Now that spring is upon us, we can start to think about crafting some fun, non-annoying insects to compliment the flowers we are planting, or thinking of crafting. I promise these insects won’t “bug” you and could actually be ones that you enjoy having around!

Let’s try to see how many different types of caterpillars we can make. I bet you have a few egg cartons left over from Easter. Why not cut them so you have a straight section of 4-6 egg cups and then decorate them? You can use paints, markers, or crayons to create a very colorful caterpillar. Add some googly eyes, pipe cleaner antennae and any other embellishment you may have and I bet there would be some really wild caterpillars out there! I wonder what type of butterflies would emerge from those cocoons?! Want to use something else? Why not try some big pompoms for the body? You could glue them together, or sew them instead to create a caterpillar that would be moveable. Check out all the other fun ideas to create caterpillars at the end of this article. There are so many things you can use that would recycle egg cartons, paper tubes, scrap paper and have fun in the process.

Bumblebees are so much fun to watch as they start to get busy establishing their new homes in this season. How about keeping your kids busy as a bee crafting some to add to your garden? You could make some plant pokes to help identify those seeds you planted, or to embellish your indoor plants that should be heading into a growth spurt (probably like your kids!). One way to do this would be to use some craft foam cut out to resemble a bee and simply glue it onto a stick. Another would be to get very energetic and use a modeling clay that you could then put onto a stick. Don’t want plant pokes, but like the idea of seeing some bees hanging around? Check out this one that is crafted from a tennis ball-it’s cute as a bug (excuse the pun). You can find the instructions at http://www.highlightskids.com/Express/Crafts/Toys/C0598_bumblebee.asp. Also, check out the adorable bee mobile at the Crafts for Kids site that I have added at the end of this article.

Most kids aren’t afraid of ladybugs and they can be so much fun to craft. One way to make a ladybug, or any type of bug, would be to make a cast from plaster of paris. You would use a plastic spoon and pour some plaster into the bowl of the spoon. Let this harden and pop it out. If you want, as it hardens, you could add the legs. Once dry, paint it in any manner you like. You could also use those egg cartons again. Simply use one section and paint it like a lady bug. Other types of materials to use would be paper plates, paper bags and some pebbles or rocks you may have found while turning under your garden or decorating your clay pots. Simply let your imagination go when creating these cute insects.

I hope this gives you some ideas to get started crafting some insects. Stop by the forum to let us know how your crafts came out, or some really cute ideas you have tried. I love reading about some of the things that you have done.