Making arts and crafts is an activity that spans ages. Loved by preschool children and octogenarians alike, everyone can find enjoyment in creating something imaginative and beautiful. There are many benefits to arts and crafts, such as developing fine motor skills and improving dexterity in children. This can also be an advantage for older adults.

Creating art also encourages self expression and enables people to share their emotions through artistic mediums. It is also a way to control output and can help boost self esteem when someone sees the quality of work they have created.

There are so many types of arts and crafts that it is difficult to narrow down what kind of craft supplies you will need. It all depends on what you want to do as well as what your skill level is. For young children that are just learning how to hold a pencil or crayon, it’s best to start out with large pieces of paper that have simple drawings on them that they can color or trace. Crayons are a great medium for little hands to hold and learn to work across the page without fear of them making a mess.

As kids get older, you can add in colored pencils, sketching pencils, sketch books, paints and collage paper. Give kids the opportunity to explore different mediums to see what they like working with best. Kids will want to go from medium to medium to play around with the different textures, colors, sizes and more.

Crafts for adults can include any type of supplies, such as paints, colored pencils or markers, mosaic tiles, feathers, clay — the list goes on. When you’re starting out with a new craft supply, try it out in small amounts until you get the hang of how to use it and create with it. This reduces waste and increases confidence in your abilities.

• If you have avid crafters in your home, your craft supplies will quickly multiply. To avoid having markers, pens, papers and paints scattered everywhere, it’s important to organize them so they are neat, tidy and easy to access. You can organize craft supplies by medium in transparent containers or baggies, such as putting all pencils together and all markers together. Another way to organize craft supplies is by activity. For example, keep the paints with the paint brushes and paper so you have everything together in one place.
• If you don’t have a dedicated space for crafting, consider keeping your craft supplies on a rolling cart. This way, you can move the cart to wherever you are working, such as the dining room table or the living room floor.
• Keep in mind that many craft supplies don’t last indefinitely. For example, paints will dry up if not used often. Before purchasing craft supplies, consider how often you will use them. You don’t want to end up with a large quantity of paint that just gets dry if you don’t use it often. Maybe rely on mixing to get certain colors, rather than buying full bottles of them.
• There can be a cost advantage to purchasing some craft supplies in bulk, especially things that don’t have an expiration date. Things like pompoms and feathers, for example, won’t go bad even if they are sitting in your craft drawer for years.
• If you find you have too many scraps during your crafting sessions, consider keeping a scrap basket nearby. This is a spot you can put in small bits and bobs of paper and other supplies. Don’t throw them out right away — when you’re starting your next craft project, check the scrap bin for any small items you can use this time around.