How To Make A Spring Bonnet

Spring Has Sprung! Make Your Own Colourful Spring Bonnet.

Is there anything more exciting than those first little signs that winter is finally packing its bags? The mornings are getting lighter, the days are stretching out and, if you look closely, you might spot the first brave flowers beginning to pop their heads above the soil.

So, with Easter only a few weeks away, our creative craft blogger Captain Cookie thought it was time to bring a little more springtime colour into our lives — come rain or shine!

And what better way to celebrate the start of Spring than with a fabulous homemade Spring bonnet? This is a wonderfully simple craft for little hands, using materials you might already have hiding in your craft cupboard. The finished bonnets are bright, colourful and guaranteed to put a spring in everyone's step.

What you'll need

Gather your crafty supplies:

• A piece of cardboard from a recycled box
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Cupcake cases
• Glitter
• Crepe paper
• Curling ribbon
• Paint, if you fancy adding even more colour
• Optional Easter decorations, such as chicks and bunnies

Don't worry about making everything perfectly neat. Spring is all about colour, growth and a little bit of wildness! Let your little crafters choose their own colours and see where their imaginations take them.

Let's make some spring flowers!

1. Turn cupcake cases into flowers

This is where the magic begins! Take your cupcake cases and carefully cut the edges to make them look like flower petals. Try making different shapes to create different flowers. Some petals can be feathered and fluffy, a little like carnations, while others can be scalloped to resemble cheerful spring daffodils. You can layer different coloured cupcake cases on top of one another to make your flowers extra full and spectacular. 

Feeling particularly creative? Paint some plain white cupcake cases. Try giving them a darker centre with lighter petals around the outside for a wonderfully realistic flower effect. Once you're happy with your flowers, add some glue to the centre and sprinkle over a little glitter. Leave the flowers for a moment to dry while you get to work on your bonnet.

2. Make the headband

Now it's time to create the base for your beautiful spring headpiece. Cut a strip of cardboard approximately 5cm wide and 60cm long. This will become your headband. Don't worry if your cardboard isn't quite long enough to fit comfortably around your child's head. Simply join two pieces together securely with tape. Before decorating, gently wrap the cardboard around your child's head to check the size. It should sit comfortably without being too tight.

Next, cut your crepe paper streamers into pieces approximately 15cm long. Do the same with your curling ribbon. Glue these onto the side of the headband so that they hang down around the ears. The more colour, the better! You could use pinks, yellows and greens for a traditional spring look, or let your little designer choose a completely wild rainbow of colours.

3. Create your spring garden

Now for the best bit — time to decorate! Glue your cupcake-case flowers onto the cardboard headband, arranging them however you like. You could create one enormous statement flower, cover the whole headband with blooms or make a little garden of flowers running from one side to the other.

And because we're celebrating Easter too, why not add a few extra decorations? Little spring chicks, fluffy bunnies and other Easter decorations can make lovely additions. You can often find inexpensive decorations in local pound shops and craft shops. You could even add little paper butterflies, ladybirds or bees to turn your headband into a miniature spring garden.

4. Let the creativity bloom!

Here's where we think you should forget about the instructions for a moment: there is no such thing as too much colour! Add glitter. Add ribbon. Add more flowers. Add a butterfly. Add a bunny wearing a crown if that's what your little crafter wants! The beauty of homemade crafts is that every creation is different. Maybe your bonnet will look like a meadow full of wildflowers. Perhaps it will become an Easter garden covered in chicks and rabbits. Or maybe it will be a magnificent rainbow explosion that can be seen from the other side of the garden. Let children make the decisions and see what they come up with.

5. Ta-da!

And there you have it! A wonderful explosion of colour to encourage spring on its way. Pop on your brand-new headband, put on your wellies and head outside to celebrate the changing season.

Spring is on its way!

We love crafts that help children notice the changing seasons. As you make your bonnets, talk about what happens in spring. Can you spot new buds appearing on the trees? Which flowers are blooming? Are the birds singing a little louder? Can you find signs of new life in the garden? It's a lovely reminder that even while we're still reaching for our raincoats and wellies, the natural world is busy getting ready for spring.

So grab those cupcake cases, dig out the glitter and get crafting. Flower power, glitter power and a whole lot of springtime colour — bring it on!