Walnut Shell Animals

Kids will go nuts over these pocket-sized animals made with walnut shells. Display all four animals in shadow boxes for a cute look. This project comes to us from Heidi Borchers of Inspired at Home.

Materials:

• 6” square of lightweight cardboard
• 3 whole walnuts
• 1 walnut half
• Acrylic paints: gray, green, light blue, orange, purple, white
• Paintbrushes
• Toothpicks
• Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue ™
• Scraps of felt: green, black, orange, pink, purple, white
• 1” diameter pom-poms: 1 gray, 2 white
• ¼” diameter pom-poms: 2 each white, pink
• 1 (3/4” diameter) green pom-pom
• 8 (1/8” diameter) black beads
• 6” (1/16” wide) lavender ribbon
• Scraps of white paper
• Colored pencils: orange, green
• Patterns

Instructions:

Transfer base pattern to cardboard and cut 3 (1 for each animal except turtle). Referring to photo, paint cardboard bases and walnuts; let dry. To complete turtle shell, paint flowers using toothpicks. Just dip end of toothpick into paint and dot on flowers. Let dry.

For each animal, glue cardboard base to rounded end of matching walnut. Referring to photo, glue 1” pom-pom to pointed end of matching walnut. For cat and bunny, glue 1 (1/4”) pom-poms side by side to head to form cheeks. Let dry.

Transfer turtle pattern to green felt and cut out. Center and glue turtle shell to green felt turtle. Let dry. Glue ¾” pom-pom to turtle for head. Let dry.

Referring to photo for colors, transfer remaining patterns to felt and cut out. Glue felt pieces in place on matching animals. Let dry. Glue 2 beads to each head for eyes. Let dry. For bunny, tie ribbon in bow and glue in place. Transfer pattern for bunny teeth to paper scrap and cut out. Draw and color a carrot on scrap paper and cut out. Glue teeth and carrot to bunny. Let dry.