Leaf caterpillar
Craft materials
- Colourful autumn leaves in various colours and shapes
- 1 clean Holle jar lid
- Googly eyes with glue
- 1 pen for the mouth
- 1 piece of string
- 1 wooden bead as a stopper
- 1 blunt, child-safe threading aid
Time: 20 Minutes
Craft instructions
Autumn is full of craft materials, and sometimes a simple walk is all it takes to gather everything you need for a really lovely DIY idea. Using colourful autumn leaves, some string and an empty Holle jar lid, you can create a fun leaf caterpillar that grows a little bit with every leaf you thread onto the string.
Collect leaves. On your next autumn walk, go out together to discover and collect as many colourful leaves as possible in different colours and shapes.
Make the caterpillar’s head. Stick googly eyes onto a clean Holle jar lid and draw a funny mouth on it.
Attach the string. An adult should prepare the hole in the lid. Thread the string through the hole and secure it with a wooden bead as a stopper.
Let the caterpillar grow. Thread the collected leaves onto the string one by one, ideally using a blunt, child-friendly threading aid and with a bit of help.
Whilst collecting, children explore nature with all their senses; whilst threading, they playfully practise their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. And, as an added bonus, an old jar lid is transformed into something new.
Our tip
The caterpillar looks particularly lovely if you combine large and small leaves or different autumn colours.
Please supervise children whilst they are crafting with string, small parts and the metal lid, and watch out for sharp edges, especially around the opening in the lid.