12 Tips for Preschool Glitter Crafts

We all know that glitter is a messy craft. It doesn’t stain like paint, but it spills easily, spreads quickly, and is hard to clean up, especially on carpet. Here are a few ways you can reduce the amount of mess made as well as clean up the mess that might happen anyway.

Tip 1:
Choose the right space to use glitter. Try to use a room that doesn’t have a carpet or rug. You should also avoid rooms with tile floors or other types of flooring with crevices that might trap glitter. A linoleum or smooth hard wood floor is best. Those floor cleaning tools with the static cloth on the end are more effective tools for cleaning up glitter than even a vacuum cleaner.

Tip2:
Protect the floor. Even if you are in a room with a hard surface, it’s best to minimize the mess by covering the floor. Lay newspaper under and about three feet around the table. Be sure to overlap the sheets by a good six inches or so. You can also use a large disposable tablecloth. This may seem like work, but it’s less work than trying to sweep up glitter afterward.

Tip 3:
Cover your work surface. Use more newspaper to the work surface. This has a double purpose. Not only will it catch stray bits of glitter, if you want to save the excess glitter to use again, you can fold up the sides of the newspaper and use it to pour the glitter into the container.

Tip 4:
Dress for glitter use. It’s easy for glitter to be attracted to clothing such as sweaters or anything else fuzzy. It loves to hide in cuffs and pockets. Your and your preschooler should both wear short sleeves and ideally plastic aprons without pockets. That way the glitter will slide off your clothing instead of being carried through the rest of the house.

Tip 5:
Keep hair out of the way. Glitter tends to nest in hair. Use rubber bands, bobby pins, or hats to keep it out of the way. You might even consider a scarf or bandana to cover your hair and your preschoolers. Long hair should be behind your preschooler’s back in a braid or ponytail to prevent it from dragging through the glitter.

Tip 6:
Limit the amount of glitter used at one time. Spoon small amounts of glitter into salt shakers using a small funnel. You can always add more glitter if needed.

Tip 7:
Choose easy-to-use types of glitter. Many glues and paints come with the glitter already added. Whenever possible, have your preschooler use one of these methods of applying glitter instead of loose glitter in a shaker. Glitter glue pens are particularly easy to use because your preschooler only needs to squeeze and draw.

Tip 8:
Catch the excess glitter. Place a large sheet of white drawing paper under your preschooler’s craft project. As s/he finishes with each color of glitter, have him/her shake his/her work over the paper to remove excess. Fold up the sides of the paper and pour the glitter into a container. Do not do this if the glue is runny. Let the glue dry first or use a glue stick.

Tip 9:
Have a shake-off spot. Lay out newspaper near the work table and put a chair on it. Give your preschooler a chance to shake or brush off any excess glitter that has clung to his/her clothing. Remove and shake out shoes. You can also run one of those lint removing tools made of sticky tape over his/her clothing.

Tip 10:
Clean up in logical order. Start with the table. Make sure all glitter has been put back in containers and the containers are sealed. Then remove everything else from the table. Have a wastebasket handy. Fold the newspaper on the table sides to the middle on all four sides, confining scraps and glitter in the middle. Then let your preschool shake-off. Then fold up the newspaper on the floor the same way you did the newspaper on the table.

Tip 11:
Clean glitter from the floor. If by chance you still get glitter on the floor, use one of those tools with a static cleaning cloth to clean it up. It attracts the glitter rather than just pushing it around. You can even put a static cloth over the end of your sponge mop if necessary. If you have glitter on a carpet, use a powerful vacuum cleaner and vacuum against the nap of the carpet. You can brush it against the nap with a clothing brush to get deep down beneath the pile.

Tip 12:
Don't worry too much. It's not a big problem if a little glitter is left in your carpet or upholstry. The point of confining the mess is to make less work for you to clean up. If some glitter still manages to escape and settle in your home, it won't do any harm. It looks pretty and lets people know you take the time to create with your preschooler.

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