Coiled Snake Craft

By Amanda Formaro of Crafts By Amanda

I love to craft with cardboard tubes. After all, they are readily available and a craft surface that is really easy to work with–especially for kids. These cute snakes are colorful and fun and allow your kids to express their creativity using their favorite colors.

Materials:

a cardboard tube that can be cut up
tube from wrapping paper or similar tubular item
two googly eyes (optional)

toothpick (optional)
scissors
glue
paint

Instructions

Paint the inside and outside of the cardboard tube. Apply second coat if needed.
Cut the tube into coils. If your cardboard is still a little damp, it might not hold its round shape. Using the tube from wrapping paper, or something similar, wrap the cut cardboard around the tube loosely. Use the handle end of a paintbrush to add polka dots to the cardboard with a contrasting color of paint. Let dry completely, then flip over on the other side and finish your polka dots.
Remove from tube and wrap the painted cardboard in coil fashion around your fingers. Place the coiled cardboard on the table. Paint one end with red and let it dry. This will be the head. Meanwhile, glue on the googly eyes just above the red part, adding the glue with a toothpick if desired since they are small.
After the red paint is dry, use small scissors to snip the end into a forked tongue. An easier option, if your kids are smaller, is to cut a forked tongue from red construction paper, snip the end of the cardboard to cut off the point, and glue that paper tongue in place instead.

Enjoy your sssssssnakes!

Amanda Formaro is a Midwest mother of four and has been crafting on the Internet for over fifteen years. She has been published in several major magazines and websites, including Parents Magazine, Redbook, Family.com, and Kaboose.com, among many others. Her passion for crafting resonates from her blog, Crafts by Amanda, where she shares tutorials with step-by-step photos for adults and kids alike.