Carrot Craft and Fun for Kids

Instructions: Fold a sheet of white 7-1/2-x-8-1/2-inch card stock in half. Trim a sheet of coordinating paper to fit the front of the card, leaving a small border. Cut two carrot shapes from orange paper -- one slightly smaller than the other -- and attach to the front of the card with adhesive foam.

Cut a 1-1/2-x-2-1/2-inch rectangle of green card stock into thin strips, stopping 1/4 inch from the bottom edge. Roll the fringe into a tight cylinder and attach the rolled end to the card, tucking it behind the carrot.

Add mini brads on either side of the carrot. String alphabet beads onto green wire, leaving extra length at either end to wrap around the brads.

Pipe Cleaner Easter Tree

Make sure Easter Bunny visits your house with this mini indoor tree bearing his favourite snack.

Materials:

Several 12-inch orange bumpy pipe cleaners Bare tree branch

Several 4-inch lengths of green embroidery floss Small flowerpot

Newspaper Decorative stones or glass beads

Time needed: Afternoon or Evening

	1. To make one, first cut several 12-inch orange bumpy pipe cleaners into quarters to create four 3-inch pieces, each with a wider part at its center (see photo).
	2. Form each piece into a carrot by folding over about ½ inch at one end and tying on several 4-inch lengths of green embroidery floss at the bend. Trim the floss, if necessary.
	3. Slip a loop of floss or string under the folded end for a hanger, then fold up the bottom tip of the pipe cleaner as well.
	4. Next, use balled-up newspaper to support a bare branch (ours was about 10 inches tall) set upright in a small flowerpot. Add a layer of decorative stones or glass beads, then hang the pipe cleaner carrots on the branch.

A simple set of carrots to make a lovely display on the table

Material:

Orange paper napkins, dinner size

Green plastic utensils

Green pipe cleaners

Time Needed:

Under 1 Hour

1. For each carrot, fold one of the paper napkins into a rectangle. Place a set of utensils across the lower left corner of the rectangle, fold in the lower right corner as shown, then roll it up loosely.

2. Wrap one or two green pipe cleaners around the napkin and necks of the utensils, then twist them to secure, as shown.

3. Trim the pipe cleaners a bit, if desired, so they look like leafy carrot tops.

Make you own Play Doh creation - for easy to follow instructions which you can print out click here (opens a pdf file in new window).

Play Doh is a product of Hasbro Toys, visit their web site here for more inspiration.

Play Doh has been around since 1956 and has a fascinating history, read more here.

The next time you cook carrots, choose 2 or 3 of the largest in diameter and save a full 2" of the tops. Discard the greens if attached. Now, ask your child to draw a simple shape or his or her initials. Then, carve the shape or initial (1 per carrot) into the widest part, leaving the design intact and the remaining area carved away. Now get some paper and some paint or stamp pads, and let your child decorate paper or paper bags with the carrot stamps to their hearts' content! For larger stamps/bigger designs, you can use a potato! - whatever one of those is!!

Time: 15-30 minutes

These carrots are made with plain and wavy (varying in thickness) pipe cleaners (both styles are available at large crafts stores). Wrap five green wavy cleaners about 2 inches from the top of a white wavy cleaner, twisting to form a spray of five leaves pointing up. Attach a straight orange pipe cleaner to the leaf shapes; begin twisting to form the body of the carrot.

Keep winding the pipe cleaners, adding to the end of each, until enough are wrapped to form an entire carrot shape (about seven or eight should do). Twist the white pipe cleaner hanger into a hook to hang from a window shade, light fixture or anywhere else a little whimsy is needed.

Supplies: Disposable clear plastic icing bags, Orange jelly beans, Scissors, Green tissue paper, Twist wire ties.

How To Make It
1. Fill an icing bag with orange jelly beans, leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.
2. Cut out two 8-inch squares of green tissue paper and lay one on top of the other.
3. Pick up the squares from the center and give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.
4. Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag.
5. Gather the bag at the top of the jelly beans and secure with a twist tie, wrapping the tie around the "stem" of the tissue paper, so the greenery sticks out of the top.

A grown-up to help you, bagel, sliced in half (or two slices of bread cut into circle shapes, with a small hole cut out of each); cream cheese, carrot (nice and fat!), raisins or chocolate chips, cherry tomato, cut in half.

(3) Use raisins or chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth. Stand a carrot in the bagel's centre for a nose. Use the tomato and a carrot peel earmuffs.

Or make a snowman like in the picture using three slices of bagel, then make Mrs Snowman with another three!

Or you could use the other bagel half to make a snow girl, or even a snow cat! What other snow creatures could you make?

Other kids stuff in the Museum include Mr Carrot Head - Make a unique face to keep! Click here.