As Easter quickly approaches, you might find yourself scrambling for ideas of how to keep the family entertained. Luckily for you, we’ve got some budget-friendly ideas for egg-citing Easter crafts that are eco-friendly, sustainable and – of course – fun for everybody. From Easter bunny headbands to sea creatures made from household items, our list of crafty inspirations is sure to put a hop in your step this Easter.
Not only are we giving you simple and easy step-by-step instructions to follow, but we’re also here to show you that crafts don’t need to cost anything or waste materials. In fact, each of our six crafts can be done using things found around the house. So, without further ado, let’s get cracking!
Fun easter crafts for kids
1. Create a DIY easter bunny headband
Are you all ears for this craft idea? Great – here’s what you’ll need and how to hop through the steps and create a DIY Easter bunny headband of your own!
What you’ll need:
- Recyclable paper (the more colourful, the better!)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Coloured markers/paints (optional)
Step 1: Take a ruler and mark a white piece of A4 paper 5cm from the top and bottom edges. Cut lengthways to create a long paper strip. Then, place this strip around your head and mark where it’ll need to be glued later to make sure the headband fits perfectly. Tip: Have a friend or parent help with this bit!
Step 2: Next, you’ll be creating the bunny ears.For each bunny ear, you’ll need to draw two lines that curve towards each other to form a point at the top and leave a straight edge at the bottom. Draw two large versions of this on the leftover white paper and two smaller ears on a sheet of pink paper. These will be the inner and outer sections of the ears. Carefully cut these out with your scissors.
Step 3: Apply glue to each pink ear and stick it to the larger white ear, making sure to keep the points at the top. Allow this to dry before adding a small strip of glue to the straight part at the bottom of the ears and sticking this to the headband strip so that the ears poke out at the top.
Step 4: Now it’s time to decorate your headband!For this part, you can get as creative as you’d like.Draw a pattern, paint on a few flowers, or use extra paper to create 3D bunny features – it’s totally up to you!
Step 5: When you’re happy with your decorations, the only thing left to do is glue your headband together, making sure to use the guidance mark created in step 1. Pop it on your head and wear it proudly!
2. How to make an Easter basket
Who doesn’t love a budget and eco-friendly activity? Here, we’ll show you a simple and easy method for making this staple Easter craft with materials and tools you’re likely to already have at home.
What you’ll need:
- Recyclable paper
- Cardboard box
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Tissue paper
- Ribbon (optional)
Step 1: Take your cardboard box and carefully cut off the top half. Be sure to leave two strips measuring around 5cm in width on opposite sides of the box – these will later form the basket’s handle.
Step 2: Apply glue to both ends of the strips and stick these together to create a strong handle for the basket.
Step 3: Choose any coloured paper and begin sticking it to the outside of the box. It’s best to work with smaller sections of paper to make sure you cover the outside of the box well. Don’t forget to stick your colourful paper over the handle, too!
Step 4: Now it’s time to make the grass that will line the inside of your basket. To do this, carefully cut two pieces of green paper in half lengthways. Stack the four pieces of paper on top of each other and start cutting zig-zag patterns across one length of all four pieces of paper. Once you’ve done this, you can stick the pieces of paper to the inside edge of the basket, making sure the grass is poking over the top.
Step 5: Finish off by tying your ribbon in a bow on each side of the handle and adding some tissue paper inside. Your basket is now ready to hold whatever you want – whether it’s Easter eggs or your other Easter crafts!
3. Use a sock to create a cute bunny
What’s the point in buying Easter decorations when you can just make your own? These DIY sock bunnies are a brilliant eco-friendly way to bring a touch of Easter magic to any home. Let’s hop to it!
What you’ll need:
- Old socks
- Uncooked rice (approx. 250 grams per bunny)
- Rubber bands
- A black marker pen
- Ribbon (optional)
- Scissors
- Ruler
Step 1: First, take an old sock and place it over a tall glass. This will make it much easier to pour in the rice, which can be done using a jug. Once the sock is filled with rice, remove it from the glass and tie a rubber band over the sock to stop any rice from leaking out.
Step 2: To make the head and body shape, tie another rubber band in the middle of the rice-filled section. The head should have slightly less rice than the body section. Use another rubber band to create a small, round tail coming off the bottom of the bunny’s body.
Step 3: Cut any extra sock material above the rubber band making sure to leave 3-5cm of material for the ears. If you’d prefer to have floppy ears, leave it slightly longer.
Step 4: Then, cut the top portion down the middle. Taking a marker, draw a triangle shape with the point at the top on each of the pieces of material. You can then cut out the triangle shape to create the bunny ears.
Step 5: Finally, draw two dots for the eyes and an ‘x’ for the nose. This will bring your bunny to life! For an extra finishing touch, tie a piece of ribbon in a bow around the bunny’s neck.
Create sea creatures with household items
There’s no reason why your family arts and crafts should be limited to traditional things like bunnies and baskets. You can also get creative with household items and make some of your favourite sea creatures! Below are three of our craft suggestions if you’re looking to make something a little different this Easter.
1. Paper plate sea creatures
Fancy learning how to transform a simple paper plate into sea creatures like sharks and jellyfish with the help of a few supplies found around the house? We’ve got the perfect step-by-step tutorial for you to follow below!
While you’re getting stuck into this craft, you could even take the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating sea creatures that exist in the world. We’ve chosen to make a paper plate shark and jellyfish, but you can always use this as a guide for other sea animals like turtles, fish or crabs.
Here at Bristol Aquarium, we love sharing our knowledge of sea creatures. For example, did you know that all sharks have fixed fins, bendy bones, multiple unprotected gills and sharp skin made from thousands of tiny teeth? Well, now you do! Jellyfish are just as interesting, and if you’d like to learn more it’s worth checking out our list of 10 interesting jellyfish facts. One of our favourite jellyfish facts is that one species can reverse its ageing process, rightfully earning the name ‘the immortal jellyfish’!
If you’d like to come along and meet the sharks and the many other sea creatures at Bristol Aquarium, simply book your tickets online.
2. Use pipe cleaners to make a starfish!
Pipe cleaners are great for crafts because they can be bent and twisted to create lots of different shapes. Ready to find out how you can turn these household cleaning tools into a cute starfish? Let’s get started!
What you’ll need:
- Pipe cleaners
- Paints
- Scissors
- Googley eyes
Step 1: Start by dipping your pipe cleaner in a paint colour of your choice. We recommend pink, but you can choose any colour. If you already have coloured pipe cleaners, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Bend a pipe cleaner in a zig-zag formation with 5 points. Join the two edges by twisting them together.
Step 3: Stick two small googley eyes next to each other on one side of the shape, and that’s it!
3. Sea creature-themed egg
Painted eggs are a popular easter craft, but we’re here to put a twist on the tradition with our sea-creature-themed inspiration!
For this craft, all you’ll need is an egg (hard-boiled, of course), a few different coloured paints, paintbrushes and some glitter. If you’d like to make your sea creature 3D, you can also cut out pieces of paper and glue these on.
This craft can really let your individuality shine. Choose your favourite sea creature, whether it’s a shark or a sea turtle, and let your imagination run wild to bring it to life on your egg. Think of the egg as the head and the body of the sea creature and paint on the main features. For fish, this would be their colourful patterns, scales and fins. For a turtle, this would mean painting a shell.
If you held onto the egg box, you could even paint this to create an ocean scene. Start by painting it blue, and once this has dried, you can draw or paint small fish, coral, or seaweed to give your creations an ‘under the sea’ vibe when the eggs are back in the box.
We hope you enjoy some of our exciting Easter-themed arts and crafts suggestions. For more family fun, why not visit us at Bristol Aquarium? We have plenty of talks, feeds and events running throughout Easter alongside our extraordinary sea creature exhibits to keep all ages entertained! Book your tickets today, or visit our website to learn more.