Ready for a craft project that's both creative and eco-friendly? This adorable smiling crocodile is a fantastic way to turn everyday household recyclables into a playful new friend! This project is perfect for encouraging imagination and teaching kids about reusing materials.
This brilliant craft was originally featured in Highlights Kids magazine. We're so excited to share our version of this creative project with you.
What You’ll Need
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Square tissue box
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Rectangular tissue box
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Egg carton
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Cardboard scraps
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4 toilet paper tubes
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Acrylic paint (shades of green work best!)
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Wiggle eyes
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2 pom-poms
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Markers
Let's Get Started!
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Build the Body: Glue the smaller, square tissue box on top of the longer, rectangular tissue box. This forms the head and body of your crocodile.
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Add the Mouth: Cut the top off the egg carton. Glue the remaining 10 egg cups over the opening of the rectangular tissue box. These will be your crocodile's teeth!
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Eyes & Snout: Cut two individual egg cups from the carton and glue them on top of the square tissue box for the eyes. Cover the opening of the square tissue box with a piece of cardboard.
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Legs & Feet: Glue four short toilet paper tubes to the bottom of the body for legs. Cut four feet from cardboard and glue them to the bottom of the tubes. Attach circles cut from cardboard to the other ends of the tubes to make them sturdy.
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Finish the Crocodile: Cut a long, pointy tail from a piece of cardboard and glue it onto the back of your crocodile.
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Decorate: Now for the fun part! Use acrylic paint to cover your crocodile. Once the paint is dry, glue on the wiggle eyes and two pom-poms for nostrils. Use markers to add more details like scales, a friendly smile, or a pattern on its back.
Your smiling crocodile is ready to play!
A big thank you to Highlights Kids for the inspiration for this wonderful project. You can find the original "Smilin' Crocodile" craft by Edna Harrington with a photo by Hank Schneider on their website.