Green crafting ideas for young and old

When children are in the garden, they want varied activities. However, tasks like weeding aren't among the alternatives that excite kids. But children are usually enthusiastic about fun crafting activities, where there are hardly any limits to their imagination. To ensure children enjoy participating, only projects that can be completed within a manageable timeframe should be undertaken. Below are a few suggestions for crafting ideas that can be implemented together with children. All suggestions can also be carried out by passionate crafters who don't have (small) children anymore. Generally, children should always craft under supervision, especially when sharp or pointed tools are used.

"Watering aids are especially practical during vacation time. While such "vacation substitutes" are readily available in stores, making them yourself can save money and be a lot of fun. This crafting project particularly pays off if you have many plants to water while you're away. You'll need deposit-free PET bottles (e.g., from fruit juices) and a hand drill. Drill a small hole in the center of the lid. Now, fill the bottle with water, screw on the lid, and either invert it into the potting mix of the plant to be watered or hang it above the plant. Your drip irrigation is complete.

Homemade seed balls can also be placed under these bottles. To make them, mix four parts soil, four parts clay, one part seeds, and one part water. Form them into walnut-sized balls and let them dry on a sunny windowsill for a day or two. These "seed bombs" also make great gifts or small souvenirs.

Fragrant accessories for your wardrobe are lavender sachets. When lavender (Lavandula) blooms in the summer, harvest the flower heads. These can be distributed on colorful cotton squares, then simply tied with a color-matching cord."

"Not only a colorful flower meadow but also many crafts provide decorative splashes of color in the garden or on the balcony. For example, mosaic balls create a Mediterranean flair. For this, you'll need: Styrofoam balls, mosaic tiles, glue, grout, a plastic spatula, disposable gloves, and a cloth. Attach the broken ceramic pieces to the Styrofoam ball with glue and let dry. Mix the grout. Put on gloves and spread the creamy mixture onto the ball with the spatula to create a relatively even surface. Let it dry a bit, then use the cloth to remove the grout from the mosaic tiles and let it dry thoroughly.

Colorful pinwheels can be crafted very quickly. You'll need a 20 x 20 cm piece of glossy paper. Use a ruler to connect the corners, drawing an 'X' on the square. Cut along these lines halfway to the center. Then, bring four of the corners to the center and glue them there with a glue stick and a colorful dot sticker. Attach them to a small stick with a pin or thumbtack.

Funny terracotta figures can be made from flower pots. For this, you'll need a hot glue gun, brushes, and paint. Children will also happily conjure up funny scarecrows from hay, straw, and old clothes."

Lanterns: Brush jam or pickle jars with wallpaper paste and cover them with small pieces of transparent paper. Plain string lights can be naturally beautified. Simply encase the LED lights with the orange bladders of the Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi).

To offer a home to wild bees, lacewings, and other beneficial insects in the garden, they need food in the form of a colorful flower meadow. But shelter is also very important. Parents can build an insect hotel together with their children. Little builders also have just as much fun building birdhouses and baths or a living fence.