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Normally one doesn’t associate the name “litter bug” as being something cute. However, that’s the case with this Earth Day craft. Making litter bugs out of recycling is an easy thing even your child can do.

Most people think of “litter bugs” as people who carelessly throw their garbage on the ground instead of putting it in a garbage can. This habit is not only bothersome, but it also isn’t good for the environment. It makes the areas that have been littered look bad as well.

Instead of associating the term litter bug in a negative way, why not let your children make a litter bug out of recycled materials for Earth Day? It’s an easy craft to make and can be given to people who may be free with their litter. Perhaps they’ll get the hint that littering is wrong and change their own litter bug ways.

Here’s what your child needs to make their own litter bug for Earth Day:

* Paper egg carton
* Yarn
* Google eyes
* Bottle caps
* Tacky craft glue
* Newspapers

An adult may need to cut the paper egg carton in segments. Give your child one segment at a time so they can complete one litter bug before beginning a second or third.

1. Turn the egg carton segment upside down so the bottom is facing up. This will be the litter bug’s body.
2. Use recyclable items from around your home to decorate the bug. If you don’t have google eyes, why not use small caps from squeeze dish soap bottles?
3. Several twigs can be used for legs. Poke a hold in the carton to push the twigs through.
4. Use yarn pieces for hair.
5. A bottle cap can be glued on for a hat.

Another way for your child to create a litter bug for Earth Day is to use crumpled up newspapers as the base, or body, of the bug. Glue the various items you’ve found lying around your house onto the body. Give it hair, a bottle top cap, and eyes.

Let your child make several litter bugs this Earth Day. You don’t have to make them wait until Earth Day to try this craft. In fact, if you wanted, you could create a recyclable box for your child to keep items in for crafts. By doing this, not only will you encourage their creativity and fine motor development, you’ll also encourage them to recycle items rather than tossing them in the garbage.

If they learn to recycle now, even if it is merely for making Earth Day crafts like the litter bug made with recycled items, this may encourage them to continue reusing and recycling items in the future. That would be good not only for them, but also for the environment.

Children want to be a part of Earth Day and there are many ways that you can encourage that desire. One way is to provide them with the materials to make an Earth Day craft. Tin can herb pots are a great way to learn to recycle and learn about growing herbs.

What is a tin can herb pot, you might ask? It’s nothing more than a recycled tin can that has been washed out, decorated, and has herb seeds planted in it. There’s nothing difficult about the craft, but an adult may want to ensure the edges of the can aren’t sharp so that little ones don’t get hurt.

You may want plan ahead for this craft. Find one of the newer can openers that don’t leave sharp edges when used. These can be found at nearly any discount store for a couple of dollars. You might actually find that you prefer this type of can opener over the older type.

Why not make a number of these tin can herb pots? You can make one for any herb you might use in your kitchen. Chives, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil are good choices. They can be grown from seeds or you can buy plants for the craft, depending upon the amount of patience your little crafter has.

1. Save a number of aluminum cans of different sizes. If you didn’t use the newer can opener, you may need to sand off any rough edges to stop crafters from being cut.

2. Completely wash out the can with soap and water and then let it dry. Turn up the can upside down and punch some holes in the bottom of the can to allow for drainage.

3. Let your child decorate the outside of the can by using an acrylic base coat. They can then paint any design they like on the can. Be sure that any paints you use are safe for children. Next, the outside of the can should be sprayed with an acrylic sealer so the paint won’t come off.

4. Place rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the can and then add potting soil until the can is filled two-thirds of the way up the can.

5. Transplant a potted herb into the can and fill the rest of the can with potting soil. Gently pat the plant into the dirt, but don’t press too firmly. You want the plant to have some room for water to seep through. Place the can on a plate to catch any extra water.

6. If you’ve opted for seeds, fill the can nearly full with potting soil. Place a couple of seeds in the soil and then cover it with a thin layer of soil. Be sure to keep the soil damp, but not soaked.

One four-inch potted plant will probably make at least two, if not three, herb pots. Remind your little ones to take care of their plants. If you have more than you need, why not give them to a loved one this Earth Day? They’re sure to enjoy fresh herbs when the time comes to cook.

You’ve seen them. As Easter nears, there are expensive pre-made Easter baskets everywhere. They’re filled with cheap toys and candy. If spending that much money isn’t for you, why not try this Easter craft? Make and decorate your own Easter baskets for your children.

The great thing about home-made Easter baskets, besides the cost, is that you can make personalized baskets for each child in your family. Not only can you make and decorate your own Easter baskets, you can also include items that you know your child will enjoy, even if they aren’t associated with the holiday.

Perhaps you’ve found a great empty basket that can be used for Easter during the year. You may even have found several at the end of the season sale at a store nearby. Or you could have found a used basket that someone let go at a yard sale. If the color doesn’t suit you, don’t be afraid to paint them to ensure you have a basket in your child’s favorite color.

Don’t limit yourself to just using the wicker baskets that are traditionally used. You want the “basket” to be unique just like the recipient. Use any container you can find, whether it’s a spaghetti pot, colander, fruit basket, or small milk crate. Your imagination and your knowledge of who the basket is intended for will make choosing a basket or container easier.

Partially fill the basket with grass. Of course, you can purchase the plastic-type grass, but you may want to opt for something that looks more natural. Green crepe paper that has been run through a shredder would be a good option. If you’ve saved the grass from previous years, that would be good to use, too, so you’re also recycling.

Add Easter candy, toys, small books, crayons, cars, stickers, or anything else that will fit in the basket that you know your child will enjoy. Remember not to overfill the basket. You want to have room for a stuffed animal. Bunnies, ducks, or baby chicks are common animals to find in Easter baskets.

Use your imagination when deciding what to include in your child’s basket. Think of your child and what they like. If your child isn’t into stuffed animals, why not situate their favorite doll or action figure in the basket instead?

Wrap the completed basket with colored cellophane and tie it up with a big ribbon. This will keep the dust out of the basket, and make it more of a production for them to open it on Easter morning.

Easter is a great day to shower your children with love. A home-made Easter basket will do more to let them know that you love them than a store-bought one, and you’ll save money on it to boot.

You may be looking for fun decorations to embellish Easter cards or to decorate your home. Why not try making felt Easter decorations? Your children can also help with these decorations that you’ll want to use over and over again.

Felt sheets can be purchased from nearly every discount and craft store. Your children can have fun making felt Easter decorations for their own room or to decorate common areas of your home. Some Easter decorations made with felt can also be used outside.

Door sign

Create a felt door sign with a decidedly Easter design to it.  Allow your children to take several sheets of felt in various colors - pastels would work best. Choose some craft or Popsicle sticks as a base and then cut some felt to fit over it.

Have them glue the felt onto the craft sticks. They can then decorate their door sign with additional felt pieces cut in the shape of bunnies, chicks, flowers, or the cross. They can write their name on the felt with permanent marker or fabric paint. Be sure they include ribbon or some way to hang their sign once it is completed.

Sleeping bunny

Why not create a small bunny with leftover felt pieces? After filling the plastic eggs for the Easter egg hunt, you most likely have a few egg halves that you can’t match. This is a perfect way to recycle those unmatched halves.

Glue an egg shell half onto a piece of painted wood. Then put glue in the egg and place one large white pompom inside the egg shell. Glue another white pompom on top of that one. Glue two medium pompoms to the side of the upper pompom for the cheeks. Then cut two white felt ears and glue them onto the top of the head. Glue two mini pompoms between the cheeks.  Make two sleepy eyes out of black felt cut in the shape of crescents. Glue them on and it will look like you have a sleepy bunny coming out of an Easter egg.

Easter flag

Since you can buy felt in large pieces off the bolt, why not get a larger piece and make a “Welcome Easter” flag that you can hang from your door? Buy a piece of sunny yellow, pastel blue or pink. Cut the letters for the flag, as well as Easter type motifs from corresponding colors. Use craft glue to stick the words and pictures on. Hang it from your door and welcome this special holiday.

Felt is a great material to work with for Easter crafts. You can have fun with felt Easter decorations that you can use for years to come. Don’t forget to have your children join in the fun of making these festive Easter decorations for your home.

Chocolate candy and plastic colored Easter eggs are common in Easter baskets. Some people may also try their hand at decorating eggs, real ones, when they have been dyed. Why not take decorating eggs a little further by adding non-traditional embellishments?

Each year hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of colored plastic eggs are sold to fill Easter baskets or for children to find during Easter egg hunts. Those aren’t always appropriate to use when decorating your home, however. You may want to create some Easter eggs that can be reused each year for decorations.

One way to create reusable eggs is to blow out chicken eggs. How do you do that? Start by washing the egg and drying it.  Poke a small hole in both ends of a raw egg. Poke a bamboo skewer into the egg to break the  yoke. Hold the egg over a bowl and gently blow on one end until the contents are emptied into the bowl. Allow the eggs to dry and then you can use one of these four ideas for decorating them.

Beaded eggs

These eggs can be created using blown-out eggs. You’ll also need a glue gun, glue, and strings of beads. Hot glue a string of beads at one end of the egg, then carefully wrap and glue the beads as you go. When you reach the top, you may want to use ribbon and silk flowers if you intend to hang them.

Chick and egg

What do you do if you crack an egg while you’re blowing it out? Make a chick and egg, of course!  You can dye the entire shell and then place a small toy chick into the egg. Your family or guests won’t be expecting to see a chick peeking out of the decorations.

Bumpy egg

Before you dye your eggs, try this decoration for an easy, yet different look.  Put glue dots all over the egg using a hot glue gun. Try to keep the size of the dots the same, but don’t worry too much if they’re uneven. Then dye the eggs as you normally would and let them dry.

Batik eggs

This idea is similar to the fabric decorations of India. Use a paraffin wax crayon to create a design on the egg. Dip it into the lightest colored dye and then allow it to dry. Draw another design and dip the egg into a darker dye. You can also use masking tape to mask off any area you don’t want to be colored.

There are many other ways you can enjoy the Easter craft of decorating eggs. Think outside of the box or the carton. The depth of your imagination will determine the look of the eggs you create. Remember to have fun as you create your reusable Easter egg decorations.