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Crafts you can make with 100-yen shop items! A collection of fun project ideas that elementary school kids will love

“Amazing crafts from dollar store materials!?” Eye-catching ideas like these are hugely popular among kids right now.

From original keychains and colorful lanterns to fluffy squishies, you can actually make surprisingly high-quality projects with materials you can find nearby.

Here, we’ll introduce fun craft ideas using dollar store supplies that even elementary school children can easily try.

Find your favorite project and enjoy making it!

Sparkly, Cute Crafts (61–70)

Dinosaur Snow Globe

I’m going to introduce a second grader’s summer vacation craft! A dinosaur snow globe. Koki TV
Dinosaur Snow Globe

Many children love dinosaurs, don’t they? Some probably have lots of dinosaur merchandise, too.

So let’s make a summer vacation project using dinosaurs: a snow globe in a glass container filled with liquid laundry starch (or school glue) and purified water.

Use a hot glue gun to attach a dinosaur figurine to the inside of the glass lid.

Be careful when using the glue gun, as it gets very hot.

Pour the laundry starch (or glue) and purified water into the container, then tint it with paint in your favorite color.

If you add glitter, you’ll get a sparkly, authentic-looking snow globe.

Close the lid and turn it upside down, and you’ll have a beautiful snow globe with a dinosaur inside.

Handmade shaker coaster

[Summer Vacation Craft] Handmade Shaker Coasters [Dollar Store DIY]: Seashell and Sand Shaker Box
Handmade shaker coaster

Introducing original handmade “shaker” coasters that capture the feel of the seasons.

Gather styrofoam board, background design paper, a clear file, plastic sheet, double-sided tape, beads or seashells, and sand, and let’s get started.

First, decide what kind of coaster you want to make.

Cut the styrofoam board to create the coaster base.

Attach the base pieces together for the bottom section.

Apply masking tape around the edges, add seashells and sand inside, then seal it with the lid using double-sided tape—and you’re done! Give it a try!

Insect interior

This seals the deal for your summer vacation craft project! We’re sharing how to make a simple “Insect Interior” decor piece!
Insect interior

This is an idea for turning insect specimens into stylish interior decor.

When you think of specimens, you might picture them in a box, but what we’re introducing here uses a jar.

You’ll need a jar with a cork lid, an acrylic sheet, and an insect specimen.

The process is simple: first, cut the acrylic sheet to a size that fits inside the jar.

Next, make a slit in the cork lid, insert the cut acrylic sheet, and secure it with adhesive.

Finally, attach the insect specimen to the acrylic sheet and close the lid to finish.

Using a clear acrylic sheet makes it look as if the insect is floating inside the jar, creating a very chic look.

Eyeball Tile Coaster

[100-Yen Shop DIY] Summer Vacation Craft Accessory: Simple and Stylish Googly-Eye Tile Coaster
Eyeball Tile Coaster

Here’s an idea where you use cork coasters sold at 100-yen shops as a base and decorate them with stickers and more.

Lately, tile stickers that were popular in the Heisei era have been making a comeback, and you can find a variety of patterns at 100-yen shops as well.

Decorations using remake sheets—those you stick on furniture or walls—are also recommended.

With a bit of creativity, the possibilities are endless, so go ahead and make coasters full of originality!

stone art

Rock art with kids: perfect for summer vacation independent research, free craft projects, and making memories
stone art

Let’s make stone art using materials close at hand, like those from rivers and parks.

Start by collecting stones and twigs.

Choosing stones without sharp edges will help you create cute pieces.

Also, selecting twigs with branches is a key tip for making a lovely work.

Arrange the stones and twigs you found on a frame or cork board, which you can also buy at a 100-yen shop.

As children think, design, and create on their own, it boosts their imagination.

You can paint the pieces, and it’s also nice to add pinecones, leaves, and other items besides stones and twigs.

Animal clay

[Elementary School Craft] Animal Clay 🐘
Animal clay

This craft involves dividing paper clay into parts, then assembling them, painting them, and finishing them in the shape of an animal.

First, check what combination of shapes makes up the animal you want to create, and make parts that match the appropriate sizes and shapes.

After that, attach the parts, refine the overall form, and add colors and patterns to complete it.

If you use a paper plate as a base and attach the pieces onto it, it will look like a three-dimensional picture—highly recommended, too.

Mini violin made of clay

It was pretty tough when I tried making a mini violin out of clay.
Mini violin made of clay

There are many kinds of musical instruments with different shapes, and those differences heighten our expectations about what kinds of sounds they can produce.

Focusing on the shapes of instruments, this activity has you use paper clay to make a violin shape.

A real violin has a unique form made by combining pieces of wood, so let’s carefully reproduce the details, such as the indented areas.

Once the overall shape is refined, paint it and attach separate parts like the strings to finish it as a realistic-looking violin.