Crafter's Carousel - Kids Crafts

Crafter's Carousel

This photo originally appeared in FamilyFun Magazine

Total Time 1 to 2 hoursAges all-ages

This versatile rack and carrying tray can be adapted to hold drawing tools (as we show here) or other collections of craft materials (see "Customized Craft Kits" below). Set the tray on a lazy Susan and it lets all the kids at the table have access to the pens, pencils, markers, rulers and glue sticks. Each removable tub is color-coded, encouraging its eventual return.

What you'll need

• Corrugated cardboard
• Craft or utility knife
• Plant pot tray (we used a 14-inch diameter model)
• Assorted plastic juice cans, glasses and cups
• Egg carton
• Cardboard tubes (mailing or paper towel tubes)
• Con-Tact paper (optional)
• Colored tape and paints

Variations:

Drawing supplies:
pens and pencils, markers, glitter glue, oil pastels, crayons, erasers, rulers, compass

Beading kit:
beads, thread, string, jewelry fasteners and pin backs, glue, scissors

Hairstyling:
combs, barrettes, hair ties, hair sticks, bobby pins, hair mascara, hair spray

Model building:
glue, paint, craft knives, balsa wood, clamps, pins, decals 

How to make it

1. Cut the cardboard into a circle that fits just inside the rim of the pot tray. Some trays are formed with a lip just below the rim that can support your circle. If there isn't one on your tray, create a support by forming a ring from a 1-inch-wide strip of corrugated cardboard (with the corrugations running the short way). Set it against the inside wall of the tray.
    
2. 
   
   
   
   Gather your art materials and match them to the most suitable containers (pencils in a tall cup, erasers in a section of egg carton and so on). Arrange the containers on the cardboard circle, placing smaller containers toward the outside and taller tubes in the center. Once you have a layout you like, trace around the containers.
3. 
   
   
   
   Cut out the traced shapes with a craft or utility knife (adults only). As you cut, keep to the outside of the traced lines so the containers will slide out easily. Tip: To strengthen our unit, we glued the three center tubes to the cardboard circle. You could also use tape. Also, we placed one of our smaller cups inside a shallow, slightly larger cup. This larger cup stays in the circle, allowing the smaller one to be removed and replaced even more easily.
4. 
   
   
   
   Cover the tubes, jars and large cardboard circle with Con-Tact paper, if you like, to make the carousel more durable.
5. 
   
   
   
   Wrap colored tape or paint a band of color around the top of each container. Paint a ring of the same color around the hole so you'll be sure to know which container goes back into which hole.