Recycled Crafts: Egg Carton Caterpillars

Materials:

• children's paint 
• paintbrushes
• container for paint
• empty egg cartons (one carton will make 2 caterpillars)
• small, sharp knife
• scissors
• googly eyes
• coffee stir sticks
• glue
• permanent marker

How To:

1. Rip off the top of the empty egg carton.
2. Using a knife, cut down the middle of the carton, lengthwise, so you end up with two strips of six egg cups.
3. Using your scissors, cut off the excess bits. The fine details are really up to the individual. I cut enough off each of the sides to minimize lopsidedness when the caterpillar is standing. (But I've seen other people make little legs for them out of the carton itself.)
4. Have the child paint the egg carton strip. (Encourage them to paint the outside of it, rather than the inside since this is what will be seen.) Let carton dry
5. Choose one end of the strip for the face. Place a dab of glue near the top of the carton strip and have the child place a googly eye onto it. Do the same for the other side. Let dry.
6. Using a knife, cut two small slits in the "head", for antennae. (Make sure you don't make the slits bigger than the width of the coffee stir sticks.)
7. Break two coffee stir sticks so that they are 3 inches long (or 8cm). Insert them into the holes.
8. Draw a smiling mouth with the permanent marker, just below the eyes on the egg carton strip.