[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
Summer vacation crafts—especially for older elementary students—can feel like a dilemma: “Simple projects aren’t satisfying,” but “overly difficult ones are a problem,” too, right? The truth is, by getting creative with materials and tools, you can make projects that look and function like the real deal.
Here, we’re sharing craft ideas—like coin banks, motor-based projects, and food replicas—that will make your friends say, “Wow!” They’re simple to build, yet fun to use even after they’re finished.
Use these as inspiration and add your own twists to create an original masterpiece!
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For Upper Elementary Students: Simple Yet Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (141–150)
cool pen holder
Let me introduce a very handy and stylish pen holder.
Prepare a wooden box, wooden boards, an interior mesh frame, paint, a brush, glue, and sandpaper, and let’s get started.
Cut the wooden boards, paint them, and glue them together.
Glue on the interior mesh frame as well.
Once it’s dry, it’s complete.
This pen holder makes the contents easy to see and offers great ventilation—give it a try! Adding illustrations or decorations to give it a personal touch will make it even more wonderful.
Candy Magnet
Let’s make a magnet that looks like a candy with twisted ends.
The materials and steps are very simple, so it’s highly recommended.
First, prepare strong magnets from a 100-yen shop, a plastic bottle cap, and a fabric scrap with a pattern you like.
Start by gluing the magnet to the back of the bottle cap.
Next, cut the fabric scrap to 14 cm by 10 cm, then fold back and glue three sides, leaving just one of the short sides unfolded.
Once the glue is dry, wrap the bottle cap with the fabric and secure it with glue.
Finally, to create the candy shape, gather and stitch the fabric at both ends with thread.
You’re done! Try making lots in different colors and patterns.
Original T-shirts made with stencil printing
How about making your own T-shirt over summer vacation? We’ll use a technique called stenciling to create an original T-shirt.
You place a cutout of letters or illustrations on the fabric and paint over it with ink or other pigments.
Since you’ll wear the T-shirt, you’ll likely wash it too.
When stenciling on T-shirts or fabric, be sure to use fabric ink that won’t wash out.
While this can be a summer vacation homework project, it can also become a fun summer memory.
You might even make matching T-shirts for the whole family.
There are stencil T-shirt kits available online, so why not give them a try?
[For upper elementary grades] Simple but amazing! A collection of summer vacation craft ideas (151–160)
Let’s make a cardboard pochette
Here’s an introduction to making a pochette using cardboard.
Do you have cardboard boxes at home from parcel deliveries or from purchases at the supermarket? If you have some on hand, you can make a pochette simply by cutting it into shape, folding it, and assembling it.
Cardboard has lines where the inside is hollow.
The key is to keep those lines in mind when you cut.
If you want to create curves in your cardboard parts, cut across those lines.
Doing so will expand your creative possibilities.
Designing the pochette itself is sure to be an enjoyable time, too.
A one-of-a-kind toy clock in the world
The idea is to make a clock using a clock movement and a board, then attach various toys to it.
You can get a clock movement at a 100-yen shop or a handmade goods store, and you can buy the board for the clock face at a home improvement store.
First, draw diagonal lines on the board to find the center point, and mark where to drill the hole for the movement.
Next, use a protractor to decide where to place the numbers on the clock.
After drilling the hole and painting if you like, it’s time to decorate the face.
Use a hot glue gun to attach the toys however you like.
Finally, secure the clock movement in the hole, and you’re done.
Arrange your favorite toys with style and create a wonderful clock!
small accessory case
Let me introduce a cute and handy little storage container.
Get a wooden box, a cutting board, a round dowel, a hot glue gun, and a saw, and let’s get started.
Use the hot glue gun to attach the cutting board to the left and right sides of the wooden box.
Cut the round dowel to the appropriate length, sand the ends smooth, thread it through the holes, and secure it with the hot glue gun.
The process is simple and easy to make, so definitely give it a try.
It’s also recommended to paint it to add a personal touch.
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.