Contain Yourself: Flower Power

During summer and spring we all see our gardens and surroundings fill with gorgeous flowers that we want to bring inside to liven the house! Let your kids feel as though they are a helpful part of decorating the house with these fun vases made out of recycled cans. Not only are crafts fun, they help improve emotional, physical and mental development! Read more about the benefits of crafting.

Encourage spending quality family time together with this project and get out of the house and into nature to explore allowing your children to develop a connection. It’s very beneficial and important to take a break from your busy week and enjoy the outdoors with your loved ones! Read about the importance of spending time in nature.

What you need:

• Metal Can (soup or food can; or go big with a coffee can or oatmeal container)

• Glue or Tape

• Construction Paper or Recycled Paper

• Scissors

• Extras: Paper, Cotton Balls, Ribbons, Buttons, Pipe Cleaners, or anything fun you want to stick on your can

• Optional: Flower Seeds and Soil

Instructions:

Sit down as a family and let your minds go wild! Make a can that encompasses your personality that you would be proud to have around the house. Clean out the cans and make sure all materials are laid out before you begin the project.

1. To make a woven paper decoration for your can as seen above, just cut 1 inch thick strips of paper from two different colors of construction paper (or try using folded strips of Newspaper from the Funnies section!)

2. Lay two strips of your paper in the shape of a plus sign and tape them together. Weave another strip through and tape the ends of horizontal strips to one of the vertical stripes, alternating top and bottom attachments.

3. Weave the remaining vertical strips, securing their ends to the top and bottom horizontal strips. Trim off any extra paper and use tape or glue to attach to your can!

4. Once your cans are done, take a family hike to pick up flowers to put in the cans. Or add dirt and some seeds to grow your own plants in the can.

5. Place somewhere fun in the house and enjoy! Make sure to read directions on your seed packet and put it in the sun if you decide to grow your own flowers.

What other uses can you find for your decorated can? Share with Chipper in the comments below!