Adorable Caterpillar Crafts for Your Kids to Make
by Karen & Grace Morris
Let's inch over to the crafting table and make some caterpillar crafts for kids! So measure out some craft supplies and soon you will have lots of cute critters.
Click on the pictures to go to the individual caterpillar crafts.
Caterpillars are the larvae of moths and butterflies. They are the busy babies of the family. Unlike their older siblings who fly around to different flowers, caterpillars like to stay at home on the plants in your garden.
Tissue Paper Caterpillar
In “Alice in Wonderland”, Alice talked to a caterpillar named the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar. One of the favorite lines he says is: “Who are you?”
You will need;
- Green tissue paper (or your favorite color)
- A black marker
- String
- Cotton balls
Fold a sheet of tissue paper in half. Place one cotton ball in one of the corners.
Fold the corner around the cotton ball use a piece of string to tie the tissue around the cotton ball.
Next place two cotton balls together, roll the tissue to cover. Tie the open end closed with string.
Add two more cotton balls, roll, and tie closed. Do this one more time for three body parts.
Twist and tie the end with string. Cut the tissue and tape to the back of the caterpillar.
Add eyes with a black marker.
Make a Caterpillar with Buttons
Buttons, buttons, how many do I need to make me? This little caterpillar is hungry.
You will need;
- Pipe cleaner
- Buttons with two to four center holes
Bend the pipe cleaner in half.
Thread the pipe cleaner through a hole in the button. Thread the other end of the pipe cleaner in one of the other holes in the button. Push the button to the folded end.
Add more buttons until your caterpillar is long enough. Add an extra-large button to the end.
Fold the two ends of the pipe cleaner into antennas.
You could make this into a learning experience by sorting the buttons by size, then using only one size on your caterpillar. Or sort by color and making your bug only one color.
The Fuzzy Chenille Craft
Chenille is a French word meaning caterpillar, or it can also refer to pipe cleaners.
You will need;
- 2 pipe cleaners
- Pencil
Wrap one of the pipe cleaners around the pencil.
Fold the second pipe cleaner in half. Then fold in half again. Cut on the folds to make four pieces.
Take one of your small pieces and bend the ends to the center. Then make a “C” shape to make a leg.
Place the first small piece behind the first bend on the pencil pipe cleaner. On the small piece, bend the folded ends out some to make feet.
Bend another small piece just like the first to make another leg. Count two bends from the first leg on the pencil and place the second leg. Make the feet. Do the same with the other two legs/feet. The last piece should be just before the last bend.
Pull the pipe cleaner off the pencil. Be careful that the legs don't come off.
Ziggy the Caterpillar Craft
The caterpillar zigs and zags looking for food. “Someday, I will be a beautiful butterfly.”
Supplies;
- Construction paper in two colors
- Scissors
- A round object such as a large button
- Glue stick
- Wiggly eyes optional
Cut two strips of paper 1 by 12 inches, or for a shorter caterpillar cut two pieces of paper 1 by 9 inches.
Hold the two strips together. Use your button to draw a curve on the top and bottom. There should also be a “v” shape between the circles.
Cut around the circles and “v” in the center. You should have scallops on the top and bottom.
Now hold the two strips so that they are perpendicular to each other.
Fold left over right. Continue until all are folded. Glue the two ends together.
Cut a 1 1/2 inch circle. Glue the circle to one end of the caterpillar.
Use white glue to glue the eyes to the circle. Or you could draw eyes on with a marker.
Super Easy Caterpillar Crafts
Make several of these to give as gifts this spring.
For this craft you will need;
- 2 small pompoms
- Three larger pompoms
- Wiggly eyes
- Clothespin
- Glue
- Magnet with the sticky back
- Black paper or craft foam
Put a magnetic strip on a clothespin.
Glue two small pompoms next to each other near the mouth of the clothespin.
Glue the three larger pompoms in a row on the top of the clothespin.
With a hole punch, make two black dots. Glue the dots to the smaller pompoms on the clothespin opening.
Cut paper into a leaf shape for your notepaper. Then your caterpillar has something to eat.
Someday, these caterpillar crafts for kids will grow up to become butterflies. (Well, not really.) But for now, we can enjoy their tiny little feet and their happy little smiles as they decorate your home.
