Picturebook inspired crafts & activities

Picture books and stories often inspire our craft activities. Doing a book or story related craft can help children to consolidate their understanding of a story as well as provide them with an opportunity to talk about what they have just read. My daughter often creates her own activity as a result of reading a book, for example she came up with the idea of using Lego to make Pig’s Trocket from Emer Stamp’s The unbelievable top secret diary of Pig.

We would love to see some of your picture book inspired crafts, here are some of our favourites.

Little Cloud – Rainbow Craft

A very easy, fun craft. The cloud shape is created using seven white circles covered in cotton wool. Different coloured paper strips make the rainbow.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Apple Printing Craft

A great craft for using all your autumn windfalls. Cut your apples in half and print using green paint for the body and a red head. Add legs and a face and you have a Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Giraffes Can’t Dance – Footprint Giraffe Craft

This giraffe’s head is made using a footprint and then stuck on a long piece of paper. Ears and horns come next and then the fun part – fingerprinting the spots before adding a wooly mane.

Elmer – Candle Holder

One of our favourite Elmer crafts and very easy even for the littlest people. Use wallpaper paste to stick squares of coloured tissue paper onto a jam jar then add a nightlight.

Ella – Ladybird Headband

We made this Ella inspired headband for Valentines’ Day. Start with a red strip of card for the headband then add a black card semicircle for the face. The spots are made using black hearts, large pink hearts are used for the wings and the antenna are made using by sticking smaller pink hearts onto black pipe cleaners.

Room on the Broom – Toadstool Craft

These toadstools were made using papiermache. Stick layers of newspaper onto a bowl and a balloon using wallpaper paste. When they are dry paint them red and stick white sticker spots on. One of the stalks is made using a kitchen roll holder painted white, the other is a small bottle.

Just Ducks – Handprint Craft

Thes ducks are so easy to make. Draw around your hand making sure that your fingers are close together and your thumb is sticking up. This will give your duck shape, add a beak and then colour them. A silver foil pond gives the ducks somewhere to swim.

The Paper Dolls – Paper Doll Craft

Paper dolls are fun and easy. We made ours using the template from Pan Macmillan but you can experiment and make your own.

More book inspired arts, crafts and learning activities on Pinterest

We would love to see your book inspired crafts. Please leave your links in the comments.