Arty Crafty Ideas

​

Why Don't You...

​

• Collect wildflowers to press that can be later used on greeting cards and book marks. Use PVA glue to affix them onto a jam jar to create a cool pen pot​

• Create a nature bracelet ​

• Use natural materials  to create a picture on the ground or to create a sculpture​

• Dabble with nature rubbings, leaf prints or use nature's own colours to paint ​

• Experiment with photography to create a display of nature pictures. ​

• Create your own imaginary magical potion using ingredients from the natural environment​

• Create your own nature creature using modelling clay and natural materials​

• Search for and photograph  hidden faces within the natural environment ​

• Create your own wind streamer from natural materials before experimenting with patterns through movement and even making up a dance routine​

• Make a twig raft through the collection of long, thick sticks of a similar length with leaves and petals to personalise your design. Trying sailing it in a shallow stretch of water to test for and learn about buoyancy​

• Create music from natural materials e.g., blades of grass or make musical instruments e.g. maracas made from gathering small stones to then contain inside a small plastic bottle or ice-cream tub. 

• Make a twig bird box

• Create your own terrarium as a home for snails and study how they live

• Create a bird's nest from twigs, vines, feathers , moss and long grass 

• Create a miniature pond as a great way to encourage frogs, toads and newts into your wildlife area  - use a large waterproof container, such as an old sink, sturdy bucket or washing-up bowl before adding gravel/pebbles  then rainwater and several pond plants  to enable some shade and a hiding place for the small creatures

• Create a pine-cone bird feeder

• Construct a bug hotel as a place within a flat, sheltered section of your wildlife area that can be built using bricks or old wooden pallets. Bamboo, straw, corrugated card, pine cones , pebbles and leaves  are ideal for bees, ladybirds, beetles, centipedes , spiders, frogs and lacewings ,

• Experience upcycling to transform empty plastic milk bottles into watering cans  that can be decorated to personalise 

• Make your own biodegradable newspaper seedling pots 

• Use old terracotta pots to transform into decorated plant-pot birdbaths

• Recycle old toys and wellington boots into unique garden planters

• Create your own lollipop stick bird feeder

• Make a paper-plate sundial

• Create your own water wall to catch rainwater using old vacuum-cleaner pipes, plastic bottles and sieves attached to a large pegboard to assist with storage

• Create your own unique footprint stepping stones 

• Experience nature weaving with four sticks for the frame, a small ball of yarn and flowers with stems, blades of grass, twigs and feathers 

• Design your own leaf-print bag

• Create your own Autumn-leaf bowl with the aid of a balloon, PVA glue and paintbrush, a carrier-bag full of brown leaves and scissors

• Make twig star decorations for your wildlife area using sturdy twigs, secateurs, scissors, newspaper, glue, old colourful plastic bags, a bowl, sticky-back plastic and string

• Make your own dreamcatcher from different shades of brightly coloured twine, an embroidery hoop, different coloured beads, feathers and glue

• Recycle old tin cans to create your own decorated tin-can bowling game

• Make a twig marble run 

​

​

​

​

​

​

• Make your own wind chimes  through the use of such materials as strong, thick twigs (for the frame) , secateurs, strong glue, long lengths of differently coloured embroidery thread as well as old spoons and keys with nuts and bolts also working effectively

​

 You could also make:

• Feathered headdress

• Floral crown

• Wooden peg fairies

• Musical twig instruments​​