Teens are incredibly creative. I have always loved seeing the creations of my own kids.

Here are several ideas that teens can have fun with:

1. Make your own lip gloss. By adding kool-aid powder to Vaseline, you can create several 'flavors' of lip gloss. Melt the Vaseline in the microwave. Try it 30 seconds at a time. Add the kool-aid and microwave one more time, again 30 seconds. Mix and then allow to cool. Once it's cool enough to touch, move the Vaseline into its final storage container and allow to cool completely.

2. Wrapping paper and gift tags. Rubber stamps can create the most magnificent wrapping paper and gift tags. We use both ink pads and also pens on our stamps. The white shiny wrapping paper and gift tags can be bought through a paper supplier. We actually buy small cards and then punch holes in them, for gift tags. With corner punchers you make wonderful borders on the gift cards. We also enjoy making greeting cards with rubber stamps.

3. Candy plants. Start with a pot. Paint or decorate to your liking. Put styrofoam in the bottom of the pot. Now build the plant with an assortment of candy, wire and sticks. You can also add paper flowers. Use hard candies or chocolate kisses to cover the styrofoam.

4. Teens love to create clothing. Sewing fabric onto the bottom of jeans, or the pockets of jeans can create hours of fun.

5. Teens love to scrapbook. My own daughter can sometimes take enough photos in one day for an entire album. They can scrapbook any activity or club they belong to. They can also take photos at sports games and scrapbook those. The ideas for a teen and a scrapbook are endless.

6. Knitting and crocheting. You can find thousands of free patterns on the internet. Teens can make everything from purses, to boxes, to clothing. With string, instead of yarn, you can make bedspreads and desk decorations. With rug yarn, you can create a rug for your bathroom or bedroom.

7. Bulletin boards to hang on the wall. My daughter loves her bulletin boards. Buy a simple wood frame board. The wood can be painted or decorated to the teens liking. Photos or poems or even homework can be put up on the bulletin board once complete.

This is just a small sampling of the various crafts you can suggest to your teens.