State of the art

Not only will craft ease your boredom, it also saves the environment as well. www.enchantedlearning. com/crafts has some amazing crafts made out of objects that you would normally throw away. Try making your very own egg carton spider, bat or even camel. What about a paper bag puppet or toilet paper totem pole? If you’re looking to get some brownie points around the house familyfun.go.com/ crafts could be the answer.

It has instructions for over one thousand different projects including practical ones such as cardboard cabinets and milk bottle containers to help keep your room under control. You could even make your room more stylish by spicing it up with other great projects such as a DVD rack made out of an old draw or a personalised photo holder.

We’re already over half way to the next set of school holidays, so it’s best to start planning some boredom busters now. crafts. kaboose.com is a site full of ideas to keep you busy during the two-week break. Even if you’re lucky enough to be going away, there is still a whole bunch of things you can do to help prepare for your trip including a camp memory box, a special camp mat and a treasure map.

If all of this is a little too young for you, there is one craft which will without a doubt will keep you entertained all holidays. It will make you the envy of your entire neighbourhood. With one of these you could suddenly find yourself with a whole set of new friends. It is the almighty go kart. tinyurl. com/buildyourowngocart has some great instructions on how to make your own. You will need help from an adult and the instructions may seem a little daunting at first, but once it’s finished it’ll definitely be worth it. Just remember to be safe while driving it and always wear a helmet.

Another great craft website for the older audience is tinyurl.com/ teencrafts It teaches you how to make some great projects such as friendship bracelets, extreme sneakers and a bandana beach bag. If you are still failing to find craft ideas targeted at your age group, there are a few websites that you cannot go past. www. craftster.org is a massive database of craft projects done by people just like you. There are dozens of different categories and thousands of projects submitted by the online community. Here you can learn new craft skills, find great new projects to work on, submit your own creations or simply marvel at other people’s amazing pieces of art.

Another website with its own online community is ‘Instructables’ www. instructables.com This website isn’t just for craft, but it has a massive range of projects submitted by the public, all detailed in incredibly easy-tofollow step by step instructions with, of course, pictures.

If you don’t so much fancy getting your hands dirty with craft, you can also opt for the more 2D approach. As well as being home for some great craft websites, the internet is also a wonderful place to learn to draw. tinyurl.com/ howtodrawcartoons has detailed instructions on drawing pictures of all of your favourite cartoon heroes which are easily printable. Amaze your friends at your sudden ability to draw Spongebob Squarepants and Bart Simpson.

If you’re an animal lover, www.howtodrawit.com has helpful instructions on drawing your favourite animal friends, including an interesting section on drawing animals from pears. Whether you’re interested in arts, crafts or both, it is always a great feeling to show off to the world what you have achieved www. deviantart.com is a hugely popular website where you can submit your own art and craft for other people just like you to view, comment and critique on. You can also use your account to ‘favourite’ other people’s work and even buy and sell prints of artwork. Deviantart is a great way to get your foot into the door and begin your artistic career. Who knows, you may even get discovered.

Have a great time in your creative pursuits, but remember to seek help from an older person if you are dealing with dangerous tools such as knives. And always, and I mean ALWAYS watch out for the dreaded firebreathing hot glue gun!