Montessori Works Made from Craft Supplies

Montessori materials can be extremely expensive, and the cost is often off-putting to families looking to begin homeschooling or join a co-op. When I began working in a Montessori school, I was amazed at the sheer amount of materials and works. Our head of school was a frugal and financially-minded woman with many creative ideas to save on costs. When I began homeschooling my son, I looked to my arts and crafts supplies to make my own Montessori materials. These are five of my favorite works you can easily create yourself at home.

✂️ Why DIY Montessori materials work just as well as commercial ones: Maria Montessori originally designed her materials to be beautiful, purposeful, and isolating of a single quality, such as color, texture, or weight. She did not specify that materials must be commercially produced. In fact, Montessori schools in her era often made their own materials from locally available resources. Research on hands-on learning (Lillard and Else-Quest, 2006, Science) confirms that the key variable in Montessori outcomes is the quality of the child's engagement with purposeful, self-correcting materials, not the brand or cost of those materials. A well-made DIY color matching set engages the same cognitive processes as a commercially produced one.

DIY Montessori works from craft supplies

The Top 5 DIY Montessori Works

Work 1

Color Matching

This work can be created with tissue paper, colored paper, or cardstock. There are a couple of variations to try.

Beginning color matching: Cut two 2-inch by 2-inch squares of six different colors of paper. Use the same type of paper in each color for very young children (age 2 and under); for older children, try using different types of paper in the same colors. The child matches the correct sets of colors to one another.

More advanced color matching: Use the squares above and cut one set into smaller squares. Start with three colors at a time. Place three of the larger squares at the top of the work area and all the smaller squares into a bowl. Allow the student to place the smaller squares on the corresponding larger square. This also works well with beads, buttons, or other small items in the corresponding colors. You can also cut circles, hearts, or any other shape for the child to use for matching.

Work 2

Math Counters

Counters are a central part of Montessori math. They are extremely easy to create from beads or buttons. It is fun to change out the counters based on the month, using hearts in February and pumpkins in the fall, for example. You may also cut counters into desired shapes from paper. Wrapping paper with small repeating patterns is especially fun to use.

Work 3

Fabric Textures

Texture matching with different fabrics is a classic Montessori material. Raid that basket of unused fabric for four to six different textures. Cut them into equal-sized squares, usually somewhere between 4 by 4 inches and 6 by 6 inches. Younger students match the fabrics by touch and sight. Older students can be blindfolded to match the fabric textures by feel alone. It is also fun to put the fabric scraps into a bag or pillowcase and have the child find a match by feel. This works equally well with different grits of sandpaper.

Work 4

Lacing Cards

Save your old greeting cards for this one, or use scrapbooking paper or cardstock. Use a hole punch to punch holes around the outside of the card. Provide the child with a child-safe needle and some string or thread, then allow them to lace around the card. This is also a lovely activity for creating holiday decorations when laced with ribbon. Older students can work on different types of stitches and even different patterns.

Work 5

Pouring, Spooning, and Scooping

Gather up all those small items in your arts and crafts supplies: buttons, marbles, small trinkets, and beads from the dollar bins that you just cannot resist (or is that only me?). These, along with basic dried beans and rice, make perfect materials for practical life works. Use them with pouring cups to practice pouring back and forth or into cups and bowls. Place them into a bowl and allow children to practice spooning them between bowls. Give students a small child-sized ladle and watch as they ladle the materials. The possibilities are endless.

We hope you enjoy these easy-to-create Montessori works. Go raid your arts and crafts supplies and see what you can come up with. We would love to see your DIY works!