My kids love doing craft projects--and so do I--but we always wind up with a giant mess. Do you have some good tips for keeping things clean?

Contrary to what Jackson Pollock's mother might have thought, childhood creativity (and a parent's sanity) rarely thrives when paint is being strewn with abandon. Your best bet is to assume your kids will make a mess, and then prepare for it in advance. If you're not worrying about paint drips on the carpet, you--and your kids--will have more fun while crafting. Here are a few keep-it-clean tips:

• Before you begin, cover work surfaces with newspapers or, better still, a covering made from a single sheet of material, such as an old shower curtain, plastic tablecloth or even a big beach towel (you can fold it up to carry it, shake it out easily, wipe your wet fingers on it, then throw the whole thing in the wash).
• Wear smocks or Dad's old T-shirts to protect clothes. To make one super-easy homemade smock, just cut arm and head holes out of an old pillowcase, then slip it over your child's head.
• If the project involves small pieces, give each child a shallow container, such as a shoe box lid or muffin tin to hold his or her personal supply.
• Use throwaway or easy-to-clean work palettes--paper plates, paper cups, scrap cardboard, or old yogurt containers.
• Limit the amount of glue on the table by pouring small amounts onto individual paper plates and letting kids apply it with a cotton swab or a small paintbrush.
• To minimize hand mess during glue or painting projects, give each child a bowl with a wet sponge or folded damp paper towels inside for quick finger wipes.

Ann Hallock is the editor of FAMILYFUN, a magazine for parents of kids ages three to 12 that reaches 1.3 million readers monthly. She also contributed to the books FAMILYFUN CRAFTS, FAMILYFUN'S PARTIES and DISNEY'S FAMILY COOKBOOK, and appears regularly on television, including the PBS series, "Hands on Crafts for Kids."