Are matches not a toy for children? But no! We have made a selection of a variety of ideas for crafts made from matches for children. They are not only beautiful, but also useful. Working with this material develops logic, imagination, fine motor skills, and also contributes to the development of perseverance. If you add the use of plasticine or paints to the creative process, the kids will be even more happy.
We would advise you to do matchstick crafts with your children. If left to chance, they may quit this activity. If you get them involved, the process will be fun. Check out our selection, stock up on matches and get creative. We tried to make the most detailed master classes to make it easier for you to master the process of assembling crafts with your own hands.
Crafts made from matches and plasticine can be flat or three-dimensional. Choose any shape and fasten its body with bright plasticine balls.
In this way, you can assemble a simple house, a man, a pyramid, or any animals from matches. Take a look at the photo to understand the assembly principle and get some ideas. You can easily repeat them.
Any of these figures can be placed vertically. If you need a craft from matches for kindergarten or elementary school, we recommend making a house, a person and a dog. Place them on cardboard for a great composition!
You can make a cute panel from matches with your own hands. The craft can easily be turned into a photo frame or postcard - it all depends on the additional decor.
We will need thick cardboard. Measure the length of the match and multiply this number by 4. If you are making a larger panel, then multiply by 5, 6 and so on. Lay out the cardboard so that you get 16 equal squares. We fill the first square with matches, placing them vertically. One match looks up, and the other looks down. Fill the next square horizontally. So we go through the entire cardboard.
It is best to fix matches using simple office glue. Just don’t use too liquid, as it will soak the wood. The top of the craft can be coated with wood varnish. We glue a large beautiful artificial flower in the center, and beads or pictures around the edges.
If you are making a card, for example, for March 8 or February 23, find ready-made thematic clippings and glue them to such a panel. Or simply place a family photo in the center.
Most children love to draw trees, houses and the sun. Almost every similar drawing can be made more interesting.
Take cardboard. Draw fairly large images of a standard house, fence, Christmas tree, apple tree, sun or something else. If the cardboard is not colored, paint it one color.
Take matches and fill all the empty spaces with them. You can fix matches using PVA glue or even plasticine.
All that remains is to decorate the matches in the desired colors. It is best to use gouache, as watercolor requires a lot of water and is not too bright.
It is very convenient to lay out paintings from matches on foam substrates. Wash it thoroughly (there were probably vegetables or herbs on it) and dry it.
Come up with a picture together with your child. You will need plasticine and some matches. Lay out the volumetric parts, and simply press the matches into the rolled out plasticine.
You can also create a painting using paints. True, watercolor will not fit on foam plastic. If you decide to paint the backing, take gouache and glue the matches onto PVA.
Such a craft made from matches can be safely taken to a competition in a kindergarten or elementary school (grades 1-2).
If you have a child, then your house is probably full of different coloring books. If so, use a large image for the matchstick craft. You can also use various stencils and create your own drawing.
Glue the picture onto the cardboard. If there is no background, you can paint it over. Next, we begin to lay out the matches, pressing them tightly to the paper and to each other.
The heads of most matches will need to be trimmed first. In some cases their use may be appropriate.
It is best to glue matches with a cloth using stationery glue. If you need to fix a small part, it is best to choose superglue.
Complete the picture with any decor. If desired, the matches in this craft can be carefully painted with gouache or acrylic paints. Such works look beautiful in combination with autumn leaves and other natural materials.
For this craft, we will need not only matches, but also boxes. You also need to take 2 large “hunting” matches or matches for gas stoves. They are long, so they will be an excellent basis for the rails in our craft.
We lay out the rails from two matches vertically, then glue sleepers from short matches to them. Let them stick out a little around the edges. The easiest way is to coat long matches with glue, and then lay standard ones on top.
In the first box we make two small holes - we will insert toy headlights into our train. Fasten the boxes together with threads or matches. We will make the wheels from unnecessary batteries. If you don't have them, use buttons. We attach them to the craft with superglue.
This craft will be very interesting for children, especially boys. After all, we won’t just make it and put it on – you can play with it!
For this craft, you can additionally take toothpicks, although you can get by with matches alone. Snowflakes don’t have to be made in the winter – children love them at any time of the year.
As a blank, take a snowflake stencil or cut out a regular octagon. First we make the edges - glue matches or toothpicks so that they look beyond the edges. Then we fill each sector with matches, arranging them alternately: head up - head down.
It is best to stick the matches in the center first, and then lay the edges. If the cardboard is visible, glue cut matches to it.
You can lay out the second and third on top of the first layer. It all depends on how voluminous you want your homemade snowflake to be. Glue sparkles into the central part of the craft (make them from tinsel, rain or wrapping paper). You can also glue a decorative snowflake or polystyrene foam to imitate snow.
You can make this craft from matches with your child for the New Year for kindergarten. Or just for fun at home.
Children always like crafts made from vegetables and fruits. If you add them with matches, it will turn out original and funny. Try making a hedgehog. Even the little ones can handle this kind of work.
Take a potato and a tiny garden apple. Draw a hedgehog face on the potato using a marker. Stick the matches in as tightly as possible to create needles. Plant an apple on top. If you don't have an apple, rolling it out of plasticine is a good alternative.
The craft is very simple, but it is perfect for kindergarten. And you can also play with it at home. Make a big hedgehog family - it will be fun.
With this video master class, you and your child can easily make a toy furniture set. The table and chairs are useful for playing with dolls (albeit small ones) or kinder toys.
The assembly process seems confusing in words, so it's best to take a look at it. Step-by-step instructions will help you avoid mistakes and glue matches correctly.
We hope that this selection of matchstick crafts will inspire you and help your child do the best work for kindergarten or school. As you can see, all materials are very simple. In addition to a large package of matches, you will only need what almost every schoolchild has. Success in creative work!
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You still don’t know how to make a house out of matches or create pictures from these wooden elements? Watch the master classes, which are illustrated with 57 photographs!
Once you know the answer to this question, you will be able to make not only a house, but also many other interesting things. Do you want to have a whole composition made of wood? Then see how to make a well and a fence from the same material.
If you want, fashion a bucket out of plasticine or make one out of a thimble and attach it to the underside of the rope.
After you've done a lot of useful things, you'll still have empty boxes, but they can be put to use.
In order for the carriages to withstand the weight of the toys placed in them, take a strong thread, it is better to use yarn for this.
The kids will be interested not only in this idea. If you tell them what can be made from matches, they will be happy to make a funny picture. Depending on the age of the child, it can be simple or more complex.
If the child is small, before giving him matches for creativity, cut off the sulfur from them. After all, the baby can taste it, and the substance is very harmful.
Once the wooden sticks are ready, you can begin. So, for this picture you will need:
Once the donkey is created, have your child paint over the background of the picture. You can glue a few small branches, and the masterpiece is ready.
A very interesting idea is offered for older children and adults. After reading it, you will learn how to make a portrait from matches.
During this work, do not forget to carefully crimp the cube so that the wooden components fit more tightly to each other.
This is what the portrait should look like on the grid. For example, let's create the appearance of Paul Walker from matches.
The second shows how to connect these fragments into a whole canvas.
The third plot will teach you how to transfer the image you like onto a stencil and lay it out from matches.
One of the simplest and at the same time common materials for needlework is, of course, matches. And making some kind of craft from matches can bring a lot of positive emotions and satisfaction.
Anyone who makes something from matches is akin to a creator who sculpts his own work of art. Sometimes even a craft that is simple in concept can actually become a unique creation.
From matches, using very simple techniques, you can make seemingly incredible things: cars and carriages, palaces and houses, and spaceships. But, of course, the most complex crafts cannot be completed in a couple of hours. This takes weeks, or even months, of persistent and painstaking work. But this work brings incredible satisfaction and delights in the result with an excellent result, which you are not ashamed to brag about to your friends and display in a prominent place in the living room. Especially when such crafts are made with young helpers.
At the same time, making crafts from matches not only brings pleasure, but also allows you and your child to develop fine motor skills and precision of movements, perseverance in painstakingly achieving goals and perseverance, quick wits and creative thought.
Let's take a brief look at the history and production of matches.
It is believed that the word “match” itself comes from the Old Russian word “matches”, which is a derivative of the word “spoke” - a pointed wooden stick. Initially, such “knitting needles” were sharpened wooden nails driven into the sole of shoes for fastening. To denote matches in the modern sense, the phrase “incendiary matches” was initially used, and only over time the first word disappeared and everyone began to call matches simply matches.
The first mentions of some kind of matches date back to the 13th century and are contained in manuscripts from China. So, we can assume that the Celestial Empire is their homeland. These matches made it easier to start a fire using tinder and flint and were lit not by friction with the surface, but by touching the smoldering tinder.
It was from China that matches reached Europe in the late Middle Ages.
In Russia, the first manufactories for the production of matches appeared in the thirties of the 19th century, after which at the beginning of the 20th century there were more than 250 match factories.
An ordinary match consists of a head and a straw.
The head is made of powdered substances (Berthollet salt, potassium chromium, pyrolusite, ground glass, zinc white and red lead) diluted in an adhesive solution.
Straws are most often made from aspen.
To obtain the ignition process, a layer of powdered substances is applied to the matchbox: antimony sulfide, red phosphorus, red lead, kaolin, gypsum, also diluted in the adhesive mass.
Methods for making crafts from matches.
Crafts from matches can be made in two ways: with and without glue.
At the same time, of course, when using glue, making crafts from matches is much easier and even novice craftsmen and craftswomen can do it.
The undoubted advantage of glue crafts made from matches is that this material is essentially wood, and it is perfectly glued with various household adhesives (without the use of industrial or construction samples). All ages from kindergarten to old age can create with it.
By giving matches various shapes, bending and gluing them, you can get quite complex-looking objects, such as houses, and home interiors, figures of people and animals, for example. But there is one mandatory rule: the glue must be allowed to dry.
And at this time it is undesirable to do any manipulations with the craft, so as not to violate its integrity. Only after the glue has completely dried can you continue working on the craft.
Thus, although crafts with glue are much easier to make than those without glue, the time spent on making such crafts can be quite long due to waiting for the glue to dry.
However, can this be considered a very significant disadvantage?
Yes, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make a craft from matches and glue in one evening (except for very simple ones). But even if you spend a week, or even a couple, on creativity, as a result, when a neatly glued tower or do-it-yourself doll furniture rises on your table, and even more so with children, then a sea of positivity and joy is guaranteed to everyone who took part in creating such a craft.
When using the glue-free method of making crafts from matches, the creator requires a little more accuracy and dexterity. But this method is also very common and is a wonderful pastime.
Making even the simplest matchstick house without glue, such as a hut, requires quite a lot of perseverance, effort and patience. And sometimes you will need to practice several times on unsuccessful crafts in order to finally get a result that satisfies you.
The easiest way is to start by mastering simple general patterns for folding matches into one structure, and then move on to creating more complex objects from these simple “blocks”.
For example, having learned how to make a “hut” structure, from several such “block elements” you can later make a tower and a castle.
With this method of making crafts, it is necessary that each of the block elements, and with them the entire structure, be tightly assembled and can withstand the own weight of the entire complete structure.
In the absence of adhesive elements, this is very important and will not allow the finished craft to crumble and reduce all efforts to nothing.
In fact, it is possible to make a craft without glue due to the fact that the heads of the matches, intersecting with each other, create a kind of clamp-lock, and due to the rough surface of the wooden straws, a friction force arises between them, which keeps the structure solid.
It can also be very interesting to use matches with different colored heads in crafts. The most common matches are those with brown heads, but there are also green and red heads. By using and combining different colors you can get interesting decorative elements for crafts, for example, for the roofs of buildings or individual pieces of furniture.
Before you start making crafts from matches, you need to:
The very first thing, of course, is to purchase matches: on sale in hardware stores you can find boxes with a thousand or even several thousand units of matches. This is very convenient and provides a lot of material for crafts at once.
But no one bothers you to buy ordinary small boxes containing from several dozen to several hundred matches.
The only requirement: it is desirable that the matches be more or less even. It is unlikely that it will be possible to assemble an even, correct structure from bent matches and knots containing inclusions. Although, using imagination, it is possible to get very unusual results.
You need a suitable place for crafts, where you can collect them, prepare the initial blocks for them, so that no one accidentally knocks them down or scatters them.
And, of course, a place where crafts can dry out while working.
As we have already said, this can take quite a long time and it is unlikely that your unfinished crafts will remain intact and safe on the kitchen table of a large family.
It is advisable that this place be covered with oilcloth or paper, so as not to stain the surface with glue during the process of assembling the craft.
— for glue crafts, it is convenient to use tubes with thin necks, from which you can apply glue to matches in a thin strip or drops, for example these:
But you can also pour glue into a small container, from where you apply glue on the edge of the match with a toothpick or an unbent paper clip.
WARNING: Children must be supervised and avoid getting glue in their eyes. In this case, immediately rinse your eyes with warm water and, in case of the slightest suspicion that glue has actually gotten into the eye, consult a doctor.
As noted above, it is important that the matches are as even as possible. Sometimes it is necessary to select and sort those with the smoothest edges. This is especially important for the external elements of the craft, which will always be in sight. We use less even ones for internal, hidden elements fixing the structure.
You will definitely need a fine-grain sandpaper (silk) in order to remove small irregularities and burrs on the matches. A needle file is also useful for sharpening the edges of matches and grinding them to a specific size.
You will also need a knife, scalpel or paper cutter to cut matches to a certain length and cut off the heads. Which one will be more convenient to use? We sometimes take nail clippers.
ATTENTION: when handling sharp objects, try not to give them to small children and watch all manipulations with them. We don't need tears over cut fingers, do we?
There are different classifications of matches, depending on certain characteristics:
straw material:
ignition method:
In addition to household matches, special ones are produced:
As the famous phrase from the poster says, “matches are not a toy for children.” But we won’t let the children set them on fire (although sometimes for crafts it is necessary to burn the head, but more on that next time). For us, children's crafts made from matches will be a great way to captivate little fidgets, spend quality time with them, and instill in them attentiveness, accuracy and neatness. And, of course, having made an original craft as a result, you will get a lot of pleasure and positivity.
It's a rough start, and the first, perhaps not entirely even and slightly skewed craft, can be followed by real masterpieces. And a child who enjoys such needlework will become a real master in the future, participating and winning in international competitions.
So the most interesting things are yet to come!
Best regards, Just Crafts!
Matches can be found in any home. In addition to the main function of this item, they can be used to create crafts. This activity improves fine motor skills, concentration and perseverance. Crafts made from matches can be of any complexity, so not only a child, but also an adult who loves making crafts with their own hands can find an interesting task for themselves.
A beginner who likes to create crafts may have a question about what can be made from matches. Crafts can be either flat or voluminous.
Here's a more detailed list of possible crafts:
The list of possible options is not limited to five points. Rely on your imagination and bring any crafts to life.
If you need a craft that matches a specific theme, pay attention to the photos of crafts made from matches on the Internet - this will help you get an interesting idea.
Before you start creating match structures, you need to prepare for work. For convenience, we recommend that you adhere to the following recommendations:
To create great things, you need to start small. So, before taking on complex work, it is better to start with simple tasks that will help improve concentration and skills.
In addition, handicrafts have a positive effect on the nervous system. Next, we list the favorite tasks for beginners in the field of creating match structures.
Making a simple matchstick house without using glue is one of the most popular craft options. This initial stage is necessary in order to subsequently create magnificent matchstick copies of existing architectural masterpieces.
So, here's a list of the items you'll need:
After you have prepared all the necessary items, let’s begin the master class on crafts made from matches:
Place two matches parallel to each other on the stand. Place eight more matches perpendicular to the two existing matches. This is how we created the foundation of the future house.
Lay out 7 rows of four matches, heads in a circle. Place 8 matches facing away from the foundation. Place six matches at the top of the house and place a coin on top.
The last two rows have a hole into which you need to insert several matches. Place one match at a time, holding the structure so that it does not collapse.
Place a match in the holes between the walls, then level the structure.
Before you begin creating the roof, make a horizontal roof using the method of alternating the heads and backs of matches. Insert sticks along the perimeter of opposite walls. Insert items perpendicular to the ceiling.
Rely on the instructions for properly making crafts from matches. If the diagram shows windows and a chimney, they can be made using the method of creating an outline with brown match heads.
This task will definitely delight your child. So, in order to create a figurine of a cute cat from matches, follow the following algorithm:
If you wish, you can attach a mustache or tongue to the cat from plasticine. So, the beautiful craft made from matches is ready, now it can decorate the shelf of a bookcase or desktop for many years.
In addition to creating crafts, you can make drawings from matches that are not inferior in beauty to crafts made from matches. Externally, such a drawing looks like an applique. The result can be framed and hung on the wall.
So, before applying matches to the surface of the cardboard, you first need to sketch a drawing with a simple pencil. Next, make an outline for the match pattern, thinking about what size match to use in which case. After creating the outline, start gluing the matches to the cardboard.
If desired, you can use additional decorative elements, for example, if a house is depicted on cardboard, you can glue ready-made fabric flowers or satin ribbons in the shape of a rainbow to the bottom.
In this article we learned how to make crafts from matches with your own hands. You will definitely enjoy this activity, because gluing together small particles to create a single picture or craft will instill delight in your heart.
In addition, such work is very calming and uplifting. Don’t be afraid to take on difficult tasks and conquer new heights, as creativity requires constant practice and learning new things!
One of the simplest, most accessible and cheapest materials is matches. They can be used by both children (under adult supervision!) and experienced adults to create artistic objects of varying complexity. From this simple material you can build a small boat and a fully armed battle cruiser, Baba Yaga's hut, a village house and a real church with onion domes and a high belfry.
The ability to make crafts from matches is not only a pleasant leisure activity for experienced adults. For young children, this is a way to expand knowledge and skills, and the ability to work with their hands develops fine motor skills. In turn, these skills help cope with learning difficulties - such children learn material more easily and have excellent memory.
First, you should master crafts from matches for beginners. Despite the simplicity of the material, you need to firmly grasp the basic rules, and then you can move on to real creativity with the invention of special forms and the manufacture of unique objects.
In most cases, there are detailed instructions or an interesting master class for any match object on the Internet. To facilitate the work, a photograph or painting depicting the future object can be used. There are also many videos of various crafts master classes online that can be downloaded to your computer and used as a visual aid.
For work you will need the following tools and materials:
Before starting to work, young children need to be explained that matches are not a toy, they can be dangerous. It is important to convey to them that sulfur from the heads is poison, and putting matches in their mouth can be very dangerous to their health.
Crafts made from matches with glue are much easier to make than without glue. To do this, it is enough to have a good idea of what the finished object will look like or have an image of it before your eyes. A novice civil engineer can use step-by-step tips to create a craft and use plasticine instead of glue for the first trial work.
When the first skills are obtained, you can move on to more complex work. Most children are especially interested in how to make a match house with glue. With its help, they will be able to act out various scenes from their favorite fairy tales.
To begin with, you should make simple but interesting crafts from ordinary matches with your own hands. For example, a well. It's easy to do and very fun:
The resulting well can become one of the objects of a future village made from scrap materials.
From a distance, such crafts made from matches look like decor made from natural wood, and only by looking closely can you see what they are made of. To create such beauty you will need to stock up on several boxes of used matches, glue and patience.
The “Star” panel is ready. If desired, you can varnish it or paint it with paints.
Matches are not a toy for children, but only if they are used for their intended purpose. If you use them as materials for applied arts, they do not pose any danger. An interesting and easy-to-make craft made from matches is “candy” flowers. We will need:
First, cut out 2 circles from colored cardboard, with a diameter slightly less than the length of a match multiplied by 2. Connect them with glue with the colored sides facing out. Next, you need to make a cross, as shown in Fig. 1., dividing the circle into 4 sectors.
You need to glue 3 more pieces into each sector, keeping the same distance between them (Fig. 3.). Decorate the middle of the candy flower with a core made of colored paper or fabric (Fig. 4.). The final touch of our matchstick craft is gluing a stem cut out of colored paper.
Another simple option for making crafts from matches with your own hands, which a child can master, is an order in the form of a star. To create it you will need:
First, draw a five-pointed star pattern on plain paper. Using this template, we cut out 2 blanks of the same size - one from cardboard, the other from fabric. Using glue, we decorate the cardboard template with matches (Fig. 3), glue a star cut out of fabric on top, decorating it in the center with a button (the button can be sewn in advance or also attached with glue), as shown in Fig. 5.
To make our match craft even more like an order, we complement it with a ribbon loop.
From ordinary matches you can make luxurious three-dimensional decorative elements in the form of congratulations, symbols, logos, etc. The principle of creating such masterpieces is the same:
Crafts made from matches without glue are considered more complex. In order to connect them to each other, you need to use a physical fastening method. This is a job for older children who are already good at performing small and complex actions. To complete this work, you only need matches and detailed instructions for implementation.
In order to perform complex work, you need to learn how to make simple geometric shapes. They form the basis of more complex and sophisticated objects.
Such a cube is the basis for creating other, more complex compositions, for example, a house and a boat.
Anyone who has learned how to make a cube can figure out how to make a small match house without glue:
The house is ready. You can add a fence, benches, a front garden and several more similar houses, a well. The result will be a charming village for fairy-tale characters.
After the house, it's time to learn how to make a beautiful ship out of matches:
The work is ready! If the boat is assembled correctly, it will hold together perfectly without a single “nail,” that is, a drop of glue.
Based on this simple figure, you can create more complex advanced compositions, but the principle of operation will be the same. On a large ship it will be possible to install several pipes and try to attach a large paddle wheel. It will be very beautiful and interesting.