Getting through the coronavirus quarantine with the kids at home the whole time is testing even the most creative parents. Sometimes it feels like we’ve run out of ideas to entertain them at present. So, as usual, extreme situations call for extreme and clever solutions. How about handicraft activities? They’re a great way to spend time as a family – we can all join in, get our hands dirty and enjoy our confinement in the best possible way.

That’s why I’ve put together some simple and easy handicrafts that we can make with recycled material to help us keep the kids occupied over this period. The creativity’s all there when you give it your all, are you in?

COLOURED LAMP WITH ICE CREAM STICKS

Photo: Pinterest

What do we need? Well, first of all, ice cream sticks of course, and some paint to colour them. We’ll also need two hoops for each lamp, but we can make those ourselves with wire. We just need to ensure that one has a smaller diameter than the other in each set. We’ll also need a silicone gun or another type of resistant glue, like cyanoacrylate or superglue.

Start by painting the ice cream sticks with the colours you have all chosen, your children will enjoy selecting their favourites. This is all about having fun! Once the paint is dry, use the silicone gun to glue the sticks vertically around the wire hoops. We recommend marking the sticks before so that you know how to place them on the wire. Then, all we need to do is fix the lamp holders and we’ve got a great lamp!

Material: ice cream sticks, paint, wire hoops and a silicone gun or superglue.

LET’S MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Photos: Pinterest

It’s music that’s cheering us up at the moment, with everyone playing something from their balconies or on social media. So how about making some instruments with the kids for them to feel like performers? You could start with a drum, but there are lots of other options too – just let the creative juices flow!

For the drums, we’ll need tin cans of different sizes, balloons, kebab sticks, thread or elastic bands, tape, cotton wool and pieces of fabric. First, cut the bottoms of the balloons off and cover the tops of the cans with them, securing them around the rim with a strong elastic band. For the drumsticks, we take the kebab sticks and bind them with tape. Then, compress the cotton wool into tight balls and place them on one end of the sticks, covering them with the pieces of brightly-coloured fabric and tying thread or string around the base. You can also decorate them more to make them even cooler!

Material: tin cans, balloons, kebab sticks, thread, elastic bands, tape, cotton wool, fabric

AN ILLUMINATED CITY

Photo: Pinterest

With kids in the house, there are always plenty of empty cartons from milk, juices etc. So how about using them to create a lovely illuminated city? It’s fun and really easy! We start by painting the cartons with acrylic paint or spray, either in one colour or decorated in various according to our taste.

Once they’re dry, use a knife or scissors to cut out sections in the cartons and make window openings. Then line the openings with coloured paper and place a lightbulb or candle inside to make light up the buildings. Go crazy and build a whole city!

Materials: milk cartons, acrylic paint or spray, glue or double-sided tape, coloured paper, small lightbulbs or candles.

CAR RACING

Foto: Pinterest

Who doesn’t love making home-made toys? They have a special value, and even more so when your kids make them. After seeing how many toilet rolls people were buying for the quarantine, I got this great idea – let’s make cars out of toilet rolls!

It’s really easy: just use a few finished toilet rolls and paint them in different colours. Add details like numbers or stripes and arrows. Then, use a flat piece of cardboard to draw the car’s wheels, based on the diameter of the toilet roll itself. Paint them black with an inner circle in white as the rim. Use a butterfuly clip to attach the wheels to the rolls, and cut out a square in the top to make a seat and driving-wheel. They’re a perfect size to go with Playmobil figures too!

Materials: Toilet rolls, acrylic or tempera paint, butterfly clips.

PERSONALISED TEA TOWELS

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Would you rather not use scissors or glue? In that case, let’s get painting! How about our own hand-painted tea towels?

All you need to do is get a white or plain coloured tea towel and spread it flat on a piece of cardboard so that there are no wrinkles. Then, the kids cover the palms of their hands in paint and place them on the fabric in whatever design they like. Even adults can add their handprint or you could all use your feet instead! Finally, add your names, the date and a message and you’ll have a souvenir of that family activity! Feel that creativity flow!

Materials: tea towels or table-cloths in white or plain colours, cardboard, hand-paint or tempera, brushes.

LIGHTS AND COLOURS THROUGH A TUBE!

Photo: Pinterest

Another handicraft that I love is making kaleidoscopes. Do you know what they are? Of course! It’s that spyglass that is fascinating because of all the colours inside it. And it’s even more fun if we make it ourselves. Lights, colour, action!

First of all, mark out the circumference of a kitchen roll twice on rigid transparent plastic and cut both circles out. This can be recycled plastic or something from a container. Next, cut out a piece of card so that it measures the same length as the kitchen roll and line it with aluminium foil. Fold the lined paper over to make it a triangle and place it inside the roll, securing it with Sellotape. Tape one of the transparent circles and place on the opening at the end of the roll and the triangle, making sure that it is firmly sellotaped so that it doesn’t move.

Now comes the magic bit! Place beads and sequins inside our kaleidoscope so that they are all on the piece of plastic, and contain them there by covering with the other plastic circle. Glue a piece of white card over it to limit the entry of light and better define vision through the kaleidoscope. And here’s the additional fun! Now let’s decorate the outside with paint, cardboard pieces, adhesive tape, stickers… everyone’s going to love these!

Materials: kitchen roll, adhesive tape, coloured card, aluminium foil, sequins and beads, reusable transparent semi-rigid plastic.

LEAP LITTLE FROG, LEAP!

Photo: Pinterest

Are your kids asking for a pet at home? Give them leaping frogs! We’ll start by painting cardboard toilet rolls dark green and, once they’re dry, add markings in lighter green and paint the inside of the roll red. Then paint in eyes or use stick-out eyes like me, whichever you prefer. After this, flatten one side of the cardboard roll and glue it on the inside. Cut out the frog legs and glue them to the roll. The final detail is to draw and cut out a cardboard or card fly and stick it onto the end of some string, attaching the other end to the frog. Make them leap or anything you like!

Materials: toilet rolls, tempera paint, brushes, card, glue, stick-out eyes, string.

OUR VERY OWN FISH TANK

Photo: Pinterest

Do your kids love fish? Well then, let’s make a cardboard fish tank! Start by finding an old box and painting it in blue, either all one tone or several different ones like the sea floor. Let it dry while we draw fish in different shapes and colours on card and then cut them out. We can decorate them with scales and stick-out eyes. Then, make a hole in the upper section and thread it with coloured string. Use plastic bottle tops with holes in them to secure the string on the other end

Once everything is dry, it’s time to decorate the fish tank! You can use adhesive sparkly bits or stickers, but you can also make your own with aluminium foil painted with details in marker pen. Cut out thin lines in the top of the box to hang each fish from and use them like runners to move them along and you’re done! A cardboard fish tank with fish that you can move!

Materials: cardboard box, card, coloured string or laces, plastic bottle tops, adhesive sparkle, aluminium foil, marker pens

A BOAT THAT REALLY FLOATS

Photo: Pinterest

How about carrying on with our maritime theme with this fun handicraft? If you like wine, you’ll probably have a few corks to recycle and use to make a boat to float in the bath! Fix three corks alongside each other and tie them together with string. Make sure they’re secure and then make a sail using fabric and a kebab stick. Anchor the bottom of the stick in the central cork and sail away!

Materials: three corks, a kebab stick, fabric, string

OUR DIY PIGGY-BANK

Photo: Pinterest

Our last handicraft suggestion is for a useful DIY item, a piggy-bank made from a plastic bottle. Take the bottle and hammer four bottle tops into the bottom to make the trotters. Then, decorate it with card, creating the pig’s body, ears and nostrils. You can paint the eyes in with a marker pen. And, finally, make a slit in the top so that now you’ve got a piggy-bank to fill with coins!

Materials: plastic bottle, bottle tops, coloured card and marker pen, glue.

I hope you like my ideas for enjoying DIY handicraft with your kids over this quarantine caused by the Coronavirus which has confined us to our homes. Not only are they useful for this period, but they also encourage joint family activities that are both fun and educational. Which one is your favourite? And, please don’t forget, STAY AT HOME. Hopefully we’ll all be able to get out again soon!