There’s just something about flower crafts that feels like sunshine on paper. Whether it’s springtime, you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, or your kid just really loves gluing things—flower crafts are always a hit. They’re open-ended, packed with color, and the kind of project that works great for toddlers, preschoolers, and even big kids who still love a good paint-and-glue session.
Let’s be honest, half the fun of flower crafts is watching your kid turn the petals neon green or build a rainbow-colored garden out of cupcake liners. These kinds of activities are the sweet spot—creative, simple to set up, and flexible enough to do with whatever materials you already have at home.
Why You’ll Love These Flower Crafts
You don’t need a lot of fancy stuff. Seriously. Some paper, glue, a few odds and ends from your craft drawer (or even the recycling bin), and you’re good to go. Plus, flower crafts are perfect for practicing fine motor skills—ripping tissue paper, painting petals, threading beads onto pipe cleaner stems—it all adds up.
They’re also great for conversation starters. While you craft, you can talk about seasons, plant life cycles, or just make up stories about magical gardens. Our latest favorite? A tulip that could sing. Obviously.
What Makes a Good Flower Craft for Kids?
In our house, the best crafts are the ones that let kids do their thing. That’s why I love flower crafts that are process-based and give space for choice. Want to use tissue paper? Awesome. Pom poms and coffee filters? Go for it. Bonus points if it includes scissors, painting, or a little bit of sensory play.
Here are a few must-haves when choosing flower crafts for kids:
- Open-ended designs: Let kids choose the colors, shapes, or how many petals a flower “should” have.
- Easy for little hands: Tearing, gluing, stamping, or sticking is way more fun than precision cutting.
- Materials that inspire creativity: Try foil, cupcake liners, bubble wrap, or nature finds like leaves and sticks.
- Quick setup + cleanup: No one has time for a 40-minute setup for a 5-minute craft.
How to Set Up a Go-To Flower Craft Station
Honestly, this doesn’t need to be complicated. Grab a tray or shallow bin and toss in:
- Construction paper or paper plates
- Glue sticks or white glue
- Paint and brushes (or dot markers!)
- Tissue paper, buttons, cupcake liners, etc.
- Scissors, q-tips, popsicle sticks
Keep everything accessible and let your child build their own flower garden whenever inspiration strikes. You can even take it outside if the weather’s nice and make it a whole nature-meets-art situation!
Flower Crafts Toddlers and Preschoolers
1. Smush Painted Flowers
Smush painting is always a hit with kids! This flower version is all about squishing and revealing surprise bursts of color that resemble beautiful spring blooms. Free flower templates available below.
Materials:
- White cardstock or paper
- Flower printables
- Washable paint (various colors)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Large Pom Pom
How to Set Up:
Print out flowers and fold the sheet of paper in half. Squeeze a few blobs of paint onto half of a piece of paper. Fold the paper over and smush and spread the paint around with your hands. Carefully unfold the paper to reveal the color. Allow it to dry. Cut it out and glue a Pom Pom in the middle.
2. Q-Tip Painted Allium Flower
This simple dot painting technique is inspired by the round puffball shape of allium flowers. It’s great for building fine motor control and turns out so pretty!
Materials:
- Q-tips
- Elastic band
- Paint brush
- Washable paint (purples, greens, or any color)
- White paper or cardstock
- Green marker or paint for the stem
How to Set Up:
Use the paint brush to paint the stem and the spines of the flower in a circle from the stem. Use an elastic band to connect several q-tips together. Dip the Q-tips into paint and dab dots in a circular shape to create the top of the allium around the spines. Let it dry and admire the texture and detail from the tiny dots.
3. Pom Pom Painted Flowers
Painting with pom poms gives kids a fun way to explore texture and color while making gorgeous spring flowers.
Materials:
- Clothespins
- Pom poms
- Washable paint
- Paper or cardstock
- Paint brush
How to Set Up:
Clip a pom pom with a clothespin to create a “brush.” Paint the stems and leaves on the brush. Dip the pom poms into paint and stamp onto the paper in flower shapes. Use different colors for petals, centers, and stems.
4. Sponge Painted Flowers
Soft sponges make perfect stampers for chunky, colorful flowers. This is a great activity for little hands!
Materials:
- Kitchen sponges
- Scissors
- Washable paint
- White cardstock
- Paint tray or paper plate
How to Set Up:
Cut sponges into flower petal, rectangle and/or tulip shapes. Dip the rectangle and leaf shape sponges into paint and create the stems and leaves. Dip the flower petal and tulip sponges into paint and press onto paper to make flowers.
5. Salt Painted Flowers
Salt painting turns any drawing into a cool, raised texture art piece. Combine it with flowers and watercolor paints for a magical activity. Free flower templates available below.
Materials:
- Flower templates
- White glue
- Table salt
- Watercolor paints
- Paintbrush or pipettes
- Cardstock
How to Set Up:
Print on white cardstock. Use glue to draw a flower outline on your cardstock. Sprinkle salt over the glue and shake off excess. Dip your brush into watercolors and lightly touch it to the salt lines to watch the colors spread.
6. Bleeding Tissue Paper Flower
Bleeding tissue paper is an art material that creates dreamy watercolor effects without the mess of paint. Perfect for floral crafting!
Materials:
- Bleeding tissue paper (not regular tissue!)
- Spray bottle or paintbrush with water
- White cardstock
- Scissors and glue
- Flower templates
How to Set Up:
Print out the flower templates. Tear bleeding tissue paper into small pieces and arrange on the flower. Spray with water and let the color transfer. Once dry, peel off the tissue, cut out the flower and glue to a piece a construction paper.
7. Cotton Pad Flowers
Cotton pads make adorable fluffy flower petals, and they’re super easy for toddlers and preschoolers to use. Simple materials, sweet results!
Materials:
- Cotton pads
- Bowls
- Water
- Food coloring
- Eye droppers
- Glue
- Cardstock
- Markers or paint for stems
How to Set Up:
Fold and cut cotton pads into tulip shape. Add food coloring to the bowl and water. Paint cotton pads using eye droppers and let them dry. Glue them to the paper in a flower shape and draw stems and leaves underneath.
8. Flower Suncatcher Craft
These DIY flower suncatchers look beautiful hanging in any sunny window. Kids will love the process of layering tissue or real petals to create their own glowing garden.
9. Flower Coloring Pages
These free printable flower coloring pages are a calming and creative activity for kids of all ages. Just add crayons, markers, or watercolors.
10. Straw Painted Flowers Craft
Grab a straw and let the painting fun begin. This process art activity creates fun, spiky petals while building fine motor skills.
11. Bottle Cap Flowers
Upcycle your recycling bin with these adorable bottle cap flowers. Kids can create colorful blossoms while learning about reusing materials.
12. Cotton Pad Daisies
Turn simple cotton pads into sweet little daisies with just glue and paint. This craft is soft, sensory, and super easy for little crafters.
13. Spoon Flower Craft
Plastic spoons become blooming petals in this fun flower craft. It’s a great way to repurpose everyday materials into a colorful bouquet.
14. Coffee Filter Flowers
With just coffee filters, markers, and water, kids can create stunning tie-dye style flowers. A little magic happens when the colors blend together!
15. Egg Carton Flowers
Transform egg cartons into 3D flower art. This classic craft is perfect for practicing cutting, painting, and building skills.
16. Cupcake Liner Photo Flower
Make a keepsake bloom with cupcake liners and a photo center. This one’s perfect for Mother’s Day or as a sweet gift for loved ones.
17. Cardboard Tube Flowers
Save those toilet paper rolls and turn them into colorful, layered flowers. This open-ended craft is great for building, stacking, and decorating.
18. Milk Experiment Flowers
Milk experiment flowers crafts are a fun and educational way to teach kids about science and art. Perfect for Mother’s Day or Spring!
19. Puffy Paint Flowers Craft
Fluffy Puffy Paint flower is a fun and adorable craft to create for spring. Create a colourful fluffy flowers using 3-ingredient puffy paint!
20. Shaving Cream Sunflowers
These are absolutely gorgeous little paper sunflowers are super fun to make with your toddler or preschooler!
21. Coffee Filter Flower Craft
Get ready to add some color and cheer to your home with an exciting coffee filter flower craft for kids! Perfect for spring or Mother’s Day!
22. Make Your Own Nature Paint Brushes
Making your own DIY nature paint brushes is a fun and unique way to create art while also getting outside and exploring the world around you.
23. Nature Butterfly Sticky Wall Craft
Create a beautiful butterfly craft using items found in nature! This nature butterfly sticky wall is a great summer craft for kids!
24. Foil Printed Tulip Craft
Foil Printed Tulip Craft for Spring is an easy but very fun craft for spring! Create textured tulips using a free tulip template and foil!
25. Cupcake Liner Flower Craft
Cupcake Liner Flowers is an beautiful craft for kids of all ages. These make a great gift for Mother’s Day or a fun craft during spring.
26. Cotton Ball Flower Painting
Cotton Ball Flower Painting is a great art activity for Spring! Create and decorate spring flowers with your toddlers and preschoolers!
27. Spinning Paper Plate Flower Craft
This spinning paper plate flower combines crafting and movement in one fun project. Perfect for little hands that love to build and play.
28. Gems and Watercolour Flower Painting
Create a beautiful multi-media watercolour art project with your preschooler using gems. It’s something they can do one their own and the results are stunning!
29. Flower Garden Painting
Create a beautiful floral garden using items in from your kitchen and bathroom!
Looking for more summer activity ideas? Check out of these other round-ups for more ways to stay busy this summer:
- 25+ Outdoor Water Activities to Keep Kids Cool This Summer
- 40+ Awesome Outdoor Learning Activities for Kids
- 30+ Easy Outdoor Art Projects for Kids
- 60+ Awesome Outdoor Activities for Kids
- 45+ Awesome Water Sensory Bins for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- 40+ Water Table Activities for Toddlers
- 21+ Spray Bottle Activities for Toddler
- 20 Amazing Backyard Obstacle Courses
- 21+ Amazing Summer Sensory Bins
- 40+ Ice Sensory Play
- 12 Healthy Smoothie Recipes for Toddlers + Kids
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
