Fun Ways to Use Food in Kids Crafts
Updated on March 13, 2023
Crafting with food might sound messy or wasteful, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether your projects are the kind that involve a little bit of DIY with ingredients in order to make an extra cool dinner, or whether they’re actual crafting options that use a bit of food as a supply, your kids will adore being able to finally play with their food for once!
Check out these 15 awesome food crafting ideas that your kids will enjoy both making and eating (but hopefully they’ll know which ones are meant for which)!
1. Snowman pizza
Making your own pizza with your kids is a lot of fun no matter what shape you make it in. Why not make it a chance to get creative, though? We love this cute idea for making a delicious little homemade pizza shaped like a snowman, complete with a nose and a smile! Check out how it’s done on Get Creative Juice.
2. Goldfish cracker action bingo
This goldfish game idea from Cafe Johnsonia is a great idea for snack time because it’s super fun to play with but it also gives your kids something yummy to munch on while they keep busy. We also like that the game in the tutorial is action bingo rather than just regular bingo, because it keeps your kids moving and playing while they munch on the crackers. Just make sure you’re prepared to give them a refill when they realized they’ve eaten all their bingo markers!
3. PB&J snowman sandwiches
Okay, so maybe this isn’t the world’s most nutritious sandwich idea, but there’s nothing wrong with a good treat in moderation! Set out ingredients like Nutella for the inside of the sandwich, bread pre-cut by you into differently sized circles, sugared licorice strings, and sprinkles. Let your kids build themselves sandwich snowmen and top it off with some powdered icing sugar “snow”, just like Wenderley.
4. 3D marshmallow sculptures
This craft is super simple and a lot of fun, as long as you can get your kids to actually build some little sculptures rather than just eating all the marshmallows! Artful Parents shows you how to use toothpicks and marshmallows of all sized to make 3D models that look like something you’d find in a science classroom.
5. Crack dyed “dragon” eggs
We’ve definitely dyed Easter eggs before, but we’ve sure never dyed them like this! Cracking the egg when you put it in the dye lets it leak through the shell in little stripes onto the egg whites inside, making them look cracked or veiny, just like dragon eggs might look! Your kids will love pretending that baby dragons are about to hatch at any minute and, if you’re made edible dye with safe food colouring, they can still eat them hard boiled. See how it’s done on Our Best Bites.
6. Painted bread
Did you ever have milky bread when you were a child? Do you remember how delicious it tasted and how much fun you had dunking the pieces under the milk and chasing them with your spoon? Well, here’s a super fun spin on that classic snack! Woo Jr suggests pouring a little bit of milk into different bowls and adding a touch of food colouring. Place a fresh piece of bread on a plate, give each kid a paint brush, and let them “paint” the surface of their bread with the coloured milk! When they’ve had enough painting, they can gobble up their art.
7. Colour dyed noodles
Just in case differently shaped pasta noodles isn’t enough fun for your kids’ dinner, why not help them make differently coloured noodles too? Sure, there are types of pasta that come in a few different colours right from the store, but we’d be willing to bet that your kids will like making their own better and being able to create noodles that are unconventional colours like purple and blue! Check out how it’s done on Coloration.
8. Fruit Loop and cotton ball rainbow
Fruit Loops are an awesome tool for food crafts because they don’t need to be painted or dyed. They’re already bright, colourful, and ready to go! Try giving your kids some glue and some cotton balls so they can make 3D rainbow murals with their Fruit Loops on a blue piece of paper, like this one by Crafty Crafted. Just make sure they know to only snack on the fresh ones, not that ones that already have glue on them!
9. Ziplock bag butterflies
These little butterfly snack baggies are an awesome reusable craft that will be lots of fun in school lunches, picnics, or party bags. Have your kids paint or colour a clothes pin to look like a little butterfly body, complete with googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae glued on. Next, check out how Babble clipped a plastic bag through the middle, with one snack on one side and a second snack on the other!
10. Hot chocolate kit snowman
Sometimes the best food based crafts are the ones that you can dress up all cute and give to friends or family as a gift! Find Craft Ideas suggests grabbing a set of empty baby foods jars and using them to make not just a delicious hot chocolate kit, but one that looks like a cute little snow man! Fill one jar with hot chocolate mix and one jar with marshmallows. Next, glue one jar on top of the other. Use some ribbon to make a top hat, some spare material for a scarf, and paint, buttons, or beads to make the snowman’s coal buttons and facial features.
11. Popcorn door wreath
Have you ever made a popcorn garland for Christmas? They’re usually done by threading strong, thin thread or fishing line through a sewing needle and stringing big, foamy pieces of popcorn along the thread until you have a whole string fit to hang around your Christmas tree. Food Network, however, suggests taking that a step further by wrapping that garland into a door wreath that your guests will have a hard time not snacking on!
12. Filled wine bottle candle holder
Okay, so your kids might not be that excited about the finished product if you sit them down to help you make wine bottle candle holders, but we’d be willing to bet that they’ll enjoy at least filling the bottles for you! We love these ones by Food Network that look perfect for fall and Thanksgiving time. Try making them with bay leaves, lentils, rice, seeds, and whatever else you like the look of.
13. Bean mosaic owl
Are your kids a little older and looking for more of an art challenge? Try giving them beans of different kinds, sizes, and colours to do some mosaic art! We love this little pasted owl design from Free Kids Crafts because it really lets you play with the colours when you’re piecing together the whole picture. Your kids will probably also be happy that you’re letting them play with the beans rather than making them eat them.
14. Cream caramel candy wreath
Did you like the idea of a snack wreath when you saw the popcorn version, but you’d rather making one where the good doesn’t rub against the outside of your door so that you can actually east it when the season is over? Follow in By Stephanie Lynn‘s footsteps and make one out of individually wrapped caramels instead! It looks awesome and it tastes great when Christmas is over.
15. Gumball and ribbon necklace
Do you know what makes a great gift? Jewelry! Do you know what makes an even better gift, especially for a kid (or anyone with a sweet tooth)? Jewelry made of delicious bubblegum flavoured gum balls! This necklace by Fave Crafts might actually be even more fun to make than it is to eat.
Do your kids have another favourite type of food craft that they adore making but that you don’t see on our list? Tell us all about it in the comments section!