5 Easy Crafts for Preschoolers

Little ones love making crafts, but who has the time or money for the supplies you need to put together an amazing project? Good news - your children can make these five crafts for preschoolers using only four supplies or less.

Tissue Paper Trees

Photo Credit: Housing a Forest

Create these whimsical trees with your little ones, courtesy of Housing a Forest, using only a few basic materials.

Materials:

• Colored tissue paper
• Scissors
• Chenille sticks
• Twigs or small sticks

Instructions:

1. Cut out a few 4-inch squares from colored tissue paper using scissors. Five to seven squares should be enough to create one tree.
2. Select a twig or small stick that will become the trunk of the tree.
3. Wrap a chenille stick around the middle of the twig. This will keep the tissue paper leaves from slipping down the twig.
4. Slip each tissue paper square on to the twig, one at a time.
5. Wrap a second chenille stick around the top of the twig to keep the tissue paper squares from falling off.
6. Scrunch the tissue paper squares into a ball, then gently pull the edges of the paper outward to form the top of a tree.

Nature Collage Suncatcher

Photo Credit: Hands On As We Grow

Hands On As We Grow helps you make use of all those leaves and flowers your preschooler collects with their Nature Collage Suncatcher.

Materials:

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• Clear contact paper
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Cut the middle out of a paper plate using scissors.
2. Cut out two circles from clear contact paper that measure 1/2-inch larger around than the cut-out piece from the paper plate.
3. Attach one of the contact paper circles on to the paper plate with the sticky side facing up.
4. Press leaves, flowers, and small found items from nature on to the contact paper.
5. Attach the second piece of contact paper on top of the paper plate with the sticky side facing down to seal in the nature items.
6. Hang the Nature College Suncatcher in a window using a piece of tape.

Egg Carton Caterpillar

Photo Credit: Free Kids Crafts

Don't just toss all those egg cartons in the trash -- turn them into these cute Egg Carton Caterpillars by Free Kids Crafts.

Materials:

• Egg carton
• Scissors
• Markers
• Chenille sticks

Instructions:

1. Cut an egg carton in half with scissors so that you have six egg cups in a single row.
2. Cut the top half of the egg cup row off, leaving only the bottoms of the cups intact.
3. Turn the egg cup row upside down and decorate it using markers. Draw eyes on the side of one of the cups to become the face of your caterpillar.
4. Cut chenille sticks into 2-inch pieces, then attach them down the length of the caterpillar using tape, glue, or by making a hole to poke them into the egg carton.
5. Cut two more chenille sticks to create the antenna, then tape, glue, or poke them on to the head of the caterpillar.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

Photo Credit: Happiness is Homemade

Create this Pinecone Bird Feeder from Happiness is Homemade to help attract songbirds into your backyard.

Materials:

• Natural peanut butter
• Pinecone
• Birdseed
• Yarn

Instructions:

1. Spread natural peanut butter over the surface of a pinecone. Avoid using peanut butter that contains hydrogenated fats and added sugar, which aren't good for songbirds to eat.
2. Cover the peanut butter-covered pinecone with birdseed. You can do this by filling a pan with birdseed and rolling the pinecone around in it, or by simply pressing the birdseed directly on to the pinecone.
3. Tie a piece of yarn around the top of the pinecone, then hang it on to a tree branch for the songbirds to enjoy.

Straw Rockets

Photo Credit: Housing a Forest

Housing a Forest knows how to keep preschoolers entertained with this easy-to-make Straw Rocket craft.

Materials:

• Paper
• Scissors
• Drinking straws
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Cut out a 3-inch square from paper with scissors, then cut the square in half to create two rectangles. This will enable you to make two Straw Rockets.
2. Fold one of the rectangles over the top of a drinking straw.
3. Tape the seams of the folded paper in place. When you blow into the bottom of the straw, the paper will shoot off like a rocket.

Do you need help to find time for crafts for preschoolers in your day? Learn the tips and tricks for making time for arts and crafts.