Crafting & Homeschooling Essential Materials for Moms

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I’ve already shared my Preschool Essentials for Kids (including an art bin, alphabet, math, and other learning tools and ideas), and here is my list for Easy-Crafting & Homeschooling Essential Materials for Moms!

I love to hear about what other moms are using in their homeschooling, so I thought I’d share my list as a resource.  Everyone has a different system and their own way of doing things.  If I could pick three of the below items that I couldn’t live without, they’d be: my printer, my pens, and my hot glue gun.  

I am not the biggest “crafter” in the world — I like to think of myself as an “easy crafter”. I love to do things with my kids and for my kids — but I’m not going to spend hours on sewing felt (get a hot glue gun) or knitting Montessori baby balls (just buy one) or creating huge cardboard castles with massive details (I hate exacto knives and would probably draw blood).

I do, however, love teaching with many of the amazing resources I find online (See our Curriculum Choices).

I expose my children to Invitations to Paint — for their own creative and imaginative juices to flow — I’m excited for more outside and messy opportunities for this come Spring (See Art for Kids).

And I love to create fun and not-too-complicated  learning opportunities (See our Tot School Posts).

I also have compiled a list of preschool workbooks for in-home use for ages 2 through 5 (See 30+ Resources for Best Preschool Workbooks).

Homeschooling Essentials for Moms

• printer: Epson Workforce 2540 — I bought the Epson Workforce 545 two years ago and I could not recommend it more highly —  I use it every day and have “bulk printed” several 100+ page curriculums with no problems — and not one jam!!!  (I see that it has been upgraded to a newer model (the 2540).)

• ink cartridges: I use the 127 Ultra-High Capacity ink cartridges and only change them out every couple of months, very worth it, in my opinion.

• laminator: Another tool I use daily.  Every mom needs one of these — warning — you’ll become slightly obsessed with laminating for a while after you buy this.

• laminating sheets: These are a steal at 100 for $9, they work just as well as the name-brand.

• best pens ever: I adore these PaperMate pens.  I have the multi-color pen pack and the all-black pen pack.  When I was in school, and teaching, I would love using all the different colors.  They are just the best thin marker pen that I have found.  If I could marry a pen, this would the pen.

• label maker: I love love love this.  I have labeled my printable folders and my cupboards, and lots in between.  A mom must-have.  I found mine at Target, but sometimes Amazon has a super sale.

• masking tape, scotch tape, painter’s tape, packing tape, duct tape

• hot glue gun and glue sticks

• dot n go dispenser and adhesives: I found this while looking for round tulle for my clothespins fairy project.  I was enticed by the suggestion that these were an alternative to hot glue guns (which sometimes I hate because I always seem to burn myself).

• 3M hangers: I use these all the time to hang our work from strings!

• white paper

• contact paper:  This can easily be found at Target or a local store.

• heavy duty sheet protectors

• 3-ring binders

• 3 hole punch

• hole punch

• corner rounder punch

• round 1 inch rings

• stapler

• Fiskar scissors

• sticker dots

• velcro dots

Easy Crafting Essentials for Moms

• pom poms and little round magnet dots to make pom pom magnets.

• wooden discs to make alphabet discs

• pipe cleaners

• beads

• buttons

• craft (popsicle) sticks

• felt

• glitter

• elmer’s glue

• glitter glue

• tacky glue

• googly eyes

• feathers

• ribbon

• yarn

• tissue paper (cut into squares for mosaics projects!)

• paper plates and cups (all sizes)

• clothespins: I hang my son’s work in his room with simple clothespins.  We also play simple ABC games with clothespins on a string in his room.  We also love the mini clothespins. Check out our recent post on Clothespin Fairies.

• string: for hanging up projects and for making crafts, etc.

• foam paper sheets

• foam stickers

• Q-tips

• cotton balls

• round tulle (I found these at PaperMart for $1.25 for 25 of the same color, I bought about 10 different colors — I am now obsessed with them!)

• construction (colored) paper: I like to buy higher quality from Michael’s, the Dollar Store carries it but the colors bleed easily and the paper rips too quickly.

• washi tape (I bought mine from Freckled Fawn, Darlybird, and Pick Your Plum)

• sensory bin fillers: beans, lentils, rice, rocks, etc.  (Check out Little Bins for Little Hands for many more ideas!)

• sensory bin items: you can use any miniature play toys that your child already has, as well as other various around-the-house items.  If you’d like to invest in a few things, Toobs miniature animals and themed items are a great place to start.  Check out our Sensory Play for more ideas.

• sensory play: shaving cream, corn starch, food coloring, paints (listed in my Preschool Essentials list)

Also….

Collect rocks (of all sizes!) and flowers and grass and leaves and sticks for some wonderful, tactile, nature-inspired play and art projects!

Keep your trash and recyclables for fun projects!  Recycled plastic containers, cardboard tubes, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, bottle caps, etc. can all be used creatively by kids!  (I need to just give my son free reign with some of this stuff, I know he’d make some amazing creations!) Check out the Recycle & Create Series for some awesome ideas!

I hope you found some ideas for your homeschooling and crafting area needs!!  We are constantly adding or trying to organize….  

What did I miss?  

Do I need to add anything?  

What three crafting items could you not live without?