Red Ted Art - Make crafting with kids easy & fun

Cute & Easy Crafts for Kids

  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Preschool Crafts
  • Easy Crafts for Kids
  • Paper Crafts
  • Free Printables
  • About
  • Join Our Newsletter
  • Cookies, Privacy Policies & Disclosure

Kids Crafts: Woodland People

June 15, 2011

Welcome back to Easy Crafts with Kids! As part of World Environment Day (5 June) we wanted to create a Forest Craft. A great opportunity to talk to our children about why the environment is so special, what we need to do to protect it and above all forest get crafty!

We decided to have a go at making some Nature Art People or Woodland People made from leaves, sticks and bark!

Leaf crafts

Quite unlike me, I was cutting our “due date a bit find” and was looking around the house for inspiration.. when I remembered this lovely book:

The Book

Spring Songs with music from "Flower Fairies of the Spring". Words and pictures by C. M. BarkerSpring Song with Music.

It was a gift to Pip Squeak from her Uncle Ch. He loves finding unusual presents and he found a couple of wonderful old books with gorgeous illustrations. This is a book on Spring Songs, with beautiful little Flower Fairies in it. If you are musical it comes complete with music sheets. One day, I may attempt to play the tunes (in a very basic way) on the piano. In the meantime, we like reading the songs as poems and looking at the pretty pictures.

I know the book focusses on Spring and we are coming into summer now… but after all it is “only” the inspiration for today’s craft!

The Craft

I *really* wanted to make some very special Woodland Fairies. Now… crafting with a 3 year old requires simplicity. So we kept it simple and I love the outcome.

woodland people

1) I made some “samples” for Red Ted first. He always likes to see a craft and then copy.. after that when he “gets” the idea, he has free reign. Here my “Tree People” and Leaf Fairy. I used some very flat bark we found as well as leaves collected on a walk to the local “wood”.

bark craft wald bastelideen

2) Glue a large leaf. Draw a head. Add a hat. Job done. I tried to get Red Ted to draw the head, or at least the eyes, but he wasn’t interested. He did like sticking on shoes as leaves. He did ALL of the below (save for the bits in pen).

Leaf crafts

3) And whilst I took the them all out to dry, made his very own creation – no drawing required: a large head, bark for eyes, bark for legs and leaves for shoes. Lovely. I was so pleased with his effort! This is a really good example of first “showing them how to do something” (especially young children, who have never made something specific before) and then letting them go wild with their imagination. I know next time we do leaf people Red Ted will be doing ALL the deciding as he will “know” what the aim of the craft is… and I will just sit back and watch his creations unfold!

4) I am going to put contact paper (sticky back plastic) over two of them (one being his wonderful creation) and keep them for our calendar. Leaves do become brittle and crumble.

Find more Nature Crafts for Kids here:

«
»

Filed Under: Kids Craft, Nature 47 Comments

Comments

  1. mermaid says

    June 15, 2011 at 7:05 am

    That`s lovely! I like the three people picture.. reminds me of the Christmas song “Three of us is coming from Gingerbread Land”.

    We have made leaf people in autumn but why not to make them in summer as well!

    Reply
  2. maria says

    June 15, 2011 at 7:43 am

    How creative! I love your forest people, but I have to say Red Ted’s are amazing especially the one with the large head and the little shoes:)

    Reply
  3. Red Ted Art says

    June 15, 2011 at 8:12 am

    Yes – Leaf people are for all year round!! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Maria – totally agree – I LOVE his own creation – that one will go into the calendar for next year! I made the “sample” first – as I find he needs to “see” something first. Once he “gets it”, his imagination is the limit and hey presto he created his own man! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  4. Jude says

    June 15, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Great minds think alike!!

    Love the Flower Fairy books – I had the whole set as a child, and still have them somewhere…

    Reply
  5. Red Ted Art says

    June 15, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Oooh Jude, your critters are just TOO adorable!! I love your crafts!

    Reply
  6. Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says

    June 15, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Awesome Forest People! Great books! You are the Linky Queen today! 2 on one day!!!

    Reply
  7. Rashmie @MommyLabs says

    June 15, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    Maggy,
    These woodland people are just too adorable! I love the simplicity as well as the creativity in it. The three people together are adorable and so is the man with the feather head gear!
    Simple projects are always the best with kids… ๐Ÿ™‚
    Thank you dear for your participation in Forest Fiesta!

    Reply
  8. Red Ted Art says

    June 15, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    Ah Melissa – it is a blog hop set up by Rashmie… so she is in charge of the second linky ๐Ÿ˜‰ but like been called linky queen!!!

    Reply
  9. Sheila Whittenberg says

    June 15, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    This is a wonderful idea, especially for younger children! I will definitely have to try it.

    Reply
  10. Roopa @putti prapancha says

    June 15, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Aaah these woodland people are lovely!! And the book seems wonderful too.
    You should check the book ‘Blossom Buddies’ has lots of flower ladies/fairies:)
    We love making leaf people (u might have seen them during our family study), you have inspired us to make them again and maybe this time with barks too !!

    Reply
  11. Ally says

    June 15, 2011 at 11:48 pm

    I love the leaf people – what a great idea!! We are always collecting leaves and I don’t know what to do with them. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  12. Esther says

    June 16, 2011 at 2:55 am

    The leaf people/Woodland people look adorable. I liked the Flat bark people.

    Reply
  13. Janelle says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    Incredibly creative little forest people. I love how they turned out!

    Reply
  14. stacy of ksw says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:20 pm

    Oh these are the loveliest forest people I have ever seen. What a great idea, I can’t wait to try this with the kiddos. Thanks so much for sharing, it was great to be a part of this blog hop with you.

    Reply
    • Red Ted Art says

      June 16, 2011 at 7:34 pm

      Oooh you guys are leaving SUCH LOVELY comments today! Thank you so much!! *BEAM*

      Reply
  15. The Outlaw Mom says

    June 16, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    I’ve been wondering how and when we were going to do this, but just booked a playdate in a redwood grove where we’ll find LOTS of materials for making little woodland people. Thinking of bring the paper, pens and glue to the park so that Jane and her two new best friends can do this project together! Thank you for the inspiration ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  16. Rashi says

    June 16, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    Maggy, I love your innovative ideas. It remembers me the olden days forest people who stayed in jungle and they make their clothes with leaves. I will also try it. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  17. Amy @ Hope Is the Word says

    June 17, 2011 at 2:21 am

    Love your fairies! You did very well by reading the songs as poems–I usually make up tunes when I don’t know them! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Red Ted Art says

      June 17, 2011 at 6:27 am

      Hi Amy – yes.. I know what you mean – often I make the tunes up too!! For some reason not with this book!

      Reply
  18. Erin @ Making Memories says

    June 17, 2011 at 2:58 am

    Thanks for visiting us! Elmers Glue is a washable glue for kids. For some reason craft glue is too sticky and doesn’t work. So if it’s washable, it’ll work for Super Balls =o)

    Reply
    • Red Ted Art says

      June 17, 2011 at 6:26 am

      Ooooh fabulous, thank you so much for letting me know! I will have a go!!!! Have already bought Borax!

      Reply
  19. Red Ted Art says

    June 17, 2011 at 6:37 am

    I can’t keep up with all your lovely comments (you often leave them when I am fast asleep..) but am chuffed to bits with all your niceness ๐Ÿ™‚ thank you! Those of you who will have a go at the woodland people – I would love to see your creations!!

    Reply
  20. JDaniel4's Mom says

    June 17, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Ted did a great job!

    This post counts as a entry in the June edition of the Summer Reading Challenge.

    Reply
  21. Red Ted Art says

    June 17, 2011 at 11:59 am

    Oooh thank you!

    Reply
  22. maryanne @ mama smiles says

    June 18, 2011 at 1:04 pm

    Those little people are so cute!

    Reply
  23. Mummy's Blog says

    June 18, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Love your work. I try to inspire my daughter through nature. I take her to the park every day where we watch deer sitting on old logs and collect sticks and leavesโ€ฆbut honestly I completely forgot we can bring them home and glue them to the paperโ€ฆfantastic!!!!

    Reply
    • Red Ted Art says

      June 18, 2011 at 5:02 pm

      Oh yes, my son ADORES sticking! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  24. Natalie says

    June 18, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    What an awesome idea. Love the leaf people. Thanks for joining WMCIR!

    Reply
    • Red Ted Art says

      June 18, 2011 at 6:40 pm

      Thank you Natalie ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  25. Isil says

    June 20, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Maaggy, this looks like a beautiful book and I love the little people you created.Thanks for linking up to Book Sharing Monday ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  26. jfb57 says

    June 20, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    I love the combination of reading & the outside. Will be a great one for all sorts of classrooms! Thank you for popping over on the Resource Centre Maggy!
    Julia

    Reply
  27. Carolyn says

    June 23, 2011 at 3:50 am

    The book craft work looks fantastic. Little 3 yo did an excellent job. Great idea doing it first and showing him as an example, and then he can use his imagination for the rest.

    Reply
  28. Michelle Willow says

    June 24, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Love your woodland people! ๐Ÿ™‚ Featured on this week’s High paw post! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  29. Aimee says

    June 25, 2011 at 3:11 am

    I love incorporating nature into artwork!That is a great idea- thanks for sharing it on The Sunday SHowcase!

    Reply
  30. Colleen - Sunrise Learning Lab says

    June 26, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    We will have to make some forest people, but since we live in Florida and have all tropical trees and plants, ours will look a little different and will require bigger paper!
    We like painting with palm fronds and have done it on a few different occasions. Works well to make a jazzy looking wrapping paper for a present.
    Thanks for sharing these so cute!
    Colleen

    Sunrise Learning Lab blog
    @F5th on Twitter

    Reply
  31. Jane says

    August 23, 2011 at 8:05 pm

    These are so cute! I love working with leaves and these look like leaf fairies!

    Reply
  32. Sarah - The Puffin Diaries says

    August 5, 2014 at 6:34 am

    I love these, it’s a really simple and easy way to make art that uses the imagination. I think we might have a go.

    Reply
  33. Gude @HodgePodgeCraft says

    August 7, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    They’re like little wood nymphs aren’t they? Super-sweet!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. fish tank craft | NurtureStore says:
    June 15, 2011 at 8:49 am

    […] shared with kids get crafty andย  abcand123 and made by little hands […]

    Reply
  2. RAT Links 6.16.11 | Hope Is the Word says:
    June 17, 2011 at 10:02 am

    […] @ Red Ted Art’s Blog highlights a songbook, Spring Songs with Music, along with a go-along woodland craft.ย  Check it […]

    Reply
  3. Erica's Summer Bucket List TodaysMama says:
    May 5, 2012 at 8:58 am

    […] Woodland People […]

    Reply
  4. Nature Crafting with Kids | Imagine Toys Blog says:
    February 15, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    […] Leaf Person or Animalย  […]

    Reply
  5. ร–rgรผ yaprak | Gider Mi? | says:
    April 5, 2013 at 10:59 am

    […] Yapraklarla รงocuklar iรงin resim yapma faaliyeti olabilir gรผzel bir fikir bence. buradan bak?n?z […]

    Reply
  6. Flowers and Leaves and Andy Goldsworthy | Kids Chaos says:
    July 10, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    […] lovely Maggy fromย Red Ted Art. who madeย flower crownsย andย showed us how to press flowersย andย cute woodland people.ย Also present are Anna, Crystal, Anthea’sย wild grass seed head art,ย Kelly‘s […]

    Reply
  7. Goodreads #3 - darktea says:
    August 17, 2013 at 9:15 am

    […] Kids Crafts: Woodland People […]

    Reply
  8. ABC's of Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Part 2 - Kitchen Counter Chronicles says:
    January 7, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    […] really opens up your child’s imagination. (fun art projects include birch bark drawings, ย woodland people from Red Ted Art and The Golden Gleams collection of outdoor art […]

    Reply
  9. Garden Crafts for Kids says:
    March 1, 2015 at 7:09 am

    […] Woodland People at Red Ted Art. Start with a fun little scavenger hunt in your yard or park, then come home and make these using leaves and other bits of nature. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Welcome

Hello! I am Maggy and I love all things crafty and sharing my craft ideas and how tos.

The aim of this site is to provide easy, do-able and fun crafts for all ages.

Categories

Archives

Crafty Blogs

Copyright © 2022 ยท Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs