Crafting with natural materials – 29 great craft ideas for children and adults

Crafting with natural materials is without a doubt a favorite activity for young and old, which is great fun for everyone. Every season, nature offers natural materials with which you can create creative craft projects. In this article we present you interesting and creative craft ideas with walnuts, acorns and chestnuts that children of kindergarten age can actively participate in.

Crafting with natural materials – endless design possibilities

Walnut shells or whole walnuts are a great natural material that you can use to make tiny and cute objects. Crack the walnuts carefully so that both halves remain intact and can be used. The walnuts can easily be cut in half with the help of a knife.

Original gift idea

If you would like to surprise someone important to you with an extraordinary gift, perhaps this great packaging would be the right thing for you. You can hide a lovely message or a small piece of jewelry in the walnut. Presented in such a loving and creative way, the recipient will undoubtedly feel very special.

Walnut shell as a mini gift box

Decorate the bowls with gold lacquer or any other color and attach a bow to the inside of the bowl with hot glue. Place the small gift inside and glue the two halves back together in two places.

At Easter

You can also create enchanting decorations for Easter using natural materials. You can pad the halves of the walnut shell with cotton wool or felt and create a warm nest for the rabbit. The cute bunny is also formed from the fluffy material. You are sure to create a festive atmosphere with this beautiful Easter arrangement.

Spring ideas

Cute bird nests are a great idea for decoration in your garden. You can create the tiny birds from many different nuts. Birds made of almonds, peanuts or acorns sit in the middle of the net and bring a spring mood. You can fill the nests with moss and attach natural paper or thread for hanging.

Spring decoration

If you want to make an attractive and original decoration for your home, you can also make a bird out of whole nuts. After you have removed the nut, color the shell with the color of your choice and paint little eyes. You can attach glittery feathers and beaks to fabric or paper. The little bird can also decorate your houseplants and welcome spring.

Make your own owls

An owl is also a great animal decorative motif. The natural shape of the walnut allows the owl to emerge without cracking the shell. All you have to do is choose the color and glue felt wings and ears to give the owl a face.

Make a bee out of walnut

You can also create a bee. With the typical yellow-black coloring and glittering foil wings, the bee brings a touch of spring into your home. You can make the small head out of cotton wool or foam.

Ladybugs made from walnut halves

Another great craft idea is to make cute ladybugs out of walnut halves. Here, too, you can let your children join in and, depending on their age, let them create their own. Paint the halves, attach the wiggly eyes and paper antennae and the little animals are ready.

Design turtles

Walnut shells can also be transformed into mice, turtles and spiders in a flash. The turtle has a body made of cardboard and the spider has feet made of pipe cleaners. The nutshell mouse has a tail and whiskers made of wool thread and felt or paper is glued on for the ears.

Decorative flower baskets made from walnuts

With these beautiful baskets that you can make at home, you willSommerBring it to your table and create an enchanting and unusual mini table decoration that will attract everyone's attention. With a little tact, thin, colorful bows and small flower petals, these mini works of art will delight the eye.

Boats made from walnut halves

Walnut shells can also be transformed into small boats. Glue or a small ball of modeling clay printed in the center of the shell will hold the mast in place. Matchsticks or toothpicks are used for the mast and so that the boat also has a sail, attach thick paper or cloth to it.

Small stroller made of walnuts

Check out this cute stroller. If you want to surprise your child with a homemade gift, you are on the right track with the mini cart. This car is also a creative gift for expectant or new parents.

Design tiny doll cradles

Half of the walnut shell is lined with cotton wool and you can use a small pompom to make the baby's head. A wooden bead is also ideal for this. The wheels are made from buttons and a piece of felt makes the tiny bed cover. You can also create mini doll cradles in the same way.

Simple craft idea for toddlers

Are you looking for a simple craft idea for a rainy Sunday? Then maybe you can make strawberries out of walnuts. The children can dye the bowl bright red and cut the strawberry green out of felt and attach it. You can paint the strawberry seeds with black paint.

Pincushion made from walnut halves

Useful objects can also be made from walnut halves. A small, practical helper would be a pincushion, for example, so that you always have a needle to hand without having to look for it. You can either design the small pillow from a pompom or make it from fabric and cotton wool.

Decorative bowl made from walnut halves

On a beautifully laid table, a beautiful bowl made of walnut halves or pistachio shells will give the table decoration that certain something. For this great project, in addition to the bowls, you will need paint or varnish and a hot glue gun. Glue the bowls alternately with the open side up and down so that the bowl can stand straight. If your chosen natural material is pistachio shells, you will of course have to allow for a little more time and patience.

Decoration with chestnutsin

Natural materials are available to us in every season. Chestnuts are a great and versatile autumn craft material. Take a look at this beautiful table decoration. These are chestnuts colored white and made to shine with silver and green glitter powder.

Craft idea for children in autumn

You can make several figures from the animal world using chestnuts and acorns, which children are welcome to join in and are guaranteed to have a lot of fun with. For example, you can make an ant out of two chestnuts, thin branches and an acorn for the head.

Make a giraffe or sheep out of chestnuts and acorns

Chestnuts and acorns can also be turned into cute giraffes or sheep. All you need for these cute animal figures are wooden skewers, matches or toothpicks and some cotton wool. You can brighten up the giraffes with lighter spots and stick small balls of cotton wool on the sheep for their fur.

Cute owls

You can create small and cute owls not only from walnuts. Chestnuts and acorn caps are great craft materials for this. With the caps in which you glue googly eyes, you can imitate the typical, large eyes of the owl.

Birds from chestnuts

With colorful feathers, pompoms for the head, some felt material and empty pistachio shells, small chestnut birds can also be made quickly. If you want, you can color the inside of the pistachio shells and let the homemade little birds sing. If you miss spring, these cute birds will create a great spring atmosphere.

Caterpillar and hedgehog

If you have collected chestnuts during an autumn walk, you can also make a small caterpillar or cute hedgehog. With such a quick decoration you can decorate the windowsill with smiling animal figures and delight your children.

Create imaginative figures

Let your children get creative and develop their own fantasy characters. There really are no limits to your imagination with natural craft materials and the results are simply unique.

Make a dragonfly with maple seeds

Do you know those maple seeds that float spinning in the air? Maple seeds are also a nice craft material that you can use to make beautiful little dragonflies. First coat the maple seeds with adhesive tape, add glitter powder on them and the shimmering dragonfly wings are ready. With a thin branch and two craft beads you have created a great creature.

It's not just children who enjoy creating different creatures using natural materials. You can make a variety of decorative items from natural materials that are great elements for table decorations and give the decoration a natural touch.

Acorn napkin ring

You can make this beautiful napkin ring out of acorns. You need to drill through the individual acorns, color them in the desired color and thread an elastic band into the perforated acorns. This wonderful napkin ring looks very chic and elegant in gold and silver and will fascinate your guests.

Cocktail stirrers with acorns

Another great craft idea with acorns are these beautiful cocktail stirrers. They look great in a cocktail glass and go perfectly with a rustic table setting. For this creative idea, all you really need to do is punch holes in the acorns and put them on wooden skewers.

Decorative material for a nice autumn feeling

Acorns dyed in different colors make beautiful vase and table decorations. So that you can use them for a long time and they don't get moldy, we recommend heating the acorns in the oven to get rid of the pests. Acrylic paints are best suited for coloring and glitter makes the little nuts look very elegant.