A collection of summer vacation craft ideas made with 100-yen shop materials
The 100-yen shops are incredibly convenient because they have a wide variety of items.
Nowadays, they don’t just offer low prices—there are plenty of high-quality products too.
Here, we introduce fun craft projects you can make for summer vacation assignments using materials you can get at 100-yen shops, as well as projects that are great to try when you have some extra time.
Many of these summer crafts can even be used as everyday household items.
Please use this as a reference and enjoy making them together with your children!
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A collection of summer vacation craft ideas made with 100-yen store materials (141–150)
Aquarium snow globe
Let me introduce a refreshing aquarium-style snow globe.
Prepare liquid laundry starch (or glue), a sponge, a jar, miniature figures, ribbon, adhesive, glitter, and a chopstick.
Cut the sponge to the shape of the jar lid to make a base, then glue it in place.
Attach the figures onto the base using adhesive.
Put glitter into the jar, then add water and liquid laundry starch in a 1:1 ratio and mix well.
Close the jar with the lid that has the figures attached, making sure no air gets in, and you’re done.
Decorate it and create your own original snow globe!
A piggy bank with a wagging tail
When it comes to classic summer independent projects, a “piggy bank” is a staple.
The “Yucho Idea Piggy Bank Contest” held by Japan Post Bank is also well-known.
You might think, “Have all the ideas been used up by now?” but every year a lot of creative piggy banks appear.
So, here’s one to introduce: the “wagging-tail piggy bank.” The simple mechanism is that the weight of the coin you drop in makes the tail sway gently.
If you expand on this mechanism, you could adapt the idea to things like a fishing game or a dinosaur’s neck.
We recommend using air-dry paper clay, which you can paint once it dries!
Cute crafts in the kitchen
Do you know the book “Cute Crafts in the Kitchen for Elementary School Students,” published by Gakken? It’s packed with fun craft ideas, including many that would be perfect for summer vacation projects and crafts.
Let me introduce one from the book: the “Paper Dome Cup.” The simple process is to coat a water balloon with glue, wrap it with Japanese paper or tissue paper, and once it’s dry, pop the balloon.
It doesn’t take much time, so it’s recommended even for those who are short on time.
A collection of summer vacation craft ideas made with 100-yen store materials (151–160)
Boomerang made from paper cups
Let me introduce a unique boomerang that might boost kids’ reflexes.
This boomerang is made from paper cups, but it’s apparently hard to catch when it returns—so it could help train reflexes.
Fix and connect the bottoms of two paper cups with cellophane tape.
Insert a bent paper clip into the joined section.
Set the paper-cup boomerang onto a launcher made from a chopstick with a rubber band fixed to it, and then just launch it.
It takes some technique to throw and catch, but mastering it might be part of the fun.
gachapon
You can make a dream-like, endlessly playable gacha machine for kids using materials from a 100-yen shop! Stack assembly-style cardboard to create the main body of the machine, then use a utility knife to cut holes where the capsules drop and where they come out.
For the rotating mechanism, repurpose items like a socket or a doorknob, connect them to an internal board, and set up a system that lets the capsules fall.
Finally, cover the front of the capsule compartment with transparent cellophane, decorate the sides so the cardboard isn’t exposed, and you’re done!
Sparkling hourglass
How about making the “sand” of a mysterious timekeeping hourglass out of sparkling glitter? Here’s what you’ll need: glitter you can buy at a 100-yen shop, two small bottles, a clear file folder, glue, scissors, and so on.
First, cut the clear file to match the size of the bottle openings and make a hole for the glitter to fall through.
After cutting it into a donut shape, apply tape to both sides to adjust how quickly the glitter falls.
Next, put your favorite glitter into one container, glue the holed piece of clear file to the mouth of the container, and attach the two bottles together.
If you want to decorate the bottles, be sure to do the decorating before joining the two bottles!
Galaxy Bottle
A “galaxy bottle” that traps the universe inside—how cool is that? You can make one with 100-yen shop supplies like craft stuffing, paint, a jar, a brush, water, and sequins or glitter.
First, add small amounts of stuffing to the jar.
Use a wet brush to push it down, and add a little water to the jar so you can pack in as much stuffing as possible.
Next, load your brush with watercolor paint and apply it to the stuffing.
Add glitter and sequins, then pour in water and close the lid to finish.
The stuffing looks like clouds, while the sequins and glitter sparkle like stars—just gazing at it is sure to fire up your imagination.