The weekend is just around the corner! If last weekend you were already tired of walking around the mall or taking your little one to play outside, this week you might just want to chill at home. But the problem is, if you just stay at home, the kids will usually auto stick to their gadget screens or the TV from morning to evening. 

As millennial parents, we definitely often get headaches thinking of screen-free activity ideas that are fun, not boring, but also do not break the bank to buy new toys. 

So, how about this weekend we invite the little ones to get creative and make aesthetic room decor from used items in the storage room? Besides making your kid's room look even cuter, this activity known as Mixed Media Art also holds a myriad of benefits for their brain development. Let's unpack your delivery cardboard boxes and start having fun together! 

The Benefits of Introducing Mixed Media Art to Kids: Messy is Good! 

You might think, "Ugh, doing crafts with kids will definitely end up making the house super messy!" It is completely normal to have anxiety about a messy house. But in the parenting world, sometimes we have to compromise a little with the principle of "Messy is good!". Mixed Media Art is the art of combining various mediums like used paper, paint, fabric, and glue in one masterpiece. It is an extraordinary sensory play space for kids. 

Here are some of its cool benefits: 

• Train Fine Motor Skills: Activities like cutting paper, tearing magazines, and spreading glue with their fingers are highly effective in training the small muscles in your kid's hands. This is super important as a foundation for them to learn to write later on. 
• Freedom of Expression Without Fear of Being Wrong: Unlike coloring books that demand kids to color "inside the lines", mixed media art has no strict rules. If they want to stick a picture of a dinosaur head on top of a car body, it is completely fine! This builds their self-confidence. 
• Learn to Care for the Environment (Upcycling): Indirectly, you are teaching the value of sustainability. Kids will learn that leftover delivery cardboard or old magazines do not have to end up straight in the trash bin, but can be transformed into items with artistic value. 

Step-by-Step DIY to Make Wall Decor / Room Nameplate 

You do not need expensive tools to make aesthetic room decor. Just prepare some used cardboard, a glue stick or hot glue gun (with supervision), scissors, old magazines or newspapers, and markers or watercolors. 

This time, we are going to make a rustic and artsy Nameplate to hang on your kid's bedroom door or wall. 

The steps: 

1. Prepare the Cardboard Canvas: Cut the used delivery cardboard into a rectangle, circle, or cloud shape as the base board. Let the cardboard texture show to make it even more aesthetic. 
2. Tearing Session (The Most Fun Part!): Give old magazines to your kids and let them tear the pages with their favorite colors into small pieces. It does not need to be neat, let the shapes be asymmetrical. 
3. Start Layering (Gluing): Spread glue on top of the cardboard, then let your little one stick the magazine tears overlapping each other until the entire cardboard surface is covered. This will create a super unique background texture. 
4. Form Your Kid's Name: On a piece of white paper or another cardboard cutout, draw the letters that spell out your kid's name. Ask them to color it using markers or watercolors. Once dry, cut them out and stick them embossed on top of the magazine background. 
5. Final Touch: Add other elements lying around the house! For example, stick loose used buttons, leftover wool yarn, or dried leaves that fell in the yard. Attach a string at the top of the cardboard, and voila! A super aesthetic room nameplate for your kid is ready to be displayed! 

Take note of this too! On June 4, 2026, there will be a talk show themed "Reimagining Movement for Everyone". For those of you who are interested in creative ideas, inclusivity, and ways to see movement and expression from a broader perspective, this session can be a fun inspiration that is a shame to miss. 

Learning from Kreaby: Art Has No Limits, Used Items Can Be Beautiful 

The activity of freeing children to express themselves through messy art actually perfectly aligns with the values of inclusivity and limitless creativity. If you need a reference on how cool honest and expressive artworks can be, you absolutely have to see the epic collaboration between Hyundai Motorstudio (HMS) and Kreaby. 

For those who are not familiar, Kreaby is a creative studio that accommodates individual artists with autism. Their artworks are honest, not bound by rigid rules, full of bold color collisions, and always have a story behind every stroke. 

In the HMS x Kreaby collaboration, these artists transformed empty canvases into a storytelling medium about sustainability and an eco-friendly future. The value raised is very heartwarming. Art knows no boundaries, and everything, including used items around us, can be processed into something beautiful and have a new meaning. 

This is the mindset that is super important to instill in kids from an early age. Through today's DIY aesthetic room decor, you are not just inviting your kids to play, but also teaching them to see the potential beauty of items that have been thrown away. 

Spending the weekend at home does not always have to end in boredom or excessive screen time. With a little creativity and being willing to get a little "dirty", you can create extraordinary bonding moments with your little one. 

Through mixed media art, delivery cardboard and piles of old magazines can turn into totally artsy room displays. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your scissors and glue right now, and let your little one's imagination fly free to create their first masterpiece! 

FAQ: All About DIY Decor & Kids 

Q: What type of glue is the safest to use for toddlers when making mixed media? A: It is highly recommended to use a water-based, non-toxic glue stick. Besides being safe if accidentally touched to the mouth, a glue stick is also easier to clean off fingers and does not make the paper too wet. Avoid strong liquid glue (like super glue) or hot glue guns without strict supervision. 

Q: My child gets easily frustrated if the result is not neat or does not meet expectations. What should I do? A: Praise the "process", not the "result". Say things like, "Wow, Mommy really loves the way you chose the color red to stick in this corner!" instead of criticizing the neatness. Emphasize from the beginning that in mixed media art, there is no such thing as wrong. The messier it is, the more aesthetic and unique the artwork becomes. 

Q: Are these upcycled items durable enough to be used as room decor? A: Absolutely! If you want it to be more durable and dust-resistant, after your kid's mixed media artwork is finished and dry, you can spray a water-based clear varnish (transparent coating) or coat it with a mixture of white PVA glue and a little water. The artwork will look glossy and last for years.