Renata Kolibova is a kindergarten teacher and has been a craft blogger since 2015, making paper craft videos and tutorials online. She is followed by millions of teachers and parents from all over the world. Renata creates new crafts almost every day and shares them on her social blogs under the nickname ‘PaperMagicReny’.
How did you come up with the idea to start a crafting channel?
I work as a kindergarten teacher, and I always loved creating paper crafts with kids. At some point I started coming up with my own crafting ideas, and my colleagues liked them a lot and used them. I realised that other teachers and parents might enjoy them as well and decided to go online.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get inspired by things around me, seasons, holidays, books. When I see something interesting, I always think of how to make it into a paper project.
What are the benefits of crafting for a child?
Children can practice fine motor skills and build foundations for creative thinking. Kids enjoy making physical things which they can be proud of and play with them. Children also appreciate the time spent together with their parents making things together.
At what age is it best for a kid to start crafts?
It’s different for different individuals. But personally, the younger the child, the more help he/she needs. I think the sooner the better, because they learn quickly and get more skilled overtime. I mainly work with children who are 3 to 7 years old.
What kind of crafts are the best to begin with, especially if the parent does not have a creative mind?
I would not recommend origami. My blog focuses mainly on simple crafts, which require almost no skill.
How do you motivate a child to be creative?
Choose things they like. If your child loves animals, craft animals. What I like to do is, read a fairy tale and then make crafts based on the kid’s favourite characters.
What advice would you give to parents who are beginners with crafts?
Don’t be scared of it, there is really nothing that could go wrong. Get scissors, glue-stick and a bunch of coloured paper. You can also follow my blog or any other channel and books with ideas!
What are your three favourite crafts from your book “Paper Crafting with Reny”?
Dinosaur, Shark and Butterfly.
What would you recommend to mums blogging about crafts and other kids’ activities?
I wish there was an easy answer to this. It takes time and continuous effort, and quality content is always important. What worked for me might not work for you. Be patient and don’t expect to be a “star” overnight. Last thing I would recommend is to have your own “why” and dream you wish to follow; it will make it easier when things get difficult.
In case you would like to purchase Renata’s book “Paper Crafting with Reny”, follow the link.
For more news and ideas about paper crafts, subscribe to the Reny Paper Magic page.