Crafting with natural materials
Paper plates with the middle cut out make a perfect base for a wreath. And they’re cheap & easy if you’re working with a whole class of young kids. Head outside so the kids can collect some natural materials. I’ve glued on gum leaves, gum blossom and gumnuts to give it a very Aussie touch, but just use whatever plants are available. A very simple yet effective nature craft activity!
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.
Here’s a simple angel decoration to get your Christmas creativity started.
I’ve used a large gumnut for the body, with an acorn and cap for the head. Bow tie pasta is the perfect size and shape for wings.
Use a low-melt glue gun to glue it all together, and add a dash of gold paint for some sparkle! Glue a loop of thread on the back if you’d like to hang it. Voila!
“Gumnut Babies” originated in the creative mind of iconic English-Australian author & illustrator May Gibbs. “Snugglepot and Cuddlepie” are her most famous characters.
These are my version, made using large gumnuts for the bodies, sheoak pods for the heads, and fresh gum blossom for the hats. The little one on the left has a gumnut cap with wattle glued around it.
I’ve added little plastic eyes, and put them together using a handy dandy low melt glue gun. Easy!