• Home
  • About
    • About Crafts by Amanda
    • Visit Our Recipe Site
  • Work With Us
  • Join
    • Free Newsletters
    • Join our Facebook craft group
↑
  • Tutorials
    • Tutorial Index
    • Adult Crafts
    • Crafts for Kids
    • Crafts for Seniors
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Seasonal Crafts
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Free Printables
    • Craft Collections
  • Adult Crafts
    • Bath & Body
    • Beach Crafts
    • Clay Pot Crafts
    • Crafts for Seniors
    • Decoupage Crafts for Adults
    • DIY Gift ideas
    • Garden Crafts
    • Home Decor Projects
    • Kitchen Crafts
    • Light Bulb Crafts
    • Luminary Crafts
    • Mason Jar Crafts
    • Needlework
    • Photo Display Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts for Adults
    • Wearable Crafts for Adults
  • Crafts for Kids
    • Animal Crafts for Kids
    • Back to School Crafts
    • Beach Crafts for Kids
    • Camp Crafts
    • Cardboard Tube Crafts for Kids
    • Decoupage Crafts for Kids
    • Easy Crafts for Kids
    • Nature Crafts for Kids
    • Other Kid’s Crafts
    • Paper Plate Crafts for Kids
    • Recycled Crafts for Kids
    • Slimes, Doughs, & Clay
    • Wearable Crafts for Kids
  • Holiday Crafts
    • 4th of July Crafts
    • Christmas Crafts
    • DIY Gift ideas
    • Earth Day Crafts
    • Easter Crafts
    • Father’s Day Crafts
    • Halloween Crafts
    • Memorial Day Crafts
    • Mother’s Day Crafts
    • New Year’s
    • Other Holidays
    • Patriot Day Crafts
    • St. Patrick’s Day Crafts
    • Thanksgiving Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day Crafts
  • Seasonal Crafts
    • Winter Crafts
    • Spring Crafts
    • Summer Crafts
    • Fall Crafts
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Crafts by Amanda

crafts for adults and kid's crafts

  • Tutorials
    • Tutorial Index
    • Adult Crafts
    • Crafts for Kids
    • Crafts for Seniors
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Seasonal Crafts
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Free Printables
    • Craft Collections
  • Adult Crafts
    • Bath & Body
    • Beach Crafts
    • Clay Pot Crafts
    • Crafts for Seniors
    • Decoupage Crafts for Adults
    • DIY Gift ideas
    • Garden Crafts
    • Home Decor Projects
    • Kitchen Crafts
    • Light Bulb Crafts
    • Luminary Crafts
    • Mason Jar Crafts
    • Needlework
    • Photo Display Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts for Adults
    • Wearable Crafts for Adults
  • Crafts for Kids
    • Animal Crafts for Kids
    • Back to School Crafts
    • Beach Crafts for Kids
    • Camp Crafts
    • Cardboard Tube Crafts for Kids
    • Decoupage Crafts for Kids
    • Easy Crafts for Kids
    • Nature Crafts for Kids
    • Other Kid’s Crafts
    • Paper Plate Crafts for Kids
    • Recycled Crafts for Kids
    • Slimes, Doughs, & Clay
    • Wearable Crafts for Kids
  • Holiday Crafts
    • 4th of July Crafts
    • Christmas Crafts
    • DIY Gift ideas
    • Earth Day Crafts
    • Easter Crafts
    • Father’s Day Crafts
    • Halloween Crafts
    • Memorial Day Crafts
    • Mother’s Day Crafts
    • New Year’s
    • Other Holidays
    • Patriot Day Crafts
    • St. Patrick’s Day Crafts
    • Thanksgiving Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day Crafts
  • Seasonal Crafts
    • Winter Crafts
    • Spring Crafts
    • Summer Crafts
    • Fall Crafts
Craft Tutorials | Crafts for Kids | Back to School Crafts | Clothespin Art Center
Back to School Crafts

Clothespin Art Center

Author by Amanda Davis on April 2, 2010 Updated on July 18, 2019

5 from 2 votes
Jump to Project
116 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • Email

I had some clothespins, some crayon wrappers, and lots of coloring pages. This kid’s craft project is actually a great mommy and me craft, the kids can color the decorations while you do the harder parts. This idea was a little slow coming.

Make this fun clothespin art center using your child's coloring pages and clothespins!

 
I knew immediately that I wanted to decoupage the crayon wrappers to the clothespins, but the rest is what took a while. A week ago I did the clothespins, glued them to the board, then it sat in a corner all week while I wracked my brain trying to figure out what to do next.

If you’re a Dr. Seuss fan, try using these Dr. Seuss coloring pages for this project!

Today it hit me. Why not take pictures that your kids have colored to decorate the board? There’s no paint in this project, it’s all done with crayons. :) Dress it up with an old pair of jeans and you’re all set!

Also, while I usually use white craft glue for all my projects, I decided to try something different. Elmer’s came out with a new glue called “Glue-All”.  Have you seen it yet? I decided to try it, and I am definitely impressed! The glue grabbed immediately and held way better than my standard white craft glue. This is the first project I’ve tried it on, so we’ll see how it performs on others, but so far I think it’s a winner!

April 6, Update: how fun is this? Yesterday, April of Modern-Mama commented on this post saying that she had just made something extremely similar to this. Oh how great minds think alike! Check out April’s Clothespin Art Display Hanger, I love her idea of using it to display photos as well! For those of us with stainless steel refrigerators (or OCD as April states it BAHAHA), this is a great alternative for hanging kid’s artwork, photos, or even reminder notes.

If you’d like to make a clothespin art center, here’s what you do:

Clothespin Art Center
designed by Amanda Formaro

PRINTABLE VERSION AT THE END OF THIS POST

You will need

6 wooden clothespins
24″ x 4″ wood slat
coloring pages
crayons
white glue
water
scissors

What you do

Remove the wrapper from 6 different colored crayons. I used a craft knife to cut along the seam and remove them. They will be very cylindrical, so you’ll need to flatten them. I ironed mine, but you could also press them in a heavy book overnight.

Place clothespin on top of the crayon wrapper, use a pencil to draw a faint line. Cut the crayon wrapper so that it’s just slightly smaller than the surface of the clothespin.

Mix some white glue and water together to make a decoupage mixture, then decoupage the wrapper to the clothespin.

Glue the clothespins to the wooden plank, you want about 2/3 of the clothespin on the plank, spacing them apart evenly.

Have the kids color some printables or coloring book pages. Make sure they color the background too! Cut them out, decoupage them onto the plank, only painting the back of the colored decals at this point. Don’t decoupage over the tops just yet.

Use a crayon to shade in the background, use a secondary color as well, if you wish. I used blue with touches of yellow at the top since my pictures were related to water and nature. Choose another color (I used red) to outline the border of the plank. Decoupage over the top of everything, smooth any bubbles that may pop up on your “decals”.

Cut a piece of denim to create a border for the plank. Place the plank on top of it to get an idea for the size you need to cut, mark with a pencil, then cut. Cut two strips of denim, about an inch wide, lay them across the front of the plank. Once you have them where you want them, loosely tie a knot at the top.

Place the ends of the strips under the plank. Once everything is positioned, trim anything that needs trimming, then cover the back of the plank with white glue. Press down onto the denim and let dry. Adjust the knot at the top, tie into a bow and trim ends.

Hang!

Print Project
5 from 2 votes

Clothespin Art Center

Author: Amanda Formaro

Supplies

  • 6 wooden clothespins
  • 24 " x 4" wood slat
  • coloring pages
  • crayons
  • white glue
  • water
  • scissors

Instructions

  • Remove the wrapper from 6 different colored crayons. I used a craft knife to cut along the seam and remove them. They will be very cylindrical, so you'll need to flatten them. I ironed mine, but you could also press them in a heavy book overnight.
  • Place clothespin on top of the crayon wrapper, use a pencil to draw a faint line. Cut the crayon wrapper so that it's just slightly smaller than the surface of the clothespin.
  • Mix some white glue and water together to make a decoupage mixture, then decoupage the wrapper to the clothespin.
  • Glue the clothespins to the wooden plank, you want about 2/3 of the clothespin on the plank, spacing them apart evenly.
  • Have the kids color some printables or coloring book pages. Make sure they color the background too! Cut them out, decoupage them onto the plank, only painting the back of the colored decals at this point. Don't decoupage over the tops just yet.
  • Use a crayon to shade in the background, use a secondary color as well, if you wish. I used blue with touches of yellow at the top since my pictures were related to water and nature. Choose another color (I used red) to outline the border of the plank. Decoupage over the top of everything, smooth any bubbles that may pop up on your "decals".
  • Cut a piece of denim to create a border for the plank. Place the plank on top of it to get an idea for the size you need to cut, mark with a pencil, then cut. Cut two strips of denim, about an inch wide, lay them across the front of the plank. Once you have them where you want them, loosely tie a knot at the top.
  • Place the ends of the strips under the plank. Once everything is positioned, trim anything that needs trimming, then cover the back of the plank with white glue. Press down onto the denim and let dry. Adjust the knot at the top, tie into a bow and trim ends.

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years.
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
  • Mason Jar Aquarium - May 23, 2025
  • Make Bracelets from Recycled T-shirts - May 20, 2025
  • Spring Scavenger Hunt - May 9, 2025
116 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • Email

Filed Under: Back to School Crafts, Decoupage Crafts for Kids, Easy Crafts for Kids, Fall Crafts, Recycled Crafts for Kids Tagged With: back to school, clothespin, clothespins, denim, kid's crafts, recycle, recycle crafts, recycled, recycled crafts, wood crafts

Reader Interactions

Free CraftsBy email every week

Latest crafts straight to your inbox!

Comments

  1. Nicole says

    December 13, 2012 at 2:16 am

    Amanda, I found your craft site by searching the web, and I really like some of the crafts that you have on here. This one is so cute. I thought that it would be a great idea to add magnets to the other side of the clothespins that have the crayon wrappers on them. Just in case you don’t have space in your house for a art display like the one that you designed, you could at least display your children’s art on the fridge with some style. Please keep the awesome ideas coming, I really appreciate them. Have an awesome day.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      December 13, 2012 at 6:44 am

      Thanks Nicole! Glad you found me and like what you see here! Yes, clothespins with magnets are great for the fridge :)

      Reply
  2. Stasha Simon says

    March 27, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    You should post some paired projects together to show maximum use of materials. For example, before Valentine's Day I made the recycled heart crayons, and stripped a ton of crayons of their papers…now I wish that I had saved some of them to put this together!! I love that it has multiple mediums to it. My kids are in their 20's , but I am still thinking of making this!

    Reply
  3. Beth@The Stories of A2Z says

    December 10, 2010 at 1:08 pm

    Totally cute Amanda!

    Reply
  4. Debbie says

    December 6, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    Very cute idea!

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    December 5, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    Thank you, for this idea!Madalina,Romania

    Reply
  6. Amanda says

    October 23, 2010 at 11:59 am

    Thanks so much for the feature Helena!

    Reply
  7. Helena says

    October 22, 2010 at 5:29 am

    Thank you for your wonderful idea!
    I posted a link to your note here

    http://rukomir.ru/derzhatel-dlya-risunkov.html

    Reply
  8. Tanya says

    September 9, 2010 at 6:22 am

    Sweet idea!

    Reply
  9. Yanet @ 3 Sun Kissed Boys says

    September 8, 2010 at 1:53 am

    I love that you used the crayon papers to cover the pins. Very cute.

    Reply
  10. Valerie says

    September 7, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    Ah! I've got to make one of these for my niece for her birthday. Thank you. This is brilliant!

    Reply
  11. sommerhowey says

    August 21, 2010 at 10:08 pm

    So cute! I love this

    Reply
  12. Amanda says

    May 3, 2010 at 3:13 am

    Thanks so much everyone, and thanks for the features!!

    Reply
  13. Infarrantly Creative says

    May 3, 2010 at 2:22 am

    You've been featured…Squuueal!

    Reply
  14. Lori says

    April 14, 2010 at 12:40 am

    What a great idea…

    Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thursday! Please join me this week for another great party!
    Sorry, it's taken me a while to come and visit, but i was out last week!

    Reply
  15. Lanie says

    April 9, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    I love this and I linked in my Friday Favorites this week. Stop by if you like…

    http://www.laniejandco.com/2010/04/friday-favorites-4910.html

    Reply
  16. Lanie Ree says

    April 9, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    I'm featuring this today over at Life in the Pitts. Thanks again for linking up!

    http://lanieree.blogspot.com/2010/04/featuring-you_09.html

    Reply
  17. Debbie in Nashville says

    April 8, 2010 at 10:21 pm

    This is so cute! I love the crayon wrappers on the clothespins!

    Reply
  18. Lanie Ree says

    April 8, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    This is adorable!!

    Thank you for linking this to A Little Craft Therapy with Life in the Pitts

    Reply
  19. Kristi Flanagan says

    April 8, 2010 at 3:46 pm

    Thanks so much for planting your creative seed at Plant a Punkin Seed Party!!!! You know I love this project!!! =0) Come back on Friday and see "hoo" won the owl and, of course, plant another creative seed!

    Kristi
    Punkin Seed Productions

    Reply
  20. Fawnda says

    April 8, 2010 at 3:33 pm

    That is too cute! I love that you used crayon paper for the clothes pins! Great job! :)

    Reply
  21. Shirley says

    April 8, 2010 at 3:05 am

    Really cute idea with the crayon papers.

    Reply
  22. Carolyn @ My Backyard Eden says

    April 7, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    Cute! I love the crayon clothespin covers!

    Thanks again for linking up to Make it Yours day!

    Reply
  23. Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage says

    April 6, 2010 at 9:13 pm

    Love this idea!!

    Reply
  24. Allison Shops says

    April 6, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Too cute! The crayon coves are an excellent choice.

    Be sure to visit AtticMag this week for our Giveaway!

    Allison

    Reply
  25. Misty says

    April 6, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Visiting from Tip Junkie! This is too cute! I had to become a follower! Have a great day!!!

    Reply
  26. Quirky Decor says

    April 6, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    Such a lovely idea! Thanks for putting it up. I'm sure going to do this with some modifications.

    Reply
  27. April: Modern-Mama says

    April 6, 2010 at 12:15 am

    I just saw this posted on Skip to my Lou Made by You Mondays. Too funny because I just made one very similar to it on Saturday! Mine was just painted solid black to match my son's room, but I love your idea of using the crayon wrappers and coloring sheets!

    Reply
  28. Jessica Hills says

    April 5, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    This is such a great idea for kids! Thanks so much for posting this on Favorite Things Friday!

    Reply
  29. Sarah says

    April 5, 2010 at 5:58 pm

    I loved it! Thanks for sharing!
    I have a great interview with a savvy blogger on my blog right now with great tips on how to help your blog grow.
    You can check it out at http://bloggerchixdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/04/aprils-featured-interview-april.html
    Also a giveaway for a Trendy Diaper Changing Pad if your interested :-)

    Reply
  30. CC says

    April 5, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    I'm visitine from Made By You Monday..this is just the cutest idea ever. I just love it.

    Reply
  31. Ruth H. says

    April 5, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    What a great idea! I should make one of these, so that I can free up the front of my refrigerator!

    Reply
  32. The Activity Mom says

    April 5, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    SO cute! love it

    Reply
  33. Sandra Powell says

    April 4, 2010 at 2:01 am

    Came over from Tatertots. This is really cute and creative.

    Reply
  34. Connie Weiss says

    April 3, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    That is such a great idea!

    Reply
  35. Kristi Flanagan says

    April 3, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    Cute – I love how you used the crayon papers to cover the clothes pins! I'd like to invite you to come "plant your creative seed" at my blog party "Plant a Punkin Seed at Punkin Seed Productions". It's a party that usually happens on Fridays but its open all this week as I'm having a give away! Come sign up!

    Kristi
    Punkin Seed Productions

    Reply
  36. Sarah says

    April 3, 2010 at 4:29 am

    I've actually been working on a very similar project!! With having a stainless steel fridge now, I have nowhere to display kiddo artwork. I love the Crayon Clothespins. Hadn't thought to do something like that! I'm going to try doing that. :) Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings!
    -Sarah

    Reply
  37. jennwa says

    April 2, 2010 at 10:17 pm

    That is a terrific idea.

    Thanks for linking!!!

    Reply
  38. Mary Beth @ Live. Laugh. Make Something says

    April 2, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    delightful! I really like the crayon paper covering the clothespins. I hopped over from Fingerprints on the Fridge and am so happy that I did. Please accept my invitation to drop in at my place one day soon. Have a fun weekend! until later…

    Reply
  39. Rockin Momma says

    April 2, 2010 at 8:41 pm

    I'm a new Friday Follower! Visit me at http://www.rockindeals4you.com/?p=1116 and sign up for my first giveaway!

    Reply
  40. Sue Sparks says

    April 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    I love it, especially the "crayon" clothespins! So creative!

    Reply
  41. One Cheap B*tch says

    April 2, 2010 at 1:31 pm

    So cute! Such a great idea! My boys would love this – thanks for sharing!

    Jeanine

    Reply
  42. Polly@MakeMineBeautiful says

    April 2, 2010 at 4:34 am

    That's darling. I love that you made them look like crayons.

    Reply
  43. Rachelle says

    April 2, 2010 at 3:35 am

    LOVE that! It looks so cute with the crayon paper on it!

    Reply
  44. Minny says

    April 2, 2010 at 3:34 am

    Very Cute idea Amanda. The kids can also make a hat holder for Dad for Father's day using the same basic idea. Or you can get a yardstick & paint it the color of your choice. Most yardsticks already have a hole so you can hang it. Paint the clothespins a contrasting color. Glue the clothespins to the yard stick far enough apart so the hats don't get crowded.

    Reply
5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate This Project




The maximum upload file size: 640 MB. You can upload: image, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Amanda and I’m the founder and head designer of Crafts by Amanda. I have spent over 25 years creating projects to share, but it’s not just me anymore! It’s turned into a complete family affair. Come and meet the Creative Team!

Free CraftsBy email every week

Latest crafts straight to your inbox!

All Time Favorites

snowy pinecone candle jar luminaries

Winter Luminaries: Snowy Pinecone…

Make pretty winter luminaries that appear to be covered ... Go To project

Make this wonderful deco mesh pumpkin wreath to hang on your door this fall!

Deco Mesh Pumpkin Wreath…

Adorn your door this fall with a pretty deco mesh ... Go To project

Learn to make these adorable ladybug painted rocks. use special outdoor paint for this adorable garden craft so you can keep garden ladybugs all summer!

Ladybug Painted Rocks…

I'm going to show you how to make these adorable ... Go To project

Reuse those empty prescription pill bottles in all sorts of ways. From organizing to making cookies. Yes, cookies! See how to use your empty pill bottles!

20 Uses for Prescription Pill…

You've been collecting prescription pill bottles for ... Go To project

Meet the Family

Amanda

Founder and Designer

Kristen

Editorial Manager

Lindsay

Social Media Manager

As seen on:

Footer

Favorites

  • Jar Photo Frames
  • No-Sew Roman Shade
  • Paper Flowers
  • How to Make a Scrunchie
  • Mermaid Slime

About

  • Home
  • Meet the Creative Team
  • Work with Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us

Images/text copyright Amanda Formaro 2020. To feature a post from Crafts by Amanda, you may use one photo credited and linked back directly to the project post.

Free CraftsBy email every week

Latest crafts straight to your inbox!

Copyright ©2025, Crafts by Amanda. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs

Rate This Tutorial

Your vote:




To share a photo with your comment click here!

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.