Craft: Recycled Owls

Here is another easy craft to use up all of those plastic lids. This project is all about finding pairs of lids in different sizes. Once the kids have eyes they are happy with, let them glue them together and let dry. In order to attach them to the face, you will need to use hot glue. We made these on card stock, but you could also use cardboard.

Craft: Cereal Butterflies

This craft can double as afternoon snack, so make sure you make plenty!

You'll need clothespins, markers, chenille sticks and sandwich size plastic ziplock bags. You'll also need a mix of colorful cereals - I pulled out some of the sugary cereals that we only use for crafts (like Fruit Loops and Cookie Crisp) and mixed them in with Kix and whatever else was in the cupboard.

First: give everyone a couple of clothespins and have them color all sides with markers.


Next, have each child fill two bags about half way with cereal. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to make it easier on the kids. Squeeze out the air and seal.


At this point, just cut the chenille sicks in half and give each child two. Have them bend them in half and curl the edges. Clip the chenille sticks on the center of the bags with the clothespins to make your butterfly.


Yum!

Easter Nest Craft

A simple little Easter craft using things you already have in your home. Start by mixing up some pastel colors of paint. We used blue and green. I gave each child a piece of wood (leftover from a boy scout birdhouse project). Make sure the kids paint the edges.


While the paint dried, I took the kids outside, gave them each a bucket and had them gather small sticks from the yard. Snap the sticks to fit and glue them to the bottom of each board to form a nest. Regular glue works fine - just use a lot and allow for drying time.


Use a glue gun to adhere plastic easter eggs to your nest. I wielded the glue gun and the kids stuck them down.


Messy. Every single time.


The end.

Craft: Recycled Spring Flowers

Think spring! All of the snow is gone from our yards and we are ready for spring! This is one of those "use up some of the recycling materials I cannot seem to throw away" kind of crafts.

Give each child some cardboard - a shoe box lid or something along those lines. Cut up a whole bunch of egg cartons to make different kinds of flower shapes.

I had some kids start painting their backdrops green and blue while others started painting the flowers.


This way, every kid has something to do while they wait to paint their backdrop. It also meant that I only needed one plate of each color as we passed them around.


Um, the kids will get messy - fyi.


Set aside the backdrops and the flowers to dry. Once dry, glue the flowers to the green portion of the backdrops.


Still messy.


They should not look something like this:


Next, pull out some pom poms and let the kids glue them to the insides of their flowers.


Cute craft and very messy kids.

Craft: Rainbows

We did manage to make a rainbow craft for St. Patrick's Day. Honestly, this craft is better for older children as the chenille sticks hold better with hot glue.

Start with pairs of matching lids (we eat a lot of Greek yogurt around here). I wanted these rainbows to stand up, so I used hot glue to attach a clothespin to the back of each lid.


Give each child a set of lids.


Let the children fill each lid with glue and then stick the cotton balls to the glue to form the clouds.


Flip the lids over and give each child one pipe cleaner of each color. They will need to trim a little off each color except the red (I did this before I gave them to the kids). Have them bend the sticks into the shape of a rainbow and then glue them to the back of the lids.


Once dry, stand up and enjoy!

Craft: Toilet Paper Caterpillars

Give everyone a toilet paper roll and have them color them with markers - or paint if you are feeling brave.


Take a pipe cleaner, fold it in half and use a pencil to make the ends curly. Have the kids tape the pipe cleaner to the inside of the toilet paper roll.


Give each child a really large pom pom and stuff it in the end with the pipe cleaner. Choose google eyes and attach with glue.


Have the kids choose 8-10 small pom poms and glue them on the caterpillar's back. I used hot glue because some of these kids were just here for playgroup and we needed the craft to dry immediately.


I am sick, sick, sick. Miserable. I'll try and catch up when my head is not pounding and I can go more than 5 minutes without blowing my very sore nose. I worked today despite feeling like death warmed over. You don't really get a day off from being a Mom.

**The bin of pom poms was a gift from Kathy (a friend from my ward)