I don’t particularly enjoy doing craft for craft’s sake with the kids. Instead I store up simple ideas and look for inspiration all over the place, and then act on the ideas as they fit effortlessly into our normal family life.
For example, we were at the beach this beautiful weekend, and the children did their usual shell collecting after a paddle in the sea. Later in the afternoon, we looked for rocks in the backyard and made these cute hermit crab pets.
Materials
Cone Shell
Small Rock
Google Eyes (or can draw them on with permanent marker)
Glue Gun (or use strong glue like Selleys All Fix Glue — found at Big W, Target, Bunnings, KMart etc.)
1. Look for a rock with a flat-ish base. This will help the hermit pet sit flat.
2. Spend a little time working out which way to connect the shell with the rock. The idea is for rock to sit flat with the shell on top. Depending on the size of the shell used, the rock can be placed a little inside the shell (as pictured below), or the shell can sit on the top of the rock (what we did with the other two smaller shells). When ready, glue the shell in place.
3. Add google eyes to the front of the rock with glue.
4. Allow to dry (hot glue dries almost instantly).
Come on: How cute are they?! Let me introduce them (as named by the children). From left to right: Drilly, Herbert and Fizzy.
5. My son suggested we paint a backdrop for the hermit crab shell pets, so we pulled out the watercolours and brushed yellow on one piece of paper for the sand and blue on another for the sky.
Just a little way to connect the joy of the beach to a memory keeper for home.
Before bed, my youngest two and I spent 5 minutes searching for information about Hermit Crabs. PLUS we found a cute video of a crab changing shells.
It’s been an unplanned hermit-y crab kind of day.
12 Comments
Danya Banya
September 3, 2013 at 8:56 pmThey are adorable! I love that they I love anything with googly eyes.
Kate - An Everyday Story
September 3, 2013 at 9:35 pmI’m a bit the same Kel. I have a list of crafts stored away in my head for when the kids show an interest in something or experience something like your beach adventures 🙂
These are super sweet 🙂 A lovely little momento.
Renèe adventuresathomewithmum
September 3, 2013 at 11:18 pmWow they are cute my son would treat them like a real one lol
He actually has a hermie crab pet so this would make a cute tank mate
Jay @ Learning to play and playing to learn
September 4, 2013 at 10:04 pmThis is so creative and has just saved me from having to buy a real one!! You rule. Miss 3’s school had hermit crabs and they died. She has been asking for one ever since. I am sure making her own ‘pretend’ one is the answer I needed!
Bek @ Just For Daisy
September 7, 2013 at 3:19 pmThese are super cute!! We’ll be shell hunting again this week at the beach so I think we’ll devote some of our googly eyes to these little creatures! Thanks for sharing!
Kate
September 7, 2013 at 9:30 pmOh look at the cute little creatures! They are adorable 🙂
Eva @ The Multitasking Mummy
September 8, 2013 at 8:30 pmThese are the cutest little things ever!!
Jode
September 8, 2013 at 10:42 pmThese are just too cute and so very clever!
Ness @ One Perfect Day
September 9, 2013 at 1:30 amOK, this is just about the cutest thing ever! Love it.
Debs
September 9, 2013 at 9:57 amSo, so adorable! I can’t decide if I like Herbert or Fizzy the best but I’m a complete sucker for anything tiny and with googly eyes. haha 🙂
info@mylittlebookcase.com.au
September 9, 2013 at 10:03 amVery cute! What a great summer-time activity
Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky
September 10, 2013 at 10:15 amToo cute! I love that this activity came about organically.