Earth Friendly Kid's Crafts: Part 1 - Egg Carton Caterpillars

This Sunday, April 22, 2012 is Earth Day, and what a better way to celebrate than to create some earth friendly craft projects with our children. This will be a two - part post each containing one project that can be a quick 10 to 15 minute project delivering immediate self- satisfaction, or drawn out to a 45 minute project, depending on how much time you have, need or want to fill - all using things you can find in your recycling bin, or just lying around the house.

Earth Friendly Kid's Crafts: Part 1 - Egg Carton Caterpillars:

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't a bear

Was He?

Well, we call them Wooly Bears, but no matter what you call those fuzzy little orange and black stripped caterpillars, they are not only fun to find crawling around outside, but also make a great earth- friendly craft for even the youngest children. 

You will need: 

1 egg carton (you can use a half dozen carton if only making one or two caterpillars)

non-toxic  yellow and black tempura paints

1 black or brown pipe cleaner

other embellishments (optional)

scissors

How to make them:
Using your scissors, cut a length of egg carton 3 eggs long and 1 wide for each caterpillar. Place the carton convex side up. Choose an end to be your "face" and poke two holes in the carton for the antennae. Paint the first section black, the second yellow, and the third black again  to create a stripped effect. Once the paint is dry, cut your pipe cleaner into two short pieces and feed one piece per hole, through the carton, bending the end up on the underside of the egg carton to secure it. Your caterpillar is now ready for hours of play, or years of being a seasonal decoration. Of course, if you wish to bedazzle your caterpillar or add goggly eyes, have at it !
 Happy Earth Day!