Paper Bag Mother’s Day Flower Craft

Updated May 11, 2024

Are you looking for a cute Mother’s Day craft for kids?

This is an easy paper bag Mother’s Day flower craft that is great for toddlers and preschoolers!

It is made with items you probably already have on hand.

Makes a fun fine motor activity for kids too.

Paper Bag Mother’s Day Flower Craft

Materials Needed:

• Cardstock: Various colors for the petals and leaves.
• Paper Bag: Brown, for the pot.
• Glue Stick: For assembling the flower.
• Googly Eyes: To give your flower some personality.
• Markers: To add details like smiles and the message.
• Scissors: To cut the shapes needed for your craft.

Instructions:

1. Create the Flower Pot:
   • Cut a pot shape from a brown paper bag. This will serve as the base of your flower.
2. Make the Flower Stem and Leaves:
   • Cut a strip of green cardstock for the stem and attach it vertically to the center of your pot.
   • Add two green leaves at the base of the stem, gluing them so they appear to sprout from the stem.

1. Add Details:

• • Stick two googly eyes on the yellow circle to make the face of the flower.
  • Draw a smile and any other details you’d like to add with markers.

2. Construct the Flower Head:

• • Cut out a circle from yellow cardstock for the flower’s center and glue it to the top of the stem.
  • For the petals, cut strips from various colored cardstock. Arrange them around the yellow circle and glue them in place, alternating colors as you go around.

3. Write Your Message:

• • On the flower pot, use a marker to write a heartwarming message, such as “Thank you for helping me grow! Happy Mother’s Day!”

4. Final Assembly:

• • Ensure all pieces are securely glued down. Let everything dry completely before handling.

Turning craft time into a learning moment, especially when assembling a plant-based craft like the Mother’s Day flower, offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce your child to the basics of plant biology.

Here’s how you can discuss the parts of a plant as you put together each piece of your craft:

1. Stem:
   • What to Say: “The stem is like the plant’s backbone. It holds up the plant and carries water and food between the roots and leaves.”
   • Craft Connection: As you glue the green paper strip to create the stem, explain how it supports the flower to stand upright.
2. Leaves:
   • What to Say: “Leaves are the plant’s food factory. They capture sunlight and use it to make food for the plant, a process called photosynthesis.”
   • Craft Connection: When adding the leaves, show how they attach to the stem and spread out to catch the light.
3. Flower:
   • What to Say: “The colorful part of our craft is the flower. Flowers can be very pretty, but they also have an important job: they help the plant reproduce by attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies.”
   • Craft Connection: As you arrange the colorful petals around the center, discuss how each color might attract different types of pollinators.
4. Roots (if included in your craft):
   • What to Say: “Roots are like the plant’s feet. They keep it in the ground and soak up water and food from the soil.”
   • Craft Connection: If your craft includes roots, you can use strips of brown paper glued at the bottom of the stem to represent them. Talk about how they stretch out in the soil to provide stability and nourishment.

Additional Crafting Ideas

• Nature Collage: Encourage kids to collect leaves, petals, and small twigs during a walk and use them to create a nature collage. This activity can help them appreciate nature and learn about different types of plants.
• Handprint Art: Use washable paint to make handprint art. Parents can help children create designs like trees, flowers, or animals with their handprints, turning this into a fun and memorable keepsake.
• Homemade Playdough: Provide a simple recipe for homemade playdough. This can be a sensory activity for young children to strengthen their hand muscles and encourage creative play.

Books For Toddlers and Preschoolers about Mother’s Day

1. “I’ve Loved You Since Forever” by Hoda Kotb – A lyrical book that celebrates the eternal love between a parent and child, inspired by Kotb’s own experience adopting her daughter. The illustrations are vibrant and capture the profound bond beautifully.
2. “Everything is Mama” by Jimmy Fallon – A light-hearted and fun book from a baby’s perspective, highlighting the amusing tendency of toddlers to refer to everything as “Mama”. It’s a great pick for a playful read with little ones.
3. “The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown – This classic tale features a little bunny imagining different scenarios in which he might run away, only to find that his mother would always find a way to be there for him.
4. “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman – A sweet story about a baby bird’s journey to find his mother, this book is a staple in children’s literature and perfect for Mother’s Day reading.
5. “My Mom Loves Me!” by Marianne Richmond – Celebrating all the ways a mother shows her love, this book has charming illustrations and relatable scenes that depict the everyday moments of motherly love.
6. “Mommy Hugs” by Karen Katz – A counting and rhyming book that explores the various ways a mother shows affection through the day, from playful games to bedtime hugs.
7. “Is Your Mama a Llama?” by Deborah Guarino – A fun rhyming story where young Lloyd the llama learns about different animals’ mamas, making it an engaging and educational read for preschoolers.