5 Easy Nature-Inspired Summer Crafts for Kids

What is more inspiring than nature? From a graceful fluttering butterfly to a breathtaking sunset, nature’s beauty knows no end. Combining the inspiration found in nature with fun summer crafts for kids allows children to get hands-on with all kinds of materials found in nature, to create something they will enjoy.

No matter the season, there are always great crafting materials available outside, like pine cones, acorns, leaves and sticks to use in your next easy craft project. I am excited to share five nature-inspired kid’s craft projects that you can make with your children.

1. Colorful Flower Suncatcher

Flowers come in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes, so they make the perfect crafting material for easy nature-inspired crafts. Gather a variety of flowers to make a beautiful flower suncatcher. Cut the center out of a sturdy, colorful paper plate and press a piece of contact paper, sticky side up to the back of the entire paper plate, covering the open hole as well. Press flowers, petals and leaves all over the sticky contact paper. Lay the second piece of contact paper sticky side down, pressing firmly over the flowers to seal them into the suncatcher. Punch a small hole on the top edge of the paper plate, insert a piece of string through the hole, and then hang up the suncatcher in a window that gets plenty of sun coming through it.

2. Nature Craft Butterfly

Venture outside and gather a variety of natural materials like wildflowers, petals, twigs and leaves for this butterfly craft. On a sheet of sturdy craft paper draw the outline of a large butterfly shape, and leave the center empty. Glue a small twig down the center of the butterfly shape to make the butterfly’s body. Next, glue various shaped leaves onto the paper to fill in the wings. On top of the leaf-covered wings, put wildflowers, petals and other natural objects, making sure to glue them securely to the leaves. To finish up, add pine needles to make the butterfly’s antenna.

A wooden frame with a white mockup card and white flowers all around

3. Nature Treasures Picture Frame

What I love most about this project is how versatile it is. Whether your kids find treasures on the beach, or while hiking in the mountains, this simple craft can be adapted to include the items they collect on their adventures. With a hot glue gun and any size of wooden picture frame, help your child hot-glue the nature items they collected onto all four sides of the picture frame, completely covering it. This wonderful kid’s craft project makes a great family vacation souvenir, or a thoughtful homemade gift to give to grandparents as well.

Leaf pressed in clay to create an impression

4. Flower & Leaf Clay Impressions

Here is the perfect easy craft for kids to help them preserve the beautiful flowers and leaves they find outside this spring and summer. On a flat surface roll out a small bit of air-dry clay until it is ¼” thick then use a cookie cutter to cut it into a small circle or oval. Place a flower face down or leaves onto the center of the clay and gently roll over it with a rolling pin pressing it into the clay. Carefully pull the flower or leaves from the clay to reveal the impression. If you want to add a hole for hanging, poke a hole in the top of the clay with a chopstick. Let the clay dry overnight. Paint the flower or leaf impressions with acrylic craft paint then string a ribbon through the hole for hanging. This beautiful, finished craft can be used as gift tags attached to a present or as an ornament on your Christmas tree.

5. Colorful Yarn + Sticks

Sticks are one of the most popular and easy-to-find items in nature! Gather a handful of sticks that vary in size and thickness for this fun kid’s craft project. Once you have your sticks all you need to make this project are some art supplies, including a hot glue gun, glue, and yarn. Place a dab of hot glue a few inches down along the edge of the first stick then hold the end of the yarn in the glue until it dries. Tightly wrap the yarn around the stick adding more glue every few inches to secure it to the stick. Change colors of yarn as desired until the entire stick is covered except for a few inches at the other end of the stick. These yarn-wrapped sticks look great displayed in a vase or tied together vertically at even intervals and hung on a wall as a wall hanging.

Nature’s inspiration provides so many great kid’s summer craft project ideas. You should have no problem keeping your kids busy making beautiful things all summer long.