It’s that time of year when the birds start chirping, flowers start blooming and children’s creativity is at an all-time high! Jump start the season with these sweet, springtime crafts.
Bloomin’ Buttons
If spring has yet to blossom, your kids can create a preview of the season’s colors by livening up your houseplants with vibrant button flowers.
Materials:
- 26-gauge green florists’ wire
- Colorful buttons
How To:
For each flower, thread an 8-inch length of florists’ wire up through a stack of colorful buttons, then back down, as shown.
Twist the wire just below the stack to secure it, then insert the flower in your plant’s soil.
Painting in the Rain Art
If you can sing in the rain, why not paint in the rain? A soggy day can transform drawings into impressionist art.
Materials:
- Card stock
- Washable markers
How To:
- Draw on card stock with washable markers, then place the papers outdoors in the rain until the colors have run.
- Bring the paintings back inside and put them on a flat surface to dry.
Fluffy Flip-Flops
These adorable slippers make it a cinch to slip into something cute and comfortable.
Materials:
- Flip-flops
- Fabric
- Pinking shears
How To:
- Select a fabric and use pinking shears to cut a series of 1- by 6-inch strips (the number of strips you’ll need depends upon the size of your child’s feet; the ones pictured above required 28 strips).
- Using single knots, tie the strips around the flip-flop straps, pushing the knots close together as you go.
- Keep adding pieces until your new slippers are sufficiently soft and swanky!
Spring Bouquet
Jump-start the season by making your own colorful blooms with this flower-dyeing project.
Materials:
- White flowers
- Food coloring
- Vase
How To:
- Start with white flowers. Roses, carnations, and daisies work well. If none are growing in your area, pick some up at your local florist.
- Prepare a colored solution – 20 drops of food coloring for each 1/2 cup of warm water.
- Cut the stems to fit your vase, removing at least 2 inches, then set them in the tinted water. You’ll start to see results in less than 24 hours.How it works - Freshly cut flowers continuously draw water up through their stems, as through a straw. When the water reaches the petals, it evaporates through tiny pores, leaving the dye behind (dye cannot evaporate). Over time, it builds up, coloring the tips of the petals.
Winged Wonders
What makes these fluttery butterflies so vibrant? Magazine photos!
Materials:
- Colorful magazine pages
- Pipe cleaners
How To:
1. For each butterfly, choose 2 colorful magazine pages. Cut out 2 squares, one 5 inches on a side, the other 4.
2. Starting at one corner, accordion-fold the squares on their diagonals; these folds were 1/4 inch each.
3. Pinch the center of each folded square. Bend a 12-inch pipe cleaner in half and create a small loop. Arrange the squares in a butterfly shape and center them inside the pipe cleaner.
4. To secure the wings, twist the pipe cleaner above and below the wings and curl the ends for antennae.
