Gift Ideas for Crafty Kids (without any crafty messes!)

I love making messes with my kids! But time after time, we have friends come over to paint or craft and their parents mention how happy they are to let their kids get crafty without worrying about their floors or walls. I think giving something creative instead of another toy makes both kids and parents happy, so I’ve brainstormed some gift ideas to give crafty kids that don’t come with a crafty mess (no glitter on this list!). I’m chiming in with a bunch of other bloggers sharing gift guides, so click through at the bottom to see all the other topics.

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I’d love to hear any other ideas you have, after reading this list! Several of these are kits – which are so convenient because they usually don’t require any additional supplies.

Kid’s embroidery flag kit* looks easy and fun, plus you can hang up the flags as decorations afterwards!

String art kit*- this is so affordable and there are several design options.

 Aquadoodle pad* is a big hit in our house, and works well in the car. Perfect first “craft” for babies, since it’s just water!

Color wonder markers* are magical – they only “mark” on specific color wonder paper so they can be used totally unsupervised or in the car.

Melissa & Doug scratch art pad* does leave a tiny mess with the scratched off topcoat, but nothing too awful, and it is a great set for kids of mixed ages. Younger kids will like scratching doodles and older kids can draw more elaborate scenes.

Finger knitting class*, on Creativebug, would be a great gift for international friends and tweens! They learn a new technique in a digital class.

This bead set* would be a nice gift for older kids to make jewelry, bookmarks, or garland.

Character illustration class*, is a digital class on Craftsy. Kids can learn to draw and create their own stories!

Sticker art* is one of the quietest arts and crafts activities, my 18 month old loves peeling them off and decorating with them.

This Christmas gnome kit is super cute and would make a great ornament.

This star craft kit* caught my eye, I would have loved making these and hanging them up in my window when I was younger.

A fairy garden kit* would pair beautifully with a fairy book, you put all the little pieces in with a plant or a terrarium for a whimsical decoration or garden feature.

This diy jewelry kit* has all the supplies included – if you bought a few of them, they’d be perfect for a party as well!

This weaving kit* uses fabric scraps to make cute clothes-shaped weavings.

Melissa & Doug paint with water books* are one of our travel go-tos.

Color wonder finger paint* is the least messy paint option out there, the paint only colors on the accompanying special paper.

Paint daubers* are like bingo stampers; they let out a tiny bit of paint that dries quickly and doesn’t make a mess. My kids love playing with these! You can also use them on wood items like frame or toys.

Kwik Sticks paint sticks* are like glue sticks that dry super fast, you can blend the colors and it looks like a regular painting, with very little mess factor. These are especially fun to use on huge sheets of paper!

Shrinky Dinks* are so fun! We’ve been playing with them on and off to make keychains – all you need are colored pencils and an oven, super cheap too.

Shrinky dink jewelry class*, on Creativebug, is a fun digital option for older teens.

Don’t forget to check out my other gift guide – Gifts for Kids who Love To Sew (or want to learn)! 

I’m posting this today as a part of a large group of bloggers who are all sharing gift guides, click through to see all the different categories and get some holiday shopping done!