Spring Crafts, Stacy Beeler

Will Spring ever really arrive? While we are waiting to see if the snow will melt, you can make these fun and happy spring crafts.


Spring Lambs
Welcome Spring with a flock of wooly lambs. Have your child trace his hand on black construction paper and cut out the shape. Glue a wiggly eye on the thumb, turn the shape so the other 4 fingers are legs, and glue on cotton balls to fill in the body. You can also add a colorful bow on its neck.
Three-D Flowers
Spread spring fever with this colorful craft. Cut a styrofoam cup in half lengthwise and glue to a piece of cardboard (creating a flower pot). Glue colorful buttons (or other objects) for flower centers. Cut out small petals and leaves, crease down the center (for a 3-D effect), and glue in place. Add stems with a green marker.

Easter Nests
This recipe makes perfect nests for Easter chicks! Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of brown sugar. Boil and stir for one minute. Add a 3-ounce can of chow mein noodles. Put the mixture in 12 paper baking cups in a muffin tin. Use your thumb to press noodles tin a nest shape while still warm. Do not bake. Allow nests to cool. Give jelly beans to children to place in the centers of their nests.

Eggshell Art
Dyed eggshells make beautiful mosaic designs. Have your children wash eggshells and let them dry. Place shells in a plastic garbage bag and crush them (stomping on them can be quite fun). Use either egg-coloring dyes or tempera paint to dye batches of the eggshells in large containers. Lay colored shells on paper towel-lined trays or plates. Have each child draw a picture or design on stiff paper or cardboard. Then glue on colored shells to fill in their designs.
Have fun!