Sticks, Leaves, Seeds...and Insects!

by Stephanie Bailey
Extension Specialist

Materials needed:

• Maple seeds
• Acorns (top and bottom separated)
• Sticks (straight and 'wiggly')
• Ginko tree leaves
• Other seeds, leaves, etc. as nature provides
• all-purpose glue
• string (optional)
• paint (optional)

The insects crafted can be displayed as is, painted, made into mobiles, tree or window ornaments. I will give a few examples but the insects that can be designed from leaves, sticks and seeds are only limited by the imagination.

DRAGONFLIES

Use straight sticks, 3-4" long, and 4 maple seeds. Very small seeds can be glued for eyes. With green eyes, red bodies and gold wings, dragonflies make excellent Christmas tree ornaments!

BEETLES

The bottom half of the acorn is the abdomen and the top half or 'hat' is the thorax. If the 'hat' still has a point on it, it can be a male dung beetle.

BUTTERFLIES

Pick up ginko leaves with a notch in the center. 2 leaves of equal size are glued to a straight stick of equal or shorter length. leaf petioles can be glued on for antennae. The wings can be glued on flat or at an angle to each other.

CATERPILLARS

Use straight or wiggly sticks. Paint in outrageous colors.