Entertaining Sticker Crafts for Kids

Give a child a sticker, and he or she will be entertained for hours. Even a young toddler appreciates the magic of sticker fun. A small piece of masking tape can be stuck and unstuck over and over again, occupying a child’s attention for long stretches of time. Doing crafts with kids stimulates their imagination and helps with motor skill and sensory development.

Stickers also help kids learn about different textures; you can point out the sticky side and have kids feel it with their fingers, and stickers that are textured, puffy or fuzzy can help kids develop their sense of touch. Perhaps best of all, stickers provide an easy way to do crafts with kids. They come in a wide array of colors, sizes and textures, and they are mess free. Custom stickers can be ordered with the child’s name or favorite activity depicted on it, or children can create their own custom stickers by decorating blank adhesive labels.

Kids love to personalize their crafts, whether they do so using crayons, glitter or stickers. Allkidsnetwork.com provides instructions to make a pencil holder out of wooden craft sticks, paint and stickers. Kids can paint wooden craft sticks and then have an adult hot glue them around an aluminum can. The sticks can then be decorated with stickers and markers. This would make a great gift, especially if decorated with custom stickers.

Kids can also make glittered sticker eggs, as seen on Marthastewart.com. Adhere double-sided stickers to the outside of a hard-boiled egg, then sprinkle glitter onto the stickers. Kids can use this technique to decorate anything from candle holders to picture frames.

Foam stickers can also provide kids with hours of entertainment. These stickers are made of durable foam and have a self-adhesive backing, making them stick easily to most surfaces. At lovetoknow.com, you can find creative ideas for making crafts with foam stickers. Kids can use foam stickers to decorate doorknob tags, cards and gift bags. Kids can even create their own scenes on paper using stickers with different themes and shapes.

You can use unexpected items, like color-coding labels, for sticker crafts. Valerie at Inner Child Fun demonstrates how to create a larger-than-life gumball machine using round color-coding adhesive labels. These labels can also be used to create picture mosaics or to decorate toothpicks for a party.

When you just can’t find the perfect sticker, create a custom sticker using paper and gelatin. Cut photographs, magazine images or colorful paper into small pieces. Then, dissolve one packet of unflavored gelatin in a few tablespoons of boiling water. Paint the mixture onto the back of the pieces of paper, and let them dry with the wet side up on waxed paper. When you’re ready to use the sticker, simply lick it and stick it to the desired surface. These stickers may stick better to porous surfaces such as paper and cardboard than to slick surfaces like plastic or metal.

Kids can get very creative when they are given the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. Crafts can keep them busy and build valuable skills. Letting kids explore and play with stickers is fun and can provide hours of entertainment.

Bio: Jessica is a specialist in designing custom stickers. When she is not writing for LightningLabels.com, you can find her cooking up a storm in her kitchen.