Egg Carton Caterpillar
with
Lea Elleseff
Looking for a rainy day activity that your kids will really enjoy? Grab an old egg carton, some craft supplies, and alfalfa seeds, and make a cute caterpillar.
Transcript: Egg Carton Caterpillar
Hi, thank you for joining me at About.com. My name is Lea Elleseff, and today I'm going to show you how to make an egg carton caterpillar with sprouting alfalfa hair.This is a one-of-a-kind craft that kids are sure to love, and in fact most adults think it's quite charming, too.
Egg Carton Caterpillar Supplies
So let's begin. Here's what we'll need:- an egg carton
- six eggs
- a spoon
- a small nail or pin
- paint and brushes
- two matches
- tape
- cotton balls
- scissors
- alfalfa seeds
Prepare the Eggs and Egg Carton
Begin by cutting the lid off of the egg carton, as we will not be using it. Then cut the bottom vertically; we will only be using one of these sides.Place the eggs in the egg carton like this, and tap lightly on the backs with the back of a spoon. Use your fingers to poke through and take out the tops of the eggs.
Now dump the eggs out into a separate bowl to be used as a cake later. Then continue removing the shell pieces until only three-fourths of the egg is left.
Poke Holes in the Eggs
Rinse the egg shells in a bowl of water. Then place five of them like this into the carton. Poke a hole through the tops of each with a tiny nail using the back of the spoon as a tiny hammer. This hole is for drainage.Paint the Egg Carton and Egg Shells
Now the fun begins! Paint your egg carton and your five egg shells in the fashion of a caterpillar body. You might want to study what a caterpillar looks like first to get inspiration.Now let's start with the head. For it, we will be using the last egg without the hole in it. We will be placing two matchsticks on top of the head to be used as antennae.
Then paint the egg to look like a caterpillar's head. Let everything dry for five to 10 minutes.
Plant the Alfalfa Seeds in the Egg Shells
Then soak ten cotton balls in a bowl of water. And gently place two cotton balls in each egg shell and sprinkle a fourth of a teaspoon of alfalfa seeds into each shell.Now place the caterpillar on a sunny windowsill. You can even name it. I have named mine Fredrick. And all that is left to do is watch it grow.
It may take three to four days, but I really recommend just sitting still. Wow, that was a fun three or four days. I hope you try this at home, too.
Thank you for joining me. To learn more, visit us on the Web at parenting.about.com.