This Creative Galaxy inspired craft is brought to you by Amazon Originals Kids Programming. All opinions are mine.
Amazon’s second season of Creative Galaxy is airing now! This animated “make-along, take-along” show was created by Out of the Blue Enterprises (Super Why!, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) as a way for children to celebrate and encourage creative thinking through storytelling, music, dance, and crafts. Each episode introduces kids to a wide variety of art mediums plus different ways that art can be incorporated into their daily life.
For instance, the main character Arty has a sparkly art supply box he calls his Idea Box which he loads up with the craft supplies he finds around the galaxy. When inspiration hits, or he has a problem to solve, he looks into his box and pulls out the items he needs. He uses these found items to create a kid-appropriate craft. While he works, he shares what he’s thinking out loud with the viewers, whom he calls, “artists.” His dialogue helps small children develop their own creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
The show is purposely fast paced to keep toddler and preschool children entertained and not a step-by-step craft guide. Instead, Creative Galaxy’s colorful and cheerful characters share ideas and concepts to encourage kids to create their own art and not necessarily a carbon copy of what they present. Of course, some children need the more structured approach, and because the show is streamed, it can be stopped, rewound, and watched over and over so a child can recreate the art at his or her own pace.
Stream Creative Galaxy Season 1 & 2 now on Amazon – it’s free for Amazon Prime Members
We made our own Creative Galaxy Idea Box and you can too! We modeled ours after Arty’s box, but you can make yours any way you like! Once your box is done, fill it with craft supplies from around our galaxy so you’ll be ready to craft along with Arty and his pals!
Create Your Own Creative Galaxy Idea Box
Time Required: Overnight for drying or 4-6 hours for drying time and approximately 2 hours working time
Skill Level: Parent required PRINT THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Supplies
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Directions – Day 1 or early in the day
- Using the packing tape, reinforce the hinge of the lid on the inside. If your box has a separate lid, use the packing tape to secure one of the long ends to the bottom half of the box – inside and out – making sure you can still open and close it.
- Cut the straw in half. Wrap the white tape around the straw pieces from top to bottom to give it more strength.
- Now, with a parent’s help, poke two holes in the top of the shoe box for the antenna. Roughly measure 3” from the center line in each direction and centered front to back. Poke the hole with a pair of sharp scissors. Keep working at the hole until it’s the approximate size of the straws. Push the straws from the outside of the box in and fold about 1/2” of the straw on the inside of the box. Secure each with a piece of packing tape.
- Rip the tissue paper into pieces of all different sizes and shapes. Use the school glue and paint brush to cover the inside of the box by painting a very thin layer of glue in a small section (don’t forget your antenna! Make sure they don’t get crushed while you’re working on the lid). Then place pieces of torn tissue and brush them into place. Tears, creases, and folds are perfectly acceptable! Keep layering the paper until the entire box is covered.
- Print the star and nameplate template on cardstock. Choose the appropriate size star and use it to trace on the scrap cardboard. Cut it out and paint both sides and the edges of the star with the gold paint. Set it aside to dry.
- Using markers, color the nameplate and add your name above the logo.
Day 2 – or after box and star are dry
- Parents – With a hot glue gun, attach the star on the center front of the top section of the shoe box. Measure the pipe cleaners and bend them at the corner before you start gluing. Glue two pipe cleaners on both sides of the star and then cut additional pieces to finish off. On the bottom, close the lid of the box and use a marker to mark the line where the pipe cleaners need to go. When the box is closed, they should touch the pipe cleaners on the top. Start in the center (the star will cover the seam) and pre-bend and glue just like the top. Cut pieces to finish to the back.
- With the gold paint, cover the area above the bottom blue pipe cleaners to the top of the bottom of the box. Allow the paint to dry.
- Paint an even layer of school glue in a small section on the outside of the box. Immediately cover with glitter then tap off the extra onto a piece of paper so you can reuse it. Continue gluing, glittering, and tapping until the entire box is covered. You will get glitter in your glue, but that’s no problem.
- Use school glue to adhere the Nameplate to the inside of the box lid and with a hot glue gun, glue the yellow pom poms to the antenna.
- Now fill your Creative Galaxy Idea Box with craft supplies from around your galaxy! Get permission first, then check the garage for colorful electrical tape, rope, scraps of wood, etc. Visit the kitchen for new sponges, plastic food containers, and jars. Ask friends and family if you can visit their galaxy to search for bits of yarn, string, buttons, construction paper, ribbon, fabric, and other items to upcycle and reuse. And add crafts supplies on your birthday or Christmas wish list. Pipe cleaners, pom poms, googly eyes, clay, paint, canvases, and other fun supplies can be used to create so many fun art projects.
So sparkly! My kids love arts and crafts! I’m going to share this with them! Thanks!
This looks like SUCH a totally out of this world craft! My son is itching to create one of his own- we will be following your directions to a T! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow! This is so creative and cool. I love all of the colors. My kids and I will have to check out this show.
I love all the sparkles. Did the glitter fall off everywhere around the house?
No, it doesn’t fall off, but I may have spilt about half a bottle of glitter on the floor and then tramped it all over the house. I like it 🙂 Have fun!
I love this concept. Kids watch a show and are encouraged to create their own items. It is so important to teach kids how to be creative and have fun.
I love crafting with my kids. This sounds like a great show for us to watch together and make something creative.
Sounds like I found a new show to watch with my kids. They are going to love doing the crafts.
I love shows that encourage kids to play and be creative. How fun to make a craft along with a show.
How fun! I didn’t know about this show, but we’re big fans of Super Why and Daniel Tiger. Add crafts, and it’s even better!
I haven’t seen either of those, but I’ve heard they’re great. This one is fast-paced and the crafts are intertwined with a story. Your kids will love it!
I’m loving the idea of Creative Galaxy! I think t creative thinking is super important. That idea box rocks!
The show is fantastic because it encourages kids to think, not just follow along and create the same project. It’s really well done and you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it.
That is such a fun idea! I think kids really enjoy making a craft to go along with a favorite show they like to watch. 🙂
Thanks, Dawn! It was such a fun project and it’s so much more amazing in person – so sparkly!
My nieces would be in awe with all the colors on this box. Really great DIY that we’ll have to try out!
It’s super easy and they can create their own unique boxes. It’s a great gift to give a busy parent – a box full of go-do-something-mommy’s-busy stuff. 🙂
This is really cool! My kids would love to make something like this.
Glitter, glue and a shoebox is all they need – it’s a ton of fun and so very, very messy. I still have glitter everywhere and I love it!
This looks like a great gift for kids to make for each other around holiday time! You could even personalize it for each recipient.
A make your own crafts kit is a fabulous gift! For older kids, beading, knitting, and crochet supplies are a big hit. For tweens, fabulous paper journals, great gel or glitter pens, and adult coloring books would be a huge hit. For kids who love Creative Galaxy, pompoms, pipe cleaners, construction paper, wooden sticks, and tissue paper are used in a lot of their crafts. A sketch pad and pencil is fun too to do the drawings shown on the show.
What a fun project! I think my daughter would love making this, she has a talent when it comes to crafts!
I wish my daughter were young again so we could do this craft. I would love to see where her imagination would take her.
What a fun craft for the kids to do. Their imagination can go wild with what they can create from all the supplies they put in the box.
I am sure my son would think this is a lot of fun to do. We have never seen that show, but I bet he’d like it because he likes just about anything that has to do with outer space.
What a cool looking box! I love that it is so sparkly! My kids definitely need a place to keep all their art supplies so we might make one of these over the weekend.
It’s even more amazing in person – its sparkle is unbelievable! I hope you do give it a try – it’s a lot of fun!