5 Creative Back-to-School Craft Ideas for DIY-Inclined Kids

When I think back on my own back-to-school days, my favorite part was always the fresh batch of school supplies. Not only picking up new backpacks, new lunch bags and filling them with pens, pencils and notebooks, but finding ways of stamping my personality onto all those blank slates. I mostly did this through the addition of stickers and poorly scrawled song lyrics, but I probably could have done better if I’d had the proper inspiration.

Now that the 2024-2025 school year is upon is, iff there are students in your life who want similar one-of-a-kind school supplies, these are the best back-to-school craft ideas. Some of them are meant to keep everything neat and organized, so there’s no wasted minutes looking for loose pencils when it’s time to buckle down and do work. Others are ingenious ways to dress up notebooks, lockers and backpacks so they exude creativity. Others are meant to look pretty on a desk, some are fall crafts that just work well for the season and there are even a few that could be given as DIY, homemade gifts, either for teachers or otherwise. Break out those crafting materials, get the inventive juices flowing and set them off on an art project that will get their year started off right.

Ameroonie Designs

Lunch Money Pouch

You can always use a little extra cash for lunch money, after-school snacks and other purchases. These not only look cute, they’ll keep the bills and coins from getting lost.

Ohoh deco

Beaded Doll Pencil Toppers

These dolls are so simple, yet they have so much personality! They can dress up pencils, backpacks, phone cases, school supply pouches or wherever else they can be tied.

Crafting Cheerfully

Rainbow Pencil Holder

This craft is especially good for those who like to keep their supplies organized by color, but no matter how they’re sorted, this one holds a lot.

Ameroonie Designs

Bloom Pencil Bouquet

It’s back-to-school season, but it’ll feel like spring with these bountiful pencils blooming from a flower pot. These were envisioned as teacher gifts, but you can always just use them to make any desk a little sunnier.

Handmade Charlotte

Beaded Backpack Tags

Backpack charms have never been hotter, and this one allows crafters to add just the right amount of personal touch. Almost any small, plastic toy can be converted to a backpack charm.