Museum At Home

We love introducing you to maker activities in the Museum and MuseumLab, and love it even more when you keep the maker projects going beyond the Museum. Here are some creative do-it-yourself projects you can do at home. Watch this page for new posts every day!

Kid makers, please work with a parent or caregiver on every project and always be very careful when using tools of any kind.

Let's Try...

This new series provides instructions for creative activities you can try at home. New projects will be posted often, so keep checking back! Now let's try...

Origami Hearts

Who doesn't need a few extra hearts around the house, in the window and hanging on a tree right now? Learn how to create decorative hearts through this ancient paper folding technique.

Let's Try learning some basic origami!

Make Your Own Watercolor Paints

Use dried-out markers to make your own watercolors!

Combine markers to make your own unique colors!

Finger Crochet

Make potholders, scarves, coasters, doll textiles and even rugs using just yarn and your fingers.

Yarn, your fingers, and a little patience are the tools you need for this project!

Quilling

Make simple or intricate designs with rolled paper.

Turn rolled paper into beautiful designs!

Embroidery

Create simple or intricate designs with a needle and thread. Don't have an embroidery hoop? Make you own!

Let's Try embroidery. Use plain or patterned fabric for a different look!

Basic Weaving

Weaving is easy! All you need is cardboard, scissors, tape and string. You could even try weaving with different materials!

Let's Try basic weaving. Then see what other materials you can weave with!

Making Paper Beads

Did you know you can make your own beads out of various types of paper found around your house?

Building with Cardboard

What different structures can you create with these cardboard tips?

Knotting

Try this activity with string or ribbon for making a uniquely braided piece that you can use for jewelry, bookmarks, decoration and more.

Let's Go Outside

This new series explores the many beautiful plants and flowers in our own backyards!

Planting Peas

Laura shows us how to plant peas.

Let's Go Outside with Laura! Today, we're planting peas.

Digging for Worms

Let's dig for worms with Laura!

How many worms can you find in your yard?

First Signs of Spring

Let's look for crocuses and daffodils, some of the first flowers to come up in the spring.

Let's Go Outside to find the first signs of spring!

The Makeshop Show

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, we created The Makeshop Show for online content - videos, blog posts, contests and interviews. We used the show to introduce our (then) new MAKESHOP exhibit and making activities to our audience, and show off some really cool projects. Please enjoy these throwback videos from 2011 - 2014 - because creative DIY projects never go out of style!

Hardware Jewelry

Toughen up your jewelry game with these bracelets and necklaces you can make using odds and ends from the work bench

Sand Casting with Chocolate

Molding chocolate into interesting shapes using this metal molding technique - without getting sand in your chocolate

Recycled Planters

It's a great time to brighten our homes with some growing plants and also do some seed starting for the garden. Here's a way to use simple household recyclables to create planters for growing herb and vegetables. And they water themselves!

Make a Giant Wooden Xylophone

If you have some wood at home, Chris Bandy of Bandy Woodworks and his co-hosts, Asher and Eden, can lead you through an amazing project to make a really big musical instrument. This project involves basic hand tools for woodworking, like saws. Ask an adult to teach you how to safely use tools as as you build together.

Children's Museum