I love it when the sun comes out and the kids can get outdoors more often. Best of all, we can move our art and crafts projects outdoors and it doesn’t matter how messy it gets! You will love these 11 creative garden crafts for kids!

From homemade sundials to funky pots, you will love these creative garden craft ideas, and get some cool crafts and decorations to brighten up your garden too!

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Garden Crafts for Kids

#1. Rock Painting

You often see brightly painted rocks for sale, when you go on holidays. Why not create your own collection or better still, give them to your friends as a gift? To get started:

• Choose smooth, light coloured stones, ones from the beach are ideal. Wash and dry the rocks so they are free of any soil debris or sand.
• Use poster paints or paint tester pots and let the kids use their imagination.
• Once the paint has dried, use a clear varnish to coat the whole rock, ensuring they will withstand the test of time.

From bumble bees to fruit and vegetable markers, these beautiful creations will be a lovely addition to any garden.

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#2. Bird Feeder

Bird feeders are a lovely addition to any garden, and a great way to attract birds to your outdoor space.

With a few simple ingredients you can create your own homemade bird feeder.

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#3. Vegetable Painting and Printing

Use fruit and vegetables that you find in the garden to create beautiful prints. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips, apples, pears, squashes and long leaves from plants like rhubarb, grasses and ferns all make excellent paint brushes!

• To get started simply cut the fruit or vegetable in half. If you want to create a special pattern, you could cut a design into one half.
• Hold your paper in place with some small stones and get creative.
• Lay out your paints on paper plates and put a fruit or vegetable half in each plate.
• Press the fruit/veg with paint onto your paper and watch the lovely patterns appear.

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#4. Make a Fairy Garden

Create your very own magical Fairy Garden in a large tub or pot.

• Fill a large pot or tub with soil.
• Add some small flowering plants like pansies, daisies, snowdrops or  primroses.
• Add a small amount of grass seed, heather, moss or bark to create a magical world.
• Add a ceramic house or ornament where, the fairies can live.
• Decorate your Fairy Garden with outdoor lights or decorations.

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#5. Nature Collage

Create a collage out of things you can find in the garden.

• Collect leaves, flowers, feathers, petals and any other small objects you think will look good.
• Glue them onto a piece or card or a paper plate to create a beautiful nature collage.

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#6. Nature Rubbings

Using plain or coloured sheets of paper and crayons, get the children to do rubbings of bark, stones, walls or plants such as ferns or leaves that they can find in the garden.

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#7. Create a Sundial

A sundial is a lovely addition to any garden, here are instructions for creating a homemade sundial.

#8. Create a Wind Chime

To create a homemade wind chime you will need:

• A strong branch or a length of bamboo or an old sieve or colander
• Fine, strong string, thread or fishing line cut into several different lengths
• Old buttons, bottle caps, shells, beads or keys. It is easier if these already have holes in them.

String the items you have collected together on different lengths of line and tie them to your bamboo, sieve, colander or branch. You can add several items to each piece of string.

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#9. Paint Plant Pots

Why not brighten up your plant pots with some creative designs and colours? My daughter created this one just in time for Halloween, and we used it to store all the sweets for Halloween callers.

You can also glue on shells or small pebbles to create some unique pots for your patio/garden.

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#10. Make Planters

Image via Pinterest

Make some cool planters from empty plastic water bottles by cutting out one side and stringing them up in a fun design for your patio or a garden wall. They would be perfect for growing small plants like herbs, or fill with summer bedding for a colourful display.

#11. Shell Crafts

Image: Red Ted Art

If you have shells you have collected from beach trips, you might like these 8 shell craft ideas. Create cute creatures out of stones, wood, shells and glue. Use stick on eyes to make them unique.

For older children follow Martha Stewart’s lead and make an amazing shell house out of cardboard with shells stuck to the sides and roof.