Archive for the ‘spring crafts’ Category

Egg carton duck

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Kids can make a chick or a duck (I think my example is a hybrid) using a section of an egg carton and other random craft supplies. It’s great for Easter, and you can recycle those old cartons!
egg_carton_duck
What You Need: Cardboard egg carton, scissors (strong ones for adult to cut apart carton), safety scissors, craft foam, googly eyes, feathers, paint, paint brush, glue, tape.

How to Make It: Paint egg carton and let dry. Then let kids go wild cutting out and attaching features. They could make a bunny, too!

Easter toy capsule craft

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Save the plastic capsules from those gumball machine toys. They’re great for crafts such as these cute toy capsules. You can fill them with candy or just stuff them with cotton or crumpled tissue paper.
Easter_Toy_Capsule
What You Need: Toy capsule, cotton balls or batting, candy, felt or construction paper or craft foam, pom poms, googly eyes, scissors, glue or adhesive “glue dots.”

How to Make It: Stick cotton or candy (but not cotton candy) inside capsule and secure lid. Kids can then creatively decorate them using supplies you set out. Glue takes awhile to set on slick plastic; I used sticky glue dots instead.

Paper plate bird

Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Paper plate bird

Paper plate bird

Let kids explore their creativity and create an entire flock of birds using paper plates, pipe cleaners, cardstock scraps and paper punches. I saw this idea in Woman’s World magazine.

What You Need: 1 sturdy, colored paper plate (we used dessert size);  1 or 2 pipe cleaners; cardstock scraps; paper punches; googly eye; glue and/or tape.

How to Make It: Cut paper plate in half and then cut one of the halves into three triangles. Use scissors to make “fringe” for tailfeathers and wing. Tape pipe cleaners (however long you’d like your bird’s legs and neck to be) as shown. Bend them if you want, for crooked neck or legs. Tape paper plate triangle to top of neck and add beak cut from cardstock. Glue on plastic eye. Cut feet and tape to legs. Punch out shapes and glue to body.

Apple tree popcorn art

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Apple tree

Apple tree

Great for a Johnny Appleseed unit, or just to celebrate nature, this apple tree project combines food with fun! (Remember, though, popcorn can be a choking hazard to the littlest kids.)

What You Need:  1 sheet blue construction paper; brown and green poster paint; paintbrush; popped popcorn; glue.

How to Make It: Children paint tree trunk and leaves and then glue on popcorn for blossoms!

Flower pot decorated with foam pieces

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007

Here’s an easy craft that uses ready-made foam pieces and a small terra cotta pot. This is a great way to fill a short stretch of crafting time without needing to get out the glue and other messy supplies. (Although at FreePreschoolCrafts.com, we’re big fans of getting messy!)
Flower pot and foam craft
What You Need: Terra cotta flower pot; adhesive-backed foam animals, bugs, flowers, etc.
How to Make It: Give each child a flower pot and offer a nice variety of foam pieces to choose from in decorating his or her special flower pot. These make a great gift.