Make a cool Dinosaur!

To make this very cool dinosaur, you first have to go on a hunt outside for materials. (This is just as much fun as the making!)

Find a large pinecone to use for the body.

pinecone

And a bunch of Jacaranda pods.  Jacarandas are commonly found in many cities, and their weird, woody pods are great for crafting!

dried-jacaranda-seed-pod

Find a couple of acorns and acorn caps to use as eyes.

acorn-caps

And a stick for the tail.  The legs can be made using acorns, small gumnuts, or small sticks – whatever you can find.

Make your dinosaur

Use a low-melt glue gun to attach the pieces together.  (Don’t touch the hot glue!)  Glue two acorns into their caps and stick them onto a Jacaranda pod head.

Attach the head to the pinecone body, then break some of the Jacaranda pods in half and attach them along the body.  Glue on the stick as a tail and attach four legs.

Take it outside and listen to it ROAR!!!  Maybe it needs you to make it a friend?!

kids-nature-craft-cool-pinecone-dinosaur

(This dinosaur sneaks onto page 2 of my book Nature Crafts with Common Plants)

Nature Craft Christmas Reindeer

Making a Christmas reindeer out of seedpods and sticks is really fun and easy.  This little one has a large gumnut (Eucalypt seedpod) for it’s body, and a sheoak pod for it’s head. Small sticks make perfect legs and antlers, and it’s all glued together with a low-melt glue gun.  Small plastic eyes and a gumnut cap nose, painted red, finishes this little nature craft Rudolf off!

Seedpod Critters

Seedpod Critters

This gorgeous echidna was made by a 9 year old boy named Charlie.  It’s body is a beautiful big dried banksia flower.  I met Charlie and lots of other lovely kids and families at my local Australian Plants Society sale in Adelaide over the weekend.  We had loads of native seedpods to choose from, and it was fabulous to see so many children (and some adults!) completely engaged with creating their own unique seedpod critters using their imaginations and a trusty low-melt glue gun! Head outside, collect some bits and pieces and have a go yourself!

Here are some other creations:

kids-nature-craft-spider
Spider
kids-nature-craft-chicken
Chicken
kids-nature-craft-critter
Not sure what this is!

 

 

Seedpod Reindeer

Here’s another easy Christmas nature craft which kids love.  Collect some large gumnuts for the body and sheoak pods to make the head for your seedpod reindeer.  Small twigs can be used for the antlers and legs.  Glue them together with a low-melt glue gun to form a little reindeer.  Add plastic eyes and a Coral Gum cap for the nose, which can be painted red to turn it into Rudolph.