Spring Craft Guide
Welcome warm weather, celebrate spring! Herald the advent of a new season with these fun and thoughtful craft projects sure to be enjoyed by children of all ages.
Grand Ideas for Grade Schoolers
“Egg”cellent Egg Tree
Trees all around us are starting to grow new leaves. You too can make your own festively decorated tree for spring. Just think of how many things you can add to your tree to celebrate the season.
To make your egg tree, you’ll need:
- One to three small branches from a tree (pick one with lots of small branches on it, but make sure to avoid poison ivy and other irritating plants)
- One block of florist’s foam
- One small terra cotta pot
- Acrylic or poster paints
- A few feet of ribbon
- Various beads with large holes
- Craft foam sheets in various colors
Work on a protected surface and paint your branches either white or another light color (you can also paint the outside of the pot too). Let dry. Mom or Dad should cut florist foam with a serrated knife so it fits snuggly into the pot. Then add a bit of glue to the inside of the pot to cement it into place. After the glue dries, push the painted branches into the foam. Now add decorations to the tree. String some beads through the ribbon, loop through the branches, and make sure to leave some room for the ribbon to dip down between each branch. Cut the foam pieces into small egg shapes. Decorate the eggs with glued-on foam strips, dots, and other designs. When the eggs have set, you can glue them onto ribbon or punch holes through the tops of the eggs with a hole punch. Tie one end of the ribbon onto the egg and the other end onto the tree. Or, simply hang the eggs directly from a branch.
Bunny and Chick Bags
Here’s what you’ll need to make these cute bags, perfect for collecting eggs or stashing candy:
- Paper lunch bag or small colored gift bag
- Craft foam sheets in various colors
- Wiggly eyes
- Safety scissors
- Pencil or pen
To Make the Bunny:
Begin with a piece of foam, slightly larger than your bag on the sides, but about the same height. Fold the foam in half and draw two half circles, just like you would draw the round parts of a letter “B.” Be careful not to go completely to the fold for the middle line. Cut along the drawn lines (when you unfold the foam, you’ll have two connecting circles). Cut and attach foam ears on the top circle. Decorate the bottom circle with foam pieces to make a happy rabbit face. Draw a small circle about one to two inches in diameter between the ears and cut out just the circle. Glue the bunny head to bag, leaving the ears above the opening of the bag. Now your bag can hang from a doorknob.
To Make the Chick:
Start out with the same size piece of foam sheet as above. Fold it in half and draw one big half-circle in the shape of a “C”. Cut out triangles for wings and glue those onto the bottom half of the circle. Add a small folding foam strip for the beak, and add two eyes. About an inch from the top draw a “U” shape and cut. Glue the chick onto bag leaving room for the “C” shape to be above the bag’s opening. Add some feet, glued directly onto the bag using small foam scraps cut in strips.
Springtime Family Keepsakes
Elegant Egg Door Hang
Greet guests one of the season’s most enduring symbols: the egg. To start, purchase three to five Styrofoam craft eggs. Slice these in half, lengthwise with a serrated knife. Gather faux or dried small flowers, lavender, hyacinth, tulips, or daisy all work well. Cut down the stems, leaving only about one inch remaining. Apply the flowers with hot glue or by pressing the stems into the foam (using all one color is a classic approach, however, mixing colors and flowers can be rustic and beautiful as well). Completely cover the round side of each egg.
Now, decide how you want your door hang to look. You can create frames for your eggs out of cardboard covered with ribbon or fabric, use old frames inlaid with poster board for backing, or use wreath frames for a traditional touch. Whichever design you choose, when finished making your door hang creation, just punch holes with an awl into the tops of your cardboard backing, thread thick ribbon or sturdy metal wiring through the holes, and hang onto your door.
“Quilted” Storage Boxes
Using simple patterns, an ordinary hatbox will transform into a country-inspired decorative storage container. First purchase a large plain, cardboard hatbox. If using fabric for the appliqe, select pre-cut quilting squares from a fabric store, or make your own four-inch by four-inch squares of assorted fabric. Think spring when selecting your colors: lavender, pink, yellow, and green (select varying shades of one color for a simpler design, multi-colors for a more traditional quilt effect). Paper will also work well, try using scrapbook paper also cut into four-inch squares.
First paint the box a background color. Next, cut out the shapes for applique. This “quilt” will use only simple triangles, but you could get as complex as you wish with your design. Cut squares in half to create two triangles (you can continue to trim down these triangles in half to make even smaller shapes). Once all the triangles are cut, begin to test out different patterns on the hatbox lid. Working from the center out is a good way to start; experiment with turning shapes in different angles. Once your have a good design, begin to hot glue one at a time, until you’ve finished the lid. Next work on the box in the same manner, small pieces of tape stuck to the back of the triangles can help you temporarily stick the pieces onto the box until you find a set design If you used paper triangles, seal with a coat of clear acrylic paint. To finish you can add a bow on top or a finial handle. This box can be especially useful for storage in a nursery or child’s room, to hold your favorite keepsakes, or as a memory box for you and your family.
Rain or shine, set some time aside for your family to create these fun springtime crafts together.
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