You’ve probably figured this out by now: I have a real weakness for children’s literature and am always on the hunt for gems to add to our vast collection. But not all books are created equal and sometimes I DO judge a book by it’s cover!
My good friend and brilliant children’s illustrator, Sarah Pecorino, recently introduced herself in our Facebook reading group (you’re part of it, right?!) as a “total picture book snob” claiming, “I hate having poorly illustrated books in our collection and have been known to donate the ugly and poorly written ones.” This literally made me “laugh out loud” as I realized I do the same! And I’ve also purchased books without knowing anything about the story, just because I’m inspired by the illustrations — and How to Grow a Friend by Sara Gillingham was one of those titles.
The simple shapes in the gorgeous vintage-style illustrations yelled “art project inspiration!” so it was a pleasant surprise to read the book and discover an equally delightful story with a simple metaphoric message about growing friends and flowers.
“Making a friend takes patience, care, and space to bloom — just like growing a flower.”
It’s a pretty sweet book to read on a springtime day, or when talking about friendship, the life cycle of a plant, and what flowers need to grow.
We love book-related projects, and this sweet story inspired us to “grow” some flowers of our own: colorful paper-pieced style, of course!
To create this Flower Pot Craft, you’ll need:
- Flower Pot Printable Template (link to the printable at the bottom of this post)
- white paper or card stock
- paint or crayons/markers/paint sticks
- scissors
- glue
- (optional) colored card stock or patterned paper
Print Flower Pot Craft Template
Print the flower pot template. We prefer to use white card stock for a sturdier project.
Color or Paint Your Flower Pot Craft Template
We’re currently hooked on paint sticks. They produce vibrant colors and paint-like-texture without the mess of actual paint.
Cut Flower Pot Craft Template Pieces
Assemble Flower Pot Craft
Assemble flowers and pots with glue. This is my favorite part because kids can arrange the pieces any way they want and the same shapes combine to create such different looks! The final customized project results are so pretty for spring and make a stunning display for the fridge or bulletin board.
Mount Flower Pots for Display
When finished, use glue to mount your flower pots on a piece of card stock, patterned paper, or painted paper if desired. Then display!
Looking for the FREE printable template?! Read on. . . .
As a classroom teacher turned at-home mom, I have a passion for keeping lifelong learning fun and creative. And I’m especially crazy about teaching through stories and good books.
Come join our FREE Facebook group: Keeping Life Creative with Books where we chat all about creative ways to promote literacy and teach and learn through stories and some of the best children’s books.
This flower pot craft template is a FREE download in that group, or when you become an e-mail subscriber.
