4 Spring Crafts for Kids That Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours

Easter and Passover have come and gone, but that doesn't mean kids spring-themed arts-and-crafts time needs to come to an end. Why not take some of the items you planned to toss post-spring-cleaning and repurpose them into imaginative crafts with your kids?

Do you have any old, used light bulbs lying around? Turn them into cute bumblebees. What about yarn that's been balled up in your closet for a year? Before you donate it, show your kids how to transform it into adorable butterflies.

There's no doubt these spring crafts will keep kids occupied for the better part of a just-starting-to-get-warm afternoon. And the best part is you can keep the resulting projects on display for the whole season — and for years to come.

More: 23 Adorable Stuffed Animals You Can Make for Your Kids

Light bulb bumblebee craft

Supplies:

• Light bulbs
• Yellow paint
• Paint brush
• Black permanent marker
• White pipe cleaners
• Black construction paper
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Paint the light bulb with the yellow paint. Let the paint dry completely, then apply a second coat of paint.
2. Draw stripes on the light bulb with the black permanent marker, then color the metal part of the light bulb with the black permanent marker.
3. Glue the googly eyes on the metal part of the light bulb.
4. Cut a white pipe cleaner in half. Bring the ends of the pipe cleaner together to form the wings. Use a dab of glue to secure the wings in place.
5. Cut two narrow strips of black construction paper approximately 2 inches long. Curl the ends of the strips to make the antennae, then glue the strips just above the eyes.
6. Cut a piece of white pipe cleaner 3 inches long. Coil the pipe cleaner around a pencil or your finger, then glue it to the back of the light bulb to form the stinger.

Yarn butterfly craft

Supplies:

• Popsicle sticks
• Yarn
• Glue
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaners
• Beads
• Googly eyes

More: 10 Incredible Forts to Build "for Your Kids" (*Wink, Wink*)

Directions:

1. Glue two popsicle sticks together to form an "X" and let the glue dry completely.
2. Beginning in the center, start wrapping the yarn around the popsicle sticks on both halves of the "X."
3. Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Fold the half into a "V" and then curl the ends to form the antennae. Slide beads on to the end of the pipe cleaner.
4. Take a second full-length pipe cleaner and wrap it around the center of the butterfly. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the antennae to hold it in place.
5. Glue the end of the pipe cleaner to the back of the butterfly to secure it.
6. Glue two googly eyes to the front of the butterfly.

Next: Mod Podge bird house craft

Mod Podge bird house craft

Supplies:

• Wooden bird house
• Colorful paper
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush

More: Upcycle Old Crayons Into Fun Shapes With This Easy DIY

Directions:

1. Cut the paper into 1-inch squares.
2. Coat one side of the birdhouse with a thin layer of Mod Podge.
3. Start applying the squares to the Mod Podge. You can overlap the squares, but be sure to paint a second coat of Mod Podge to give the top squares something to stick to.
4. Keep applying squares to all sides of the bird house.
5. Once you have applied all of the squares and the bird house is completely covered, apply a final coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface to seal it.

Next: Easy wind chime craft

Easy wind chime craft

Supplies:

• Paper or plastic cup
• Hole punch
• String
• Cord or twine
• Beads
• Washers
• Markers
• Jewels, sequins or stickers

Directions:

1. Use the hole punch to punch holes in the bottom of the cup.
2. Cut one 6-inch piece of string for every hole. Thread a string through each hole, and tie the string to the cup.
3. Thread some beads on to the string, then tie a metal washer to the end of the string.
4. Decorate the sides of the cup with markers, jewels, sequins or stickers.
5. Turn the cup upside down. Use scissors to cut an "X" in the bottom of the cup.
6. Feed the cord through the "X" and tie a knot on the inside of the cup. Use the cord to hang the wind chime.

A version of this article was originally published in February 2013.