There are so many crafts for teens and tweens out there on the internet. One could get lost on Pinterest for days. I want to make it easy for you. These fifteen ideas are simple, use few supplies, and use mostly recycled materials. Cheap and easy!
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When I first started my blog, I had one tween and the other two were still little. I geared my art projects more towards the little ones. A lot of process art and very few crafts. But now that they are 17, 15, and 11, I have found that they really do love to make something. They still love process art (my 11-year old son would love to splatter paint on a daily basis), but they really get into crafts now, too. Especially with their friends.
Teens are very social, so all of these ideas are really fun to do with a friend or with a group of friends. Teens also love to decorate their rooms, so most of these arts and crafts are things you could hang on your wall or prop op on a shelf.
Yarn Crafts for Teens and Tweens:
1. Yarn Wrapped Cardboard Letters
Although this yarn craft is really quite good for all ages, teens and tweens will love to make these letters to decorate their rooms. Make three and turn it into an artsy monogram!
2. God’s Eyes
This is such an old-school craft, I remember making these with popsicle sticks when I was little. Here we use real twigs to make them more authentic. Older kids can make pom-poms for the ends. This craft can be made by kids as young as five, all the way up through adults. The most fun part is picking out the color combos!
Here is a link to my favorite neon pink yarn. Sometimes they sell out so check back if it’s out of stock.
Paper Crafts for Teens and Tweens:
3. Melted Crayon Butterflies
Save old crayons for this craft. Make lot of butterflies and hang on the wall as an art installation. I include butterfly printables in this post. As always, adult supervision recommended with a hot iron.
4. Painted Paper Pinwheels
This has been one of my most popular paper crafts. I make them for birthday parties where the tweens carefully paint each fold, then embellish with gold paint. Collect lots and hang them on a wall.
5. Paper Bag Stars
These paper bag stars are SO easy and fun to make. We make them all the time, and have embellished them several different ways. We have painted them, we have used chalk markers, and sometimes we’ve used a hole punch do add a luminary quality.
You can use brown bags or white bags. Read this tutorial on how to turn ordinary paper lunch bags into these beautiful stars.
Supplies needed for Paper Bag Stars:
~ Brown lunch bags or white lunch bags
~ Scissors
Garland & Paper Chain Crafts for Teens and Tweens:
6. Paint Chip Name Garland
Paint chips have to be one of the best free materials around. My daughter made this years ago and it’s still hanging in her room.
7. Hearts Paper Chain
Making these heart paper chains is addictive. Once the kids figure out the system, they don’t want to ever stop! Here we painted the paper first, but you can also use colored paper.
Painting and Drawing Ideas for Teens and Tweens:
8. XOXO Watercolor Painting
This painting project is such a great color study idea. It also is really cute to frame and hang on your wall.
9. Cereal Box Heart Paintings
Get your teens and tweens to start mixing acrylics and making their own colors. These hearts turn the humble cereal box into rich, beautiful little pieces of art.
10. Chalk Marker Leaves
There as many ways to embellish leaves as there are leaves to collect! Here we used one simple material, a white chalk pen.
11. Kandinsky Inspired Circle Paintings
Each painting is more beautiful than the next, it’s a lesson in both abstract art and working with watercolors.
Slime and Soap Making for Teens and Tweens:
12. Fluffy Bubblegum Slime
My teen daughter’s favorite slime recipe using a special “fluffy” ingredient.
13. Make Scented Rainbow Soap
I made these soaps with my art camp students who were in kindergarten. Then my teen daughters made them with their friends. They were a huge hit!! So much fun to make, and even more fun to slice 🙂
Jewelry Crafts for Teens and Tweens:
14. Washer Necklaces
Inexpensive hardware store washers are the main material in these “boho chic” necklaces. Painted with nail polish, they are a huge hit with teens and tweens.
15. Friendship Bracelets
My girls and their friends make friendship bracelets all the time. You can tie the ends to cardboard and take them anywhere! I love this old-time classic craft because there are so many different patterns and color combos to choose from. It literally never gets old.
Here is a wonderful tutorial on how to make simple friendship bracelets. And if you want something more challenging, these heart ones are adorable!
Supplies needed for friendship bracelets:
~ A safety pin or tape
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I think this is a good list to get your teens and tweens started with some crafts. You can try one a month! The supply lists are short and many use mostly recycled materials.
I know many teens and tweens are also into selling their crafts and art, so I am going to work on a free, downloadable business card idea next.
xo, Bar
Love the God’d eye and pinwheel ideas! All of them are awesome, really, but those two are my favorite!
thanks Diego! those are two of my favorites, too 🙂 xx bar
Omg those are my favorites too
how to I get to directions/supplies needed, etc.
I was wondering this too. But I figured out that if you click on the title of the activity I think it will take you to a different part of this website and it has recipes and directions. Try it with the rainbow soap. Click the orange tilts for the rainbow soap then I think you’ll have the instructions.
Hope I helped!
Hi Nora and Jill,
You just click on the name of the craft.
This is amazing. I’m going to do these projects for my own room.
Same! These look SO fun!!!
For some reason I cannot get to website, Big for Small. Please help?
hi Linda, which project were you trying to get to?
Love all your ideas.. Thanks for sharing. Please tell me how to do the x o design. It’s gorgeous!! Thanks and the ingredients for slimy bubblegum
hi Karen – so the links you are looking for are within the post. but here there are again just in case you can’t find them…
XOXO painting: https://www.artbarblog.com/diy-painting-xoxo/
Bubblegum Slime: https://www.artbarblog.com/fluffy-bubblegum-slime/
Have fun! xo Bar
These are all so cute I don’t even know what to do first.XOXO
Would love to buy the book for my granddaughters,but cannot fini anywhere.?
wow, that look like fun
now i wont be board in holidays again
These are great ideas I definitely won’t be bored this summer I definitely want to try the soap one
Hi – the crayon butterflies look like so much fun! Are there instructables on how to iron them? Thanks!
hi, yes the instructions are in the post if you click on the link. have fun! xx Bar
u should put harder things on- this is for young people
Hello. If you did not read the website description, it says for teens and tweens so if you think you are “too cool for school crafts” then think that while all of the rest of us have so much fun! 🙃😡
Ya tweens are like 10 years old so the crafts will be fun for the if they are crafty
amazing for my tweens thanks a lot!
Trying to find instructions. Every single project I click on comes to DermSet Anti-aging cream,,, Would love directions for paper bag start and pinwheels
so sorry Beverly! that seems very strange. you must be clicking on ads. don’t use your phone, use a computer if you can. sometimes the ads block the links on a small device. the paperbag star directions are in this post, number 5. the pinwheels can be found here: https://www.artbarblog.com/watercolor-paper-pinwheels/. hope this helps! xx Bar
thank you! just click on the red type and it will bring you to the posts. xx Bar
Hi, I’m 13 and I was really looking for a cool and crafty project for my after school club which I run in a local community centre at 4pm. Thank You so much for these amazing crafts, Bar. Truly appreciated. I actually also tried out some of these crafts for my bedroom decor and they turned out great. MY favourite one was the yarn name.
Aleeza 🙂
yay!! so glad you made some of these, Aleeza! the yarn letters are perfect for a room! xx Bar
where are the instructions?
Click on the red titles and it will bring you to the full posts.
Thanks for these crafts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to try them!
These look SOOO much fun!! I cant wait to do this with my daughter and son! Thanks so much!
Omg, these are all so cute ideas!!!!!!
Great art for the girls at home!
Art is… AWESOME!
These crafts are super cute!!😍
Hi, this is Suhaana, all these crafts are so much fun, can you put more please? I have done all of them at least 2 or 3 times and to fun never ends but lately I have been getting slightly bored and I can’t find any other websites.
Thank you, Suhaana.
Hi Susanna, I will try and get another post out soon with more ideas! ~ Bar
Hi Bar!! My name is Simone, I’m nine years old. I was thinking that maybe you could do more animal crafts? I would appreciate that. Thanks a lot!!! -Simone