Rainy Day Fun!

Don't let a little spring shower keep your kids cooped up and parked on the couch all day!

Keep the kids busy and add a little cheer to this cloudy day with this fun craft:

Basket Buddies, activity adapted from Family Fun

Materials

• 4 large artificial flowers
• Floral wire
• 2 large baskets (we used grapevine baskets, 4 by 11 inches and 4 1/2 by 9 inches)
• Yellow craft foam
• Stapler

• Paintbrush
• Yellow acrylic paint
• 2 sturdy forked sticks (ours were about 15 inches long)
• 2 whisk brooms
• Wooden stake or another stick

Instructions

1. Remove the stems from the flowers. For each eye, loosely fold an 18-inch length of floral wire in half and twist the loop end tightly around the flower. Position the flower on the bottom of the basket, threading the ends of the wire through to the other side, then twist the ends to hold the eye in place.
   
   
2.  To make each beak, cut a kite shape from the craft foam. Fold a 14-inch length of floral wire in half and twist it to form a small loop (a). Fold the foam over the loop and staple it as shown (b). Attach the beak as you did the eyes.
   
   
3. For the mama owl's feet, paint the sticks and allow them to dry. Place the sticks in the ground and set the larger basket on the legs, securing it with floral wire if necessary.
   
   
4. To make the owlet, place the smaller basket on the whisk-broom feet and prop up the basket with the wooden stake or stick.
   
   Send a photo of your Basket Buddies to devcomm@naturenet.com.