes, including pirate crafts, princess crafts, fairy crafts, horse & pony crafts, space crafts, dinosaur crafts and many others.

In addition to our kits being tried and tested, you will also know that you have the right amount of craft supplies for each child to complete the craft projects and that everything will work together.

A freestyle craft table can be popular with kids but the end results can be a bit random and probably more throwaway than normal party crafts. That having been said, kids will love rummaging through craft supplies on a craft table.

The best way to make this work is to choose some “base” items that they can decorate, perhaps doorhangers and masks? Then, choose some bumper packs of foam shapes, foam sheets, pom poms, feathers etc and let them get crafty. If you are going to use two different “bases”, it would be a good idea to give them only one at a time, otherwise all of the crafting will be completed in five minutes. Don’t forget the glue, felt tip pens and scissors.

This picture illustrates the freestyle craft table concept, with everything ready to make doorhangers.

Our crafty bug kits are hugely popular as kids party crafts, they are supplied in packs for parties of all sizes and in many different themes, including pirates, princesses, animals and sealife. Just add scissors and glue and you’re ready to go!

Kids Craft Party Supplies - Where to Start Browsing?

Our littlecraftybugs.co.uk website stocks over 10,000 different items, which can make knowing where to start browsing very difficult. Therefore, we have included some links below to some useful places to start looking for party crafts for kids.

Let’s Talk About Glue

At littlecraftybugs.co.uk, we have coined the phrase “PVA slide” referring to the use of standard PVA adhesives for crafts where a quick adhesion is required.

Perhaps we can paint you a picture? A group of children spend a period of time decorating their crowns flat on a table, embellishing them with gems, pom poms and sequins. Wow, don’t they look great! The crown shapes are then rolled up and fitted to the child’s head and they start to wear them. How long do you think it will take for the first item to slowly slide down the crown in a trail of PVA and hit them on the nose? Not long!

We strongly recommend either using a tacky or fast tack glue for kids crafts where a quick result is required. You obviously can’t use superglue or hot glue guns at kids’ craft parties. Therefore, these glues really are the next best option. Our tacky glue is our best selling glue for kids crafts; it is far tackier than PVA from the outset and will be relatively dry within 10-15 minutes from application, compared to the hours it takes for normal PVA to dry.

As an alternative you could limit the items you are using to only self-adhesive items, such as stickers and self-adhesive foam shapes.

Drying Time

It is best to choose party craft supplies, craft kits and adhesives that require either no drying time or very limited drying time. However, if you do need to allow some drying time of glue, a quick party game can be a useful distraction. Some people consider this to be far more fun at a party than watching glue dry – strange that!

In our littlepartybugs.co.uk shop we sell a great range of party games for all budgets and also to coordinate with the popular kids craft and party themes.

Paint has a very large role to play in the world of children’s crafts but best party clothes and paint aren’t really a good combination! Also, even the fastest drying paints can take too long to dry and children may be going home with wet craft projects. You could always give them a quick blow with a hairdryer of course (the crafts, not the kids!) but don’t blow off any embellishments….

Kids’ Craft Party Budgets

As with everything, everyone’s budget will vary. A craft party can be as inexpensive as you want to make it.

You could hold a relatively low budget craft party with blank doorhangers, stickers, sticky foam shapes and felt tip pens. Alternatively, you could have a budget busting party with heavily jewelled and embellished boxes and tiaras or masks.

When browsing our ranges, you will be able to choose crafts for your chosen craft party budget. Don’t forget that every category on our site allows you to choose whether you want items to appear largest packs/highest priced first or smallest packs/lowest priced first.

Craft Party Themes

Craft parties can either be on a general, non-themed basis or linked into a popular children’s theme.

The main advantage of non-themed craft parties is that you do not need to track down crafts for your child’s favourite theme. However, at littlecraftybugs.co.uk, we offer an unparalleled range of themed crafts for kids to help you through this minefield.

Our extensive range of themed children’s party craft kits includes:

Seasonal Craft Party Ideas

Craft parties don’t have to follow these kids themes, if the crafty child has a birthday close to a main season, it can be great to link the party crafts to this theme.

Craft Parties Timetable Suggestion

From our experience of running children’s craft parties, we would suggest that the craft activities are wrapped around the normal party activities, such as eating and party games, to give this a complete craft party feel and maintain interest.

For a two hour party, you could perhaps plan this as follows:

When the guests arrive, have a colour-in craft ready, using some pages from a colouring book works well. This will keep the early arrivals busy whilst everyone else arrives.

As the kids arrive, give one of your helpers the job of giving them all name badges, even if only on a plain white label. This will make sure that all kids and all helpers know who everyone else is. The kids can decorate these as well if you use a plain version.

Once everyone is settled, move onto your first craft. If you are making anything to be worn or used at the party, perhaps pirate hats, crowns or wands, you should make these as your first party craft. Similarly, if you have anything that will need to dry, such as boxes with glitter glue, these would be best completed as this first craft.

It is then time to move onto a party game and get rid of some energy! At the same time prepare the craft party tea, perhaps there’s time for another game after this – pass the parcel would be good with lots of sweets, go on it’s a birthday party!

Finish the party session with another craft, something not too difficult in case you find you’re over running or early parent arrivals (don’t you just hate that one!), maybe you could make some of our exclusive themed crafty bugs or decorate party bags.

If you’ve completely misjudged your timings and run out of crafts, you could revert to your colouring or another game such as musical statues, whilst you wait for parents to arrive.

The big question now, which is more important, is it clearing up or having a cuppa?! Oh go on then, a G&T, you deserve it!

General timetable suggestions and tips:

Prepare your crafting area in advance, placing glue, pens etc within reach of each child.
Throughout the craft party it is best to allow everyone to finish each craft activity before moving onto the next.
If you are using pre-packed group kits, it is useful to divide out all the components first, to ensure everyone has the correct bits and that one person doesn’t have a three eyed princess and someone else’s princess resembles a one eyed alien!
Empty plastic boxes, plant pot saucers etc are all great for spreading craft supplies around a craft party table, without just throwing them on the table. We do sell a selection of sorting trays, which you may find useful.
Get the guests to clear up any mess they have made doing the first craft – lids on pens etc. Kids love a competition, as we have found, having a “tidiest crafter” prize gets most kids into the tidying up spirit.
Make sure each crafter writes their name on their craft, otherwise it will be a complete shambles at home time and someone’s masterpiece will have gone home with someone else – tears will ensue… Task one of your helpers (who will wish they never volunteered by this point!) with making sure each child leaves with their party bag and all of their own crafts and that they don’t take someone else’s or leave any behind.

Top Craft Party Tips

Watch the carpet – If you are crafting with anything that will stain or is sticky, you may want to avoid rooms where you would need a helper to stand behind each child with a pot of stain remover and a selection of rags!

Protect your surface – table covers aren’t just for using beneath the party food, they will also help to protect tables during craft times.

Protect party clothes – we would avoid anything that would necessitate kids having to wear craft aprons to protect themselves. Aside from the added cost, it will do nothing to enhance the party atmosphere!

Pirate craft parties aren’t just for boys; we offer an excellent range of pink pirate craft party supplies, which are designed by us especially for girls. It works better to give the girls a girly version of something that fits into the pirate craft party theme, rather than to give them a princess craft or fairy craft.

Boys don’t want to be little princes at a princess craft party; we suggest that they become knights. This is a far more popular theme with boys and knight themed craft party kits are available from littlecraftybugs, meaning that you won’t need to look very far for some craft party ideas on this theme.

Crafty Party Bags

One of the crafts you could complete at the party is for the kids to make their own party bags, using plain paper bags as the base. These bags are available in a great range of colours and designs, suitable for making craft party bags for both boys and girls.

All you will need is the plain paper bags and some stickers, you could further embellish these with self adhesive foam shapes and other craft supplies to extend the crafting experience.

If you don’t want to complete these as a party craft, your own crafty child could make these in the build up to the party for each guest to take home.

We have found that using a small section of white card or paper, stuck to the front and back of the plain paper bags can make the stickers and self adhesive foam shapes more vivid and can also allow the kids to use felt tip pens to add some more personalisation. Using white panels on the paper bags also means that you can use patterned bags instead of plain bags for a different look.

Buying Craft Party Supplies

To give you some indication of the types of craft supplies you will need for a craft party, we have given some ideas below and some links through to the relevant pages in our shop. This is not intended as a craft party shopping list, it’s really a nudge in the right direction for you. We hope that this helps.

Basic craft supplies

Boxes to decorate – ideal for many different craft party themes
Crown blanks make a great basis for a princess craft party and also as party hats for craft parties generally and, of course, Christmas craft parties
Feathers are great for masks and general collages
Foam sticker shapes – perfect for personalising many party crafts including mask blanks, crowns, wands and doorhangers
Glitter - lots of mess but lots of craft party fun!
Glitter glue – this is a real craft party essential – use it sparingly though
Glue – we recommend tacky glue for all kids party crafts
Jewels and gems – used to embellish many children’s party crafts, including boxes, tiaras and crowns.
Mask blanks
Pipecleaners – a perennial favourite for craft parties and crafting generally
Pom poms – from craft party bugs to crown embellishments, you will find many crafty uses for these
Scissors – you won’t generally need one pair each for craft parties but make sure you have them if you’ll need them
Sequins – what can’t you decorate at a craft party with sequins? Almost nothing, especially as they come in designs for girls and boys.
Stickers – the range of stickers we sell is massive including many packs specifically designed for party crafts
Table covers – protect your craft party table from pens and glue
Wobbly eyes are always popular with kids, an essential for craft party bug making crafts
Wooden sticks for puppet making party crafts, also used for bookmarks

Party craft kits

Box decorating party craft kits
Crown making kits for craft parties
Crafty bugs – our unique range of pom pom bugs, perfect for craft parties
Doorhangers – always a hit at craft parties as they are so versatile
Mask making craft party kits
Pirate hat making kits – these party craft kits are exclusive to us and are suitable for boys and girls
Puppet making craft party kits
Tiara making kits for princess and fairy party crafts
Wand making kits for wizard and princess craft parties

Themed children’s party crafts

Kids Party Supplies

Our littlecraftybugs.co.uk shop is dedicated to craft party supplies, including our great range of themed party craft kits.

However, on our littlepartybugs.co.uk site you will find a terrific range of party supplies to help you host a successful craft party. As with our craft shop, you can browse by popular party themes if you wish or you could look for the items you know you want, such as tableware, party bags, games etc.

The Final Craft Party Words

There’s no great mystery to organising craft parties, just be organised and don’t panic!

All images, designs and text on this page and our website are the copyright of Crafty Capers Ltd and must not be copied or reproduced in any way.

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