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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!

Handmade Toys (11–20)

Cardboard guitar that makes sound

Let's Make a Sound-Making Guitar! [Cardboard Craft]
Cardboard guitar that makes sound

Let’s introduce a fun-to-make cardboard guitar.

Prepare one cardboard box, five rubber bands, a food tray, packing tape, glue, scissors, and a cutting mat, then let’s get started.

Draw a rough outline of a guitar on the opened cardboard and cut out each part along the lines.

Make slits along the long side of the food tray; the depth of the slits will change the sound it produces.

Thread the rubber bands through the slit area.

Attach the food tray to the hole in the guitar body part using packing tape.

Glue the neck and head together.

Then glue the neck and head onto the guitar body to complete it.

Paint it and add decorations to finish your own original guitar!

Boomerang made from paper cups

Throw and catch! A boomerang with paper cups? A fun toy for 1st and 2nd graders. “Paper Cup Boomerang” (takes about 10 minutes to make) #craft #handmadetoy #papercup
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.

A soccer game you can make with straws

[Summer Vacation Crafts] Easy! Playable Crafts (For Elementary School Students) [Soccer] [Handmade Toy] Independent Research
A soccer game you can make with straws

How about making a simple toy out of straws so you can enjoy soccer at home? It’s a fun, engaging game you can play together with friends or family! Another great point is that you can make it using familiar materials like an empty box and some straws.

Use the empty box to create the field and the straws to build the goals.

Attach straws to the player pieces you cut out from the box, and control them as you play.

It could be even more exciting to model the players after your favorite stars! This toy is sure to help kids develop dexterity and concentration.

We’ve shared detailed instructions in a video, so check it out and give it a try!

Scrap-wood Archery

[Crazy Archery Using Scrap Materials] #AtHomePlay #EasyActivities #ParentChildPlay #Crafts #ScrapMaterialPlay
Scrap-wood Archery

Make and play with everyday materials! Here are some ideas for upcycled archery.

You’ll need: a paper tube, an awl, a straw, rubber bands, paper cups, tissue paper, and scissors.

First, use the awl to make a hole in the paper tube.

Cut off the accordion part of the straw, then ball up some tissue paper and attach it to the tip.

Cut a notch at the back of the straw where you can hook a rubber band, and you’re done! Stack paper cups to make a target.

Insert the straw into the hole in the paper tube, hook the rubber band, and launch.

Try experimenting with different ways to shoot!

fishing rod with a reel

[Easy Kids' Craft] A Realistic Fishing Game with a Reel Using 100-Yen Store Items! (For Independent Research/Home Play)
fishing rod with a reel

A handmade fishing rod with a reel is perfect for kids who love fishing and fish! Glue a pair of chopsticks to the side of a paper cup and attach a straw to the end.

Make the reel by using two additional paper cups and stack them onto the main paper cup.

Then thread a string through the straw and secure it to the reel, and you’re done.

For bait, attach a magnet to a piece of paper with a drawing of krill or similar, and prepare fish pieces with paper and paper clips attached—then you can enjoy a fishing game! Since you’ll be moving it around to play, make sure to firmly secure all the parts.

Handmade Accessories (1–10)

Diorama

[Elementary School Grade 2 Summer Craft] All 100-Yen Shop Materials! Palm-Sized ♪ How to Make an Ocean Diorama
Diorama

Building dioramas is full of the fun of creating your own world.

By making the most of items from 100-yen shops, you can bring a variety of ideas to life.

First, prepare a clear plastic container and attach paper clay to create a base.

From there, you can make the sea or mountains, or even outer space—freely recreate places you want to visit, places you’ve been, or a fantastical world.

You can use stones or shells you’ve picked up, or characters you have at home.

Using your favorite figures makes it even more enjoyable, so it’s highly recommended!

fake acrylic keychain

“You really don’t need shrink plastic or resin?” Make an acrylic keychain in 10 minutes with 100-yen shop materials! I cut all the corners and it still turned out super easy ♪ How to make a fake acrylic keychain
fake acrylic keychain

Acrylic keychains are appealing items thanks to their sturdy material, letting you show off the cute designs without worrying much about them breaking when you hang them on a bag.

With that acrylic keychain image in mind, how about making a durable keychain using simple materials? The main component is a sticker of the character you want to feature on the keychain; you cut it out and wrap it with tape to give it an acrylic-like look.

To make it more colorful and more durable, it’s also important to consider which tapes you use and how much you layer them.