Rainy Day Craft: Caterpillar Caddy

I’d like to dedicate this post to crafty folks and toilet paper tubes everywhere!  I admire people who can take ordinary objects, especially ones not being used, and turn them into fun projects that occupy children for minutes or hours.

I’ve never considered myself to be artistic except for forming words and ideas.  I cannot wrap a gift well.  In fact after I shop for holiday toys, I have my husband do the wrapping for the presents.

I cannot draw beautifully.  I am not very good at putting stylish clothing together.  I can barely fix my own hair.  I pay a seamstress to sew a button back on a shirt or pair of pants because I never learned how to do it.

What I can do, however, is be resourceful!  I am great at coming up with ideas and fun things to do – whether it’s a game or an adventure.  Although I’m not the best at artwork, a rainy day stuck inside at home encourages me to tap into the tiny bit of craftiness I possess.

I referred to my daughter’s Highlights magazine craft page for inspiration!

I loved receiving those publications in the mail as a kid; therefore I passed on that love to my oldest daughter with the help of grandparents purchasing her a subscription.   We love to read the poems, stories and choose an easy craft from each issue.

Yesterday we made the Caterpillar Caddy from the May 2014 issue.

We had all the tools around the house:
-an empty coffee can, (or a small paint can or other can lying around the house)
– toilet paper (or paper towel) tubes,
– construction paper,
– markers or crayons,
– scissors,
– glue (and adhesive spray, optional),
and various other art supplies (stickers, fuzzy balls, etc.)

We made up our own directions to put the caterpillar together.  First, I helped her cut out the construction paper she wanted – pink of course.  She glued it around the can.  Then she decorated it.  My daughter also placed construction paper around the toilet tissue tubes.  I used glue and adhesive spray to help keep them all together.  After waiting for it to dry, my daughter decorated it further with markers, stickers, fuzzy balls and more.

If she keeps the lid off the can (face of the caterpillar), then she can hold a few art supplies or miscellaneous objects inside.  Or she can just  place the craft in her toy room and let it collect dust until I throw it away months from now, hahaha!   Either way, it was fun and didn’t take any money or much effort to create!

My other daughter, almost age two, sat there and played with the stickers and fuzzy balls for an hour after my six year old was done making the craft.  She laughed and poured the objects from a small bowl into a larger bowl.  She loved feeling the objects or peeling off the stickers.

You never know what crafty abilities you may have or enjoy until you try them out!  Let your kids explore with them and worry about the mess later!

I would call our rainy day caterpillar craft a success.  Next time it rains or we run out of other things to do around the house, we’ll tap into our artistic selves once again!