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We’ve officially seen the return of the sun here in Nebraska, and this mama couldn’t be more excited about spending the next few months OUTSIDE with my girls! Crafting is something we enjoy year-round, but I find it especially fun when we can take our creativity outdoors. Not to mention, the mess is much easier to control with a hose at my disposal ;)

Sunshine and Picnics

Our first step for any outdoor activity is always sunscreen! I have used Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen for myself in the past, so I was super excited when I heard they had a baby version for my girls to try. Needless to say, we’re hooked! I think for my girls, it **might** have something to do with the fact that the bottle “magically” turns pink when exposed to UV light! Hey, whatever it takes to make sunscreen time fun ;) 

With a summer full of outdoor picnics on the horizon, I came up with a cute craft for the girls to make their very own felt straw toppers. We had so much fun creating these flowers and bugs together, and with results this adorable, I can’t wait to do it again when their cousins visit this summer :)

DIY Felt Straw Topper Craft

What you need to get started

Supplies:

Flower and bug templates (download here)
Craft felt
Scissors
Paint
Paint brush
Craft glue
Googly eyes
Straws

Creating your felt straw toppers

Your first step will be downloading and printing off this template for the pieces of the flowers (petals, leaves, and center) and bugs (body and wings). You’ll use these templates to cut out the components from craft felt. You can trace directly onto the felt, but I much prefer using this method!

Personalize with paint

Once you have all of your pieces cut out, it’s time for the kiddos to get to work painting! Let their imaginations run wild to truly personalize their creations!

Eleanor could have spent ALL day getting her flower petals *just* right

Everly on the other hand, was much happier seeing how many googly eyes she could fit on her bug ;)

Assembling your felt straw toppers

Once the paint has dried, carefully cut two 1/2 inch slits in the center of the flower petals/bug body. I used the width of the straw as a guide for spacing.

You’ll then weave your petals/wings through these slits to create the loop for securing the straw.

For the flowers, you’ll use a small dab of craft glue to adhere the flower center. And for the bugs, you’ll now glue on your googly eyes :)

Finishing your project

The only thing left to do is slide your straw through the loop and find a tasty beverage to sip! You’re all finished! These little felt straw toppers are super easy, but oh-so-cute!

Summer Picnics with Style

These adorable flowers and bugs are sure to make your next picnic a little more fun! No two creations will ever turn out exactly the same, so they’re a great reminder of which drink is yours! I’m already brainstorming how I can incorporate these into Eleanor’s birthday in June. I think they would make a great party craft!

Start with Sun Safety

I found Blue Lizard® sunscreen at Walmart, and now I need to go back and stock up for all my sunscreen stashes (diaper bag, purse, pool bag, laundry room, etc). Keeping sunscreen easily accessible makes remembering to apply it SO much easier! And right now, there’s a great iBotta offer – join iBotta and earn $4.00 when you purchase a 5oz bottle of Blue Lizard® Baby!

I love that Blue Lizard® provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with 30+ SPF. And perhaps equally as important – it’s super easy to spread and isn’t stinky or sticky! This is so helpful when trying to wrestle sunscreen onto two wiggly kiddos!

If you have itty bitty ones (6 months or younger) it’s important to ask your child’s pediatrician before applying sunscreen, but Blue Lizard® Baby or Sensitive products can be great options for little kiddos!

Sunny Crafternoons

If this sunny May has been any preview of our summer, we have a lot to look forward to! I hope to do many more backyard crafts with the girls and continue sharing them here with you. This beautiful “bouquet” was a great way to start :)

Pin this post for a fun summer activity to do with your kids! Let me know if you try this felt straw topper craft :)

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