Craft Ideas for Boys

*photo by Jean Allsopp of myhomeideas.com

Many people have the mistaken notion that crafting is for girls only. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Boys enjoy making things with their hands every bit as much as girls do, but craft ideas for boys may not easily come to mind. Have your boys give some of these craft ideas a try and watch their faces light up.



Children begin to learn about crafting when they’re very young. Preschool teachers have them make ‘gifts’ to give to their family members for birthdays or other holidays. They make a small pinch pot out of clay, or a t-shirt using fabric paint and their hand or footprints. The point is that teachers don’t make a distinction between the sexes at this stage, so why is the distinction made later on?

It may be true boys are more rough and tumble than most girls but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy making things with their hands. You may simply want to consider what it is boys like when trying to find craft ideas for them.

If the boys you are around are like most boys, they probably love to pick up sticks. They may imagine them to be a sword to fight a fire-breathing dragon, but they may be willing to gather sticks for crafts. Have them find long sticks, about two feet long.

They can make a Native American Dance Stick. Here’s what they’ll need:

* Stick, 1/2 inch by 24 inches
* Yarn
* Piece of fur
* 2 small bells
* 12 inches of suede cord
* 4 pony beads
* 2 feathers
* Tacky glue and scissors

Have them place glue on one end of their stick, wrap a 1 inch by 2 inch piece of fur round it, and then use glue and yarn wrapped around the stick to cover about 6 inches of the stick. (They can use all one color or several colors depending on their own imagination).

The next step is to wrap the suede cord around the bottom of the stick once or twice and then tie the cord with a knot. String one bell around each end of the cord and tie a knot. Then add two pony beads onto the end of the cord. Tie a knot at the end of the cord and trim it off. Push one feather through each set of beads and use a little bit of glue to secure them. When the glue has dried, the boys will have a wonderful Native American dancing stick.

Take advantage of their love of being outdoors as well. While they’re gathering sticks for the above craft, suggest they pick up other items from nature. Acorn shells, pine cones, and any other items found outdoors can be used to make nature crafts.

Woodworking is also something most little boys will like, as well as some little girls. If they’re old enough, you may want to find some soft wood and teach them how to whittle. Maybe the little boys in your life aren’t ready for that craft yet, but you can find some Styrofoam and use plastic knives to teach them the same skills.

It’s not hard to figure out what boys like to do or what craft ideas would be best for boys. Ask them what crafts they’d like to do. They might surprise you with their answers. But, if they say they don’t know, you can always try one of these craft ideas and see how they do.