Stay Home and Easter Craft!

These are such strange and uncertain times.  Life for everyone has changed beyond measure, but the one thing we do have is time. For many of us that means an abundance of time at home with kids. Now obviously this can be both a blessing and a major challenge.. keeping little ones busy and doing something worthwhile isn't always easy, and that's where craft comes in.

Cutting, gluing, creating, painting and getting messy can be such a fulfilling way to spend time together. And you don't need shop bought craft supplies - some of the best stuff to craft with you probably have at home already, like cardboard tubes, boxes and egg cartons. Transforming everyday objects is when the magic happens!

And it's not just the kids who're occupied and using their imaginations. Getting a little lost in a craft project can be a perfect distraction for us too. A bit of craft therapy is a good thing at the moment.

It also helps to have a theme and a focus, with days stuck at home stretching ahead of us - so with Easter racing up, I've put together a collection of Easter crafts you might want to try - birds, trees, bunnies, fish, butterflies and flowers! Just click on the title for the full project.

Egg Carton bluebirds in an Easter tree

The little egg carton birds are a big favourite here, and these blue birds are a really simple to make version. Change the colour and size if you want, it's totally up to you. The same goes for the tree top - why not try a different shape?

Easter bunny egg holder!

Well, it doesn't have to be an egg holder, but any opportunity to sneak in some chocolate! This would make a lovely table place setting for Easter day. Make one per child, pop their name on a piece of paper and prop it in front of the ears. Hide a little treat inside.

Shiny Happy Easter Crafts!

REMEMBER TO HOLD ONTO YOUR EASTER EGG FOIL!!  I know that's sometimes tricky with eager, impatient little chocolate egg hunters, but there's plenty you can do with it, even the small bits!! The great thing about using foil to cover cardboard shapes is you can easily wrap the bits that go over the edge, underneath. This gives a really neat finish.

Rainbow Foil Fish

This is a good way to use up those smaller pieces of foil. Great for a picture collage or a shiny mobile.

Springtime Egg Carton Posy

Such a bright and cheery craft - egg cartons are brilliant for making flowers. They make lovely gifts too.

Rainbow foil fish - Easy Easter craft

'Just need to eat this bag of chocolate eggs so I can make some shiny shapes!'

Yes, this has got to be one of THE best excuses for chocolaty treats!

At the moment the shops are full of colourful foil wrapped eggs, bunnies, you name it - and I'd say the hardest part of this craft is getting the foil off in decent size pieces, or saving enough from impatient little people who just want to rip it off. So you end up with tin foil confetti!

Try to hang on to some if you can. You'll be glad you did.

You will need:
Colourful tin foil pieces
Kitchen foil (optional)
Cereal box card
Pencil
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker pen (Sharpie)
Stick (optional)
String or yarn (optional)
Sticky tape (optional)

Now you see them...

1. To make a fish shape, draw half a fish on the fold of some cereal box card - we used one of the side box folds that was already there - cut out and use as your template. Make the fish any size you want - we made two, one about 14cm/51/2in. long, the other 10cm/4in.

2. Draw around your template and cut out the fish shapes. We made eight altogether.

Snip your colourful foil (and kitchen foil) into smaller pieces if you want. Cut away any straggly edges.

Then cover a card fish with a good layer of glue stick and start arranging your foil.

Overlap to avoid too many gaps and use more glue to stick these foil pieces down.

Don't worry about bits hanging over the edge, because these can be tucked around the back when you've finished. Rub more glue along the back edge before wrapping the foil around your shape.

3. We added a fin, this is optional though, just cut a small triangle from some spare card, rub some glue on, and cover with foil. Glue to your fish. Dot on eyes with a black marker pen (like a Sharpie).

4. Use your fish in a collage..

5. Or you could make a wall hanging.

Find a good stick - ours is a piece of driftwood from the beach, but something from the garden is perfect. Ours is about 40cm/15in. long.

Cut a length of string or yarn about 40cm/15in. long (just as a guide). Then cut two more pieces of string, double that length.

Tie the end of the shorter piece to the middle of your stick with a double knot. Tie the other pieces either side, but make the knot in the middle of the length of string, so you have plenty left to hang your shoal of fish.

6. Rub a good amount of glue stick over the middle part of the back of your fish and arrange them on the strings. Aim for the middle of your fish, but it really doesn't need to be perfect, so don't worry.

7. Give the glue a chance to dry, then turn the fish over and use some sticky tape to properly attach them to the string.

8. Cut away any stray strings. You may find some of the bottom fish don't look like they're swimming completely straight, but I think this just gives the display a bit more movement!

9. Hold your fish up by the two side strings, and when it looks even, tie the strings together and trim.

Lovely when they catch the light...

Of course you don't have to make fish, I'm just very fond of fish!! We have covered other shapes too.