Easy DIY Summer Crafts to Enjoy in the Sunshine

Summer is a great time for kids to get creative and enjoy fun activities indoors or outside. Crafts help keep children busy and allow them to explore their imagination while using simple materials.

The best summer crafts are easy to make and keep kids entertained without needing many supplies. These projects can fit into busy days and bring a fresh way to enjoy the season.

1) Painted Mason Jar Lanterns

Decorative mason jars with lit silhouettes of trees, stars, and a deer, creating a glowing woodland scene.
Decorative mason jars with fairy lights and candles create a cozy ambiance on a wooden table.

Painted mason jar lanterns are a simple and fun craft for summer. Kids can use acrylic paint or food coloring to decorate the jars. The colors make the jars bright and cheerful.

Once the paint dries, a tea light or small battery candle can be placed inside. The light shines through the painted jar, creating a cozy glow. These lanterns work well for outdoor evenings or room decoration.

This craft is easy to customize. Children can paint patterns, shapes, or even faces on the jars. They can also add glue and sprinkle bits of tissue paper for extra color and texture.

It’s a great way to recycle old jars while making something useful. Painted mason jar lanterns bring a warm, handmade touch to summer nights.

2) Seashell Wind Chimes

Beautiful seashell wind chime hanging in garden with vibrant flowers and wooden fence backdrop.
Colorful seashell wind chime hanging on wooden branch against a wall, showcasing coastal decor.

Seashell wind chimes are a simple and fun craft for summer. They use a few basic supplies like seashells, string, and a stick or branch. Kids and adults can enjoy making them together.

To start, cut pieces of twine about two feet long. Then, tie seashells to the strings at different lengths. The string can be attached to a stick or a piece of driftwood to hang the chime.

When the wind blows, the seashells gently tap each other, making soft sounds. It is a lovely way to bring a bit of the beach inside, even when you are far from the shore.

This craft is easy to customize. Different kinds and sizes of shells create unique chimes. Colorful beads or small charms can be added for extra fun.

Seashell wind chimes make great decorations for porches or gardens. They also offer a relaxing activity that connects people with nature during the summer months.

3) Ice Cream Handprint Cards

Child holding a drawing with ice cream cones and handprint, text You melt my heart, personalized gift idea.
Father's Day card with pink ice cream handprint, message You melt my heart, Daddy! Love, Kevin.

This craft lets kids turn their handprints into a fun ice cream cone card. They trace their hand on paper to make the “ice cream” part, then add a cone shape below.

It only needs a few simple supplies like paper, markers, and glue. Kids can decorate the card with sprinkles, cherries, or stickers.

These cards are great for gifts or just a cute summer keepsake. Kids can even write a short summer message inside to make it special.

Colorful handprint ice cream art with yellow, pink, and brown cones in a framed picture. Creative wall decor.
Valentine’s Day ice cream craft with hearts and “You Melt My Heart” text. Free printable from GluedToMyCraftsBlog.

Teachers and parents find this craft easy and fun for groups or home activities. It helps kids practice creativity while making something they can share.

4) Paper Flower Wreaths

Close-up of a woven wreath with handcrafted paper flowers, perfect for home decor and floral DIY projects.
Cream hydrangea wreath with a brown bow on rustic wood background. Perfect for elegant home decor or seasonal display.

Paper flower wreaths are a simple and colorful summer craft. They can decorate doors, walls, or windows with bright, handmade flowers.

To make a wreath, people cut flower shapes from colored paper. They can use templates or draw their own designs.

After cutting, the flowers are glued or taped onto a circular base. This base can be made from cardboard or a wire ring.

Hand holding a decorative floral wreath with vibrant pink and white flowers against a rustic wooden background.
Handmade wreath with rolled paper flowers in gray and yellow tones, tied with a white ribbon on a green wall.

This craft works well for all ages. Kids enjoy folding and cutting paper, while adults can add details with markers or paint.

Paper flower wreaths are light and easy to hang. They bring a fresh, cheerful look to any room during summer.

5) Polymer Clay Creations

Cute clay animal keychains with flowers, text reads clean & prevent cracks, on colorful floral background.

Polymer clay is great for summer crafts because it is easy to shape and comes in many colors. People can make small charms, jewelry, or fun decorations with it. It only takes a little time to harden when baked in an oven.

They can create simple shapes like flowers, fruits, or animals. These designs are perfect for summer because they look bright and cheerful. Polymer clay earrings or keychains are popular choices for gifts or personal use.

Step-by-step guide to making clay pencil toppers shaped like popular video game characters' hats and blocks.
Step-by-step guide to crafting a mini carrot phone plug with clay, perfect for a fun DIY project.

The materials are affordable and easy to find at craft stores. Kids and adults both enjoy working with polymer clay. It helps improve creativity and fine motor skills while making something useful or pretty.

Creative Tips For Summer Crafting

Summer crafting works best when materials hold up in warm weather and projects bring everyone together. Using the right supplies helps crafts last longer outside. Getting kids and family involved makes crafting more fun and keeps everyone busy.

Choosing Materials That Withstand Warm Weather

Tubes of Mont Marte acrylic paint in white, yellow, red, and blue, displayed on a colorful artist palette.
Palette knife spreading colorful paint drops on a white canvas for an abstract art project.

Materials need to be chosen carefully for summer crafts. Items like sturdy paper, acrylic paints, and natural elements such as shells or pebbles stand up well to heat and sunlight. Avoid materials that melt or fade quickly in the sun.

Waterproof glue or tape is better than regular glue because it holds projects together even if things get a little wet outside. Using bright, non-toxic paints that dry fast also helps keep crafts looking good through the summer.

Outdoor-friendly materials let kids create things they can play with outside, like wind chimes or sun catchers. These projects stay colorful and intact despite summer heat or brief rain showers.

Involving Kids And Families In Projects

Child painting outdoors with watercolors, wearing a gingham dress and flower hair clip, on a sunny day.
Hand-painted tote bags with cherry and sunburst designs next to colorful paint palette on a table.

Involving kids and family makes summer crafting a fun group activity. Choosing simple, safe materials helps kids work on projects with little help. Crafts like painting rocks or making paper flowers are easy for all ages.

Families can split tasks so everyone contributes. One person might gather supplies while another paints or assembles parts. This teamwork keeps the project moving and includes everyone.

Setting up a crafting station outside gives kids space to create freely. It’s easier to clean up and lets the group enjoy fresh air. Adding a mix of reusable tools, like paintbrushes and scissors, reduces waste and encourages sharing.

Displaying And Preserving Your Summer Crafts

Showing off summer crafts can brighten a home or yard. It is important to place them where people can see them well. Taking care of them also helps keep their colors and shapes fresh for longer.

Decorating Outdoor Spaces With Handmade Projects

Child painting colorful designs on stones outdoors. Brightly painted rocks with flowers and animals on a wooden table.
Sheep craft decorated with daisies, hands adding flowers, creative DIY project with handmade sheep art.

Summer crafts can add a warm, personal touch to gardens, patios, or balconies. Things like painted flower pots, wind chimes, or paper lanterns bring color and fun outside.

DIY bird art project using beans and paint on cardboard in three steps.
Child making glitter slime with a spatula in a bowl, surrounded by various colorful craft supplies.

If using crafts made from paper or light materials, it’s best to keep them in covered areas like porches. Hanging crafts on hooks or placing them on tabletops can make an inviting space.

Colorful painted stones form a decorative garden path, surrounded by vibrant flowering plants.
Vintage watering can art with colorful beaded streamers hanging in a garden setting.

Using sturdy materials like wood or plastic for crafts means they can stay outside safely. Grouping several crafts together can create a lively summer display that catches the eye.

Cozy outdoor lounge with colorful lanterns and cushions under trees, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere at dusk.
Hanging decorative lanterns illuminate trees against a twilight backdrop.

Protecting Crafts From Sun And Moisture

Sunlight can fade bright colors quickly, so placing crafts in shaded areas helps prevent this. If possible, using UV-resistant sprays can add an extra layer of protection.

Moisture from rain or humidity can damage many craft materials. If crafts must stay outside, sealing them with waterproof spray or clear varnish can stop water damage.

For delicate items, bringing them indoors after use or during bad weather keeps them safe. Storing crafts inside in boxes or containers also helps avoid dust and pests.

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