nature craft

CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, SUMMER
DIY Pressed Flower Butterfly Wings for Kids
- July 6, 2021
If your kids are anything like mine, they probably love playing dress-up and pretend. Kids have the most amazing imaginations! We love finding ways to make fun costumes, accessories, and dress-up items from things we already have at home or can find in nature. Today, Megan Rigdon, Maryland photographer and mom of three is here to show us exactly how to make beautiful DIY pressed-flower butterfly wings for kids.

DIY butterfly wings

These DIY butterfly wings are not only beautiful and colorful, but they’re really easy to make, with just a few things. They combine two of my favorite things: spending time outside with my kids and making nature crafts together. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY pressed-flower butterfly wings with your kids.

Butterfly wing supplies:
- Flowers
- Microwave
- Contact paper
- Scissors
- Tree bark (or driftwood)
- Hot glue
- Pipe cleaners
- Elastic
How to make DIY butterfly wings for kids

Butterfly wing instructions:
1. Gather your flowers. Because we’re all about getting kids outside, we highly recommend you send the kids outside and pick your own flowers. However, we know that might not always be possible. The great thing about these butterfly wings is that they can be made with any flowers, whether that’s wildflowers picked from a meadow or a bouquet of colorful flowers from the grocery store.
2. Place your fresh flowers between two paper towels with something heavy (and microwave safe on top) as a weight. Microwave the flowers for 1-3 minutes. This helps remove all the moisture from the flowers, but keeps their bright vibrant color. If you don’t have a microwave, you can press the flowers between the pages of a heavy book.
3. Draw/outline butterfly wings on the contact paper. Cut out 2 sets of wings.
4. Remove the backing from one sheet of the contact paper and arrange the dried flowers on the sticky side of the paper.
5. Remove the backing from the second sheet of contact paper and place it sticky side down directly on top of the first paper/set of butterfly wings. The paper will be stuck together with the flowers in the middle.
6. Use your hot glue gun to glue tree bark (or a piece of driftwood) to the middle of the wings to serve as an anchor.
7. Hot glue elastic bands (for arm bands) onto the other side of the butterfly wings/wood center.
8. Optional: Add pipe cleaners around edges for extra stability.
9. Wear your gorgeous DIY butterfly wings and enjoy!
DIY pressed flower butterfly wings tutorial

About the author

Megan Rigdon is a mother to three energetic children and lives on their family farm in Harford County Maryland. She is a lifestyle family photographer and a lover of joyful and colorful images. Megan has a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught kindergarten prior to having her own family. They spend as much time as possible exploring the farm and going on adventures together! Raising chickens, fishing, gardening, and crafting are just a few of her favorite things that she enjoys doing with her family.

You can find more from Megan in the following locations:
Instagram: @meganrigdonphotography
Website: http://www.meganrigdonphotography.com
RWMC Posts: Blueberry Picking with Kids, Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt, Pumpkin Fairy Garden
CRAFTS, GARDENING, GIFT GUIDE, GOOD FOR NATURE, HOLIDAYS
DIY Eco-friendly Plantable Seed Paper Valentines
- February 6, 2020
February is the month of love! We not only want to encourage you to spread love to friends and family, but to make sure you’re also loving on your planet. As Valentine’s Day approaches, parents are faced with trying to figure out what to send to class with the kids. We know plastic trinkets, individually wrapped candies, and pre-printed cards are fun and easy. But those things aren’t always great for the environment. This year we hope you’ll consider some eco-friendly alternatives. Today, we have the amazing Chelsea, professional photographer and eco-conscious mom of 2, sharing a simple project for turning recyclable paper into adorable Valentines that are good for the birds and bees! Chelsea walks us through how to make DIY wildflower plantable seed paper Valentines that are fun and easy for kids to make from materials you already have at home.

Making a change

Each year I try to make a few changes in our lives that allow us to leave a smaller footprint on Earth. As I was thinking about what to do for this year’s valentines for my kids’ classmates, I realized this was another area we could make improvements. It seems like every year my kids bring home more and more stuff from their class holiday parties. Little plastic trinkets, individually wrapped candies, plastic baggies stuffed to the brim with junk that eventually ends up in the trash.

And let me be honest, my kids absolutely LOVE IT. They love receiving all those fun treats and they love giving them out as well. But this year I can’t do it. I can’t add to the growing problem. So, I decided to find an alternative that would more closely match our values.

DIY plantable seed paper Valentines

Instead of buying something that would be thrown away, we decided to make something. These DIY plantable seed paper valentines made from recycled paper are a perfect alternative to the usual store-bought valentine items! They check all of the boxes when it comes to a Valentine that aligns with our values. They’re handmade, which allows for me to spend extra time with the kids. They’re made from recycled materials, giving a new life to things that would otherwise be thrown away. And they’re plantable, which means our little Valentines will keep on giving long after we’ve gifted them!

Not only will these homemade Valentines provide beauty when they’re grown, but they’re extra good for the environment. We deliberately chose a wildflower pack that’s specifically made for birds and butterflies! Win-win for everyone! We had so much fun creating these eco-friendly seed paper valentines and hope you will too. They’re super simple to make and absolutely adorable!

Plantable seed paper materials

The great thing about these Valentines is that you don’t really need anything special to make them! Other than the wildflower seeds, you probably already have all the materials necessary to make your own plantable seed paper at home right now. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
- Paper scraps
- Food dye (optional)
- Wildflower seeds
- Water
- Large bowl
- Blender or food processor
- Grease splatter screen (or screen material)
- Towels
- Cookie sheet
- Pencil
- Scissors
How to make plantable seed paper

I was pleasantly surprised just how fun and easy it is to make your own DIY plantable wildflower seed paper. It didn’t take us long at all and we were so happy with the way it turned out. The paper is also so versatile and can be used for any variety of holidays, gifts or projects. Tuning the plantable paper into Valentines was so much fun and we truly loved the way they turned out.

Step 1: Gather paper and rip

The first step is to gather scrap paper and let the children rip up the paper into small pieces. I highly recommend using paper that has been used and that you’d normally recycle, as opposed to new clean paper. You can really use any kind of paper, from printer paper to construction paper. You can use junk mail, papers from the kids’ schoolwork that you aren’t keeping, flyers, old coloring book pages or even newspapers.

We used a stack of papers that would be normally tossed into the recycling bin. We also used one piece of red construction paper, just for some added color. You can use any colored paper depending on the color you want your seed paper to be, or just leave it out altogether.

Step 2: Soak the paper

Next, place the ripped pieces of paper into a bowl of water. Let the paper bits sit in the water for 10-15 minutes to allow the paper to fully soak and saturate.

Step 3: Puree to a pulp

Once the recycled paper is soaked, place the pulpy mixture into a blender or food processor. If you want create colored paper, now is the time to add a few drops of food coloring to the mix. We used two drops of red dye for ours. Put it all in the blender and liquefy it! This step should definitely be supervised by an adult!

*Please note: the blending can be hard on appliances so you’ll want to use a high-quality appliance. This may also dull your blades. Blend at your own risk*

Step 4: Add seeds and spread

Place a towel on a cookie sheet. Then place a splatter screen over towel. Once the paper mixture has been blended into a pulp, pour it back into the bowl. Then mix the wildflower seeds into the recycled paper pulp.

Have the children use a spoon or their hands to spread the pulp onto the screen. Using your hands or a spoon, spread the pulp as thinly and evenly as possible over the entire screen, pressing lightly to squeeze out any extra water. The towel beneath the screen will also help absorb the extra water that comes out of the paper.

Step 5: Let dry

Once the pulp has been evenly spread on the screens, leave it to dry. Drying time will vary depending on the thickness of the pulp and humidity. Our paper took several days to dry completely. Give it time! During the drying process, you’ll need to remove the wet towels under the paper and replace them with dry towels. Once the seed paper was stiff enough to handle without falling apart, I flipped it once to help with the drying time.

Step 6: Cut into shapes

When the plantable seed paper is completely dry and stiff, it’s ready to be made into Valentines! Use a cookie cutter as your template or even just a cutout shape of your choosing. We chose a heart (naturally!). Trace your shape onto the seed paper using a marker and then carefully cut them out. You may want to have the children do the tracing and have an adult do the cutting because the paper is quite fragile!

Step 7: Share the love!

Once you have your plantable seed paper cutout into the shape of your choice, that’s it! Your frugal, earth-friendly valentines are complete and ready to give to friends, neighbors and family members. Let them know that they just need to plant the paper in a sunny spot to grow a beautiful little patch of wildflowers that will brighten their days and help the birds and bees. You could even print off some cute cards with fun phrases on them to attach to the Valentines. Pinterest has some great free printables to use!

Plantable seed paper makes a great gift!

Plantable seed paper doesn’t only have to be for Valentine’s Day. You can make wildflower seed paper for so many occasions, using any kind of cutout shape, size or color. So it would be great for Earth Day, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion or holiday. These little cutouts make a great take-home favor for birthday parties and bridal/baby showers as well.

Do you make your own Valentines?
How do you make holidays more eco-friendly?

About the author

Hi there, I’m Chelsea! I’m a photographer, mother of two busy boys, and sunshine and fresh air addict. We live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can! We spend most of our time exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. Our family loves biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find us enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when we arrived.

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
RWMC posts: Chelsea Furlong
CRAFTS, FALL, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Nature Craft: DIY Moth Wings Tutorial
- September 23, 2019
Are you ready for the most gorgeous fall nature craft project? I’m so excited to share today’s post from our uber-talented Creative Team member Tiffany Griffin. Tiffany is here with an incredible DIY moth wings tutorial for kids. This project is simpler than you might expect and guaranteed to make any little kid’s imagination go wild! These gorgeous wings are the perfect addition to any outdoor adventure. They can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. While the subtle moth wings are a perfect project for fall, this DIY nature wing tutorial can also be changed and adapted for any season based on what’s available in your location.

* This project was inspired by the beautiful flower butterfly wings created by the amazing Johanna Bless of @blessnestlearning. Her full tutorial can be found at woodlarkblog.com.

Give your child wings

There’s something absolutely magical about creating something together with your child that helps foster and inspire their love for nature. If you’re anything like me, you probably love craft projects that get your kids outside and also give them the freedom to be masters of their own creation. It’s hard letting go of control of craft projects, especially when we have a pre-set idea of how the project should turn out.

However, oftentimes I’ve found that the more freedom and flexibility I give my children to create on their own, the more I’m dazzled by their imagination and impressed with their skills of observation. This project started off as an attempt to make butterfly wings, but took a turn in a different direction, inspired by a moth we found and studied one day. As you work through this project with your kids, I encourage you to give them the reigns and let them design wings of their own choosing.

Materials

For this tutorial, anything not found in nature can probably be found lying around your backyard and craft closet. If not – a local craft store should carry everything you need! Some materials are optional for an added touch of make-believe magic. Here are the items you will need for your DIY moth wings:
- gathered leaves/foilage
- dried flowers
- 2 large feathers
- scissors
- ribbon/cord/string/elastic for wings
- 1 roll of clear contact paper
- piece of foam/driftwood/bark/cardboard (something to secure the wings to – can use anything but try to make it lightweight)
- hot glue gun
- faux fur/felt/moss
- headband
- pen/permanent marker
- packing tape
DIY moth wings instructions

As I mentioned, these wings are easier to make than I expected. And they turned out to be so incredibly beautiful! My daughter absolutely loves them and is so proud to tell everyone she sees that she helped make them. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on just how we created these beautiful DIY moth wings for kids.

1. Get outside and gather

The first thing to do is get outside and gather your materials! We chose to use leaves in various colors (red, yellow, green and brown. Feel free to incorporate whatever you can find in your area, based on the time of year. Fall leaves work great for creating a moth-like wing, but feel free to incorporate bright colored wildflowers for a summer butterfly. We found that the best leaves were ones that were freshly dropped. They stuck to the contact paper best. Dried out crunchy leaves left no room for error if you have to readjust them on your contact paper! Gather quite a few leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors. Remember you need enough to cover two wings!

2. Contact paper setup & drawing

Unroll your contact paper (clear side up). Measure your child to determine how long to make the wings. I recommend sizing from your child’s neck to their knees. Once your desired length is achieved for your child, secure the paper with tape to the table. This will keep the contact paper from moving. Use a pen (or permanent marker) to draw out the shape of one wing starting from the left or right side of your contact paper. I recommend using a ballpoint pen so if you need to re-do your wing – you do not have to start over! The pen rubs right off! Once you’re satisfied with the shape of the wing, cut the shape out using the scissors.

3. Trace & repeat

Lay your cut wing on your contact paper facing the opposite direction (mirror) and trace your second wing. Cut out the wing shape with scissors.

4. Peel & secure

Remove the taped corners of the contact paper of both wings from the table and flip them over so that the wax side is up. Carefully, pull back the backing (waxy side) of the contact paper from both wings. Don’t throw away the backing yet! You’ll use that in a minute (see Step 6 below). Secure the corners of the wings to the table with tape. Now, your contact paper should be sticky side up and ready for adding leaves and flowers!

5. Add embellishments

Now is the fun part! Place your leaves and flowers on the contact paper inside the wing outline. Make sure to press them down as flat as possible! Have your kids choose patterns that mimic those they find on real butterflies and moths, or let them make-up their own. You can encourage kids to create mirror image wings or two totally separately decorated (and complimentary!) wings. Whatever you choose to do, allow their creativity to shine.

6. Trace the backing

Use the backing of the previously cut-out wings to trace another set of wings on the Contact paper. These wings will serve as the top layer to the wings with the embellishments on them. Cut them out and remove backing. Very carefully, place the wing directly on top of your newly decorated wing sealing in your leaves/flowers. Do this with both sides!

7. Prep your foam

If you’re using a foam piece for the center of the wings, consider covering it with some faux fur or moss or something natural-looking. We used a hot glue gun to secure a piece of faux fur to our foam to give it a natural look, like a moth. If you don’t have foam, you could also use a piece of driftwood or bark, a bundle of sticks or a piece of cardboard or wood.

8. Prep the wings

Using your hot glue gun, run a long line of hot glue down the center seam of each wing and secure to the centerpiece (of foam, wood or what-have-you). Glue each of the wings to the foam and hold securely in place until they cool. Allow them to dry. Next, cut out four 20 inch pieces of string/ribbon/elastic. Flip the (foam) base over and use your glue gun to secure 3-4 inches of string on to the back of the foam on each corner allowing the extra lenth to lay vertical while it dries. This will create two loops for your child’s arms.

9. Make the antennae

If you want to go above and beyond, you can create some really cool head antennae to go along with your wings. All you need to do is use the hot glue gun to glue two large feathers onto a headband to create awesome moth antennas! This gives your get-up a little something extra!

10. Take your wings for a test flight!

The last thing to do is tie your DIY moth wings on and watch your little one FLY! Seeing your child love and enjoy their hard work is by far the best part of any craft. Hopefully, this fun project will inspire lots of wonderful conversation and curiosity about our winged friends. Encourage your child to take flight, like the moth. Have them mimic butterfly behaviors and find their favorite foods. Allow their creativity to shine and nurture their love for nature along the way.

About the author

Tiffany is a homeschooling mama of three earthside children and one baby girl that travels among the stars. She is a vintage obsessed, wicker collecting, tree-loving photographer, creator, painter, writer and loves to document her children’s childhood and is passionate about sharing her take on motherhood, raising children outside of the “norm” and in nature.

You can find more from Tiffany online in the following locations:
@wild.things.grow
CRAFTS, GARDENING, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Make DIY Wildflower Seed Bombs with Kids
- April 15, 2019
One of our favorite outdoor crafts is to make DIY wildflower seed bombs. Not only are these DIY seed bombs easy enough for kids to make in under an hour, but they’re good for the birds, bees, and butterflies in your area. They only require a few ingredients and have the added benefit of letting kids get their hands really messy! Make these and let your kids “seedbomb” the neighborhood or give them as homemade eco-friendly gifts to teachers, neighbors, family, and friends. Everyone will love watching the seed bombs grow into a beautiful patch of colorful wildflowers.

Guerilla gardening with seed bombs

Did you know that “seed bombs” originated in New York City in the 1970s? People use to make these tiny “green grenades” of native herb, flower, and vegetable seeds and then “bomb” large vacant lots where it was illegal or impossible to plant. They called it guerilla gardening! It’s definitely caught on and now seed bombs are still the main weapon guerrilla gardeners use to grow flowers in bare spots, creating pockets of beauty and habitats for pollinators. Seed bombs enable seeds to be sown in hard-to-reach places and locations where the gardener is unable to adequately prepare the ground for traditional gardening.

Bomb responsibly

I’m sure you already know better, but make sure you bomb responsibly. Do not drop seed bombs on private property or in protected parks. Try to stick with spaces that have been neglected or local public areas that could use a bit of rewilding. You may want to check local ordinances before bombing around your town or neighborhood. Also, make sure that the seeds you use are local and native to your area. You wouldn’t want to introduce any new or invasive species of plants or flowers into your local ecosystem with these seedbombs.

Benefits of wildflowers

Growing a patch of colorful native wildflowers not only adds beauty and charm to your space, but they provide many benefits to the world around us. Wildflowers are native to the area where they grow, meaning they’re conditioned to thrive there. They require less water and fertilizer, are less prone to disease and are more tolerant to pests. They also provide critical habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects and wildlife, which is important for ecosystem function and pollination. Wildflowers can also improve soil health, prevent erosion, improve water quality, increase yields and enhance forage conditions for livestock. When choosing seeds to use in your seed bombs, make sure you use wildflowers that are local and native to the area they’ll be planted to avoid introducing invasive species.

Make your own seed bombs with kids

Wildflower seed bombs are surprisingly easy to make and so fun! They only require a few ingredients and about an hour to make. They are definitely messy though, so be prepared to have a tub of water or a hose somewhere close to rinse your hand. My kids loved this project and the sensory feeling of squishing the clay between their fingers. They also loved gifting their homemade seed bombs to our neighbors and friends. We can’t wait to see patches of wildflowers sprouting up around our area soon!

What you need to make seed bombs
- Air dry clay (we used this clay for the bombs pictured here, but we’ve also tried this one and it works just as well)
- Potting soil or compost
- Native/local wildflower seeds
- Water
How to make wildflower seed bombs

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

Mix together about 4 parts clay to 1 part potting soil. You don’t have to be exact, but you want more clay than soil so the bombs hold tightly together.

Add your wildflower seeds to the clay mixture (we also added some sunflower seeds). Be sure to only use seeds that are native to your area and not invasive. Native plants will grow better and support more wildlife than non-native species. Not all of the seeds will sprout, so it’s best to have an assortment of flower species and varieties.

Step 2: Add water

Add a little bit of water at a time and squish with your hands until everything is mixed and about the consistency of thick cookie dough. This is definitely a good job for the kids! Make sure not to use too much water or it gets gooey and runny. If you use too much water, add more soil.

Step 3: Roll into balls

Once everything is well mixed, roll the clay into balls about the size of a golf ball. Set them on a tray and let them dry completely until hardened. This may take a couple hours or a couple of days, depending on the humidity levels where you live.

Step 4: Bombs away

Once dry, package your seed bombs in small envelopes or bags to gift to friends, neighbors, teachers, or family members. They’d make great gifts for Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Teacher Appreciation, or just because.

A few extra tips for making seed bombs

We made these seed bombs on a pretty chilly day. This led to our clay being very hard to squish/mold initially and made our fingers very cold! We ended up using warm water in our mix, which helped tremendously. So, if your clay is really hard or cold, try warming your water for the mix.

If storing your seed bombs to gift or use at a later date, just be sure to keep them in a cool, dry, dark location to prevent them from germinating.

If you want to package them use as gifts, I found this cute printable label, which I printed on cardstock and attached with washi tape.

When to bomb

The best time to get out there and start slinging your wildflower bombs in the spring. Check your local weather and try to get them out just ahead of some rain and choose a sunny spot. That will give them the best chance of growing. If there’s no rain coming, maybe add some water. Plant your seed balls anywhere in need of some beauty and color. Hopefully, in a few weeks, you’ll have the beginning of a beautiful patch of your own native wildflowers!

Not interested in getting dirty?

If you’re not into getting your hands dirty, or perhaps you can’t get your hands on all of the ingredients you need, there’s another option! Seedbombs can also be purchased. Seedles makes a really cute and colorful option. Or you can purchase a large pack of 50 native wildflower seed bombs.

Have you ever made seed bombs?
CRAFTS, NATURE SCHOOL
Easy Bird Feeders to Make with Kids
- January 31, 2018
Making a bird feeder with kids is a great way to teach children about caring for nature, how to properly feed wild animals and how to identify local native birds. You can make a simple bird feeder out of all kinds of items. From pine cones to logs and from toilet paper rolls to orange rinds. Making a bird feeder is one of those projects that is easy enough for toddlers to do and still fun for school-aged children (and even grown-ups!). This is a great versatile craft that can be done with any age, any time of year, in any area. Today I’m sharing three easy-to-make bird feeders that anyone can make using ingredients and items found in your home.

Benefits of Feeding the Birds

Whether you live in the middle of the city or way out in the woods, you are surrounded by birds. Making a bird feeder to attract birds has benefits way beyond the most obvious one of enjoying the company of birds in your backyard. Feeding birds in your backyard also invites them to feast on the insects, worms, snails and spiders in your area. This can provide ideal organic pest control with little need for toxic insecticides or other harmful chemicals. Birds also assist with flower pollination, so adding a backyard bird feeder can result in more luxuriant, full flowerbeds and beautiful bird-friendly landscaping with less overall effort for gardening.

Feeding birds is a wonderful way to introduce your children to a wide variety of local wildlife. Watch your feeder with your kids and try to identify all the various species of birds that visit. While birds will naturally visit any backyard, adding bird feeders and different types of food will attract more and unique species: from cardinals to hummingbirds, robins to sparrows, chickadees to woodpeckers.Here are a couple ways kids can study the birds:
- Make a checklist of the birds you see or take photos of each bird.
- Identify them in a book or online.
- Draw pictures of them in a nature journal.
- Take notice of the different colors, songs and behaviors of each type of bird.
Apple Core Bird Feeders

Making a bird feeder from an apple couldn’t be easier and is a perfect project for little kids. Instead of throwing out apples that have bad spots in them or are past their ripeness level, use them to make bird feeder. All you need to do is cut your apple in half, use a spoon to scoop out the core and seeds and then stuff the hole with a mixture of bird seed and peanut butter. I hang them from tree branches in our backyard using twine.

Orange Peel Bird Feeders

Another super simple bird feeder can be made from using the peel of an orange. Instead of throwing out that peel after you eat an orange, use it as a bird feeder. Orange peels make great natural bowls, which you can fill with seeds, fruits or nuts. To hang, just poke four holes in the rind of an orange. Then thread twine through the holes to create a hanging basket. Hang from a branch or on a bush. Your kids can easily fill the bowls with birdseed. The great thing about these feeders is that they last a long time outside. They can be refilled over and over until they disintegrate. The birds and squirrels usually don’t eat the orange rinds like they do the apple cores.

Bundt Pan Bird Feeder Wreath

Out of the three different feeders in this post, this one is definitely the most involved and elaborate. This project is better suited for school-aged children that follow directions or those learning how to measure. Start by adding your largest items to the bottom of a Bundt pan. We used dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

In order to solidify the large ingredients, mix 1/2 cup of gelatin with 1/2 cup of warm water and pour over the large seeds and fruits. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups of birdseed with 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Spread the birdseed on top of the large seeds in the Bundt pan and press down firmly to compact. Refrigerate overnight to solidify.

Once the wreath is solid, remove from the Bundt pan and hang with twine. If your wreath isn’t sturdy enough to hang (our first one wasn’t), you can place it on a plate on a table/bench in your yard. Our birds didn’t seem to mind that they had to eat off the table, although it was much harder keeping the squirrels away!

Anyone else into feeding your neighborhood birds?

What are your favorite types of feeders?

nature craft

DIY butterfly wings

Butterfly wing supplies:

How to make DIY butterfly wings for kids

Butterfly wing instructions:

DIY pressed flower butterfly wings tutorial

About the author

Making a change

DIY plantable seed paper Valentines

Plantable seed paper materials

How to make plantable seed paper

Step 1: Gather paper and rip

Step 2: Soak the paper

Step 3: Puree to a pulp

Step 4: Add seeds and spread

Step 5: Let dry

Step 6: Cut into shapes

Step 7: Share the love!

Plantable seed paper makes a great gift!

Do you make your own Valentines? How do you make holidays more eco-friendly?

About the author

Give your child wings

Materials

DIY moth wings instructions

1. Get outside and gather

2. Contact paper setup & drawing

3. Trace & repeat

4. Peel & secure

5. Add embellishments

6. Trace the backing

7. Prep your foam

8. Prep the wings

9. Make the antennae

10. Take your wings for a test flight!

About the author

Guerilla gardening with seed bombs

Bomb responsibly

Benefits of wildflowers

Make your own seed bombs with kids

What you need to make seed bombs

How to make wildflower seed bombs

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

Step 2: Add water

Step 3: Roll into balls

Step 4: Bombs away

A few extra tips for making seed bombs

When to bomb

Not interested in getting dirty?

Have you ever made seed bombs?

Benefits of Feeding the Birds

Apple Core Bird Feeders

Orange Peel Bird Feeders

Bundt Pan Bird Feeder Wreath

Anyone else into feeding your neighborhood birds?

What are your favorite types of feeders?

runwild.mychild

Do you make your own Valentines?
How do you make holidays more eco-friendly?