Fun Littles

Fun and easy kids activities

Candy Flower Garden with Wrapper Butterflies

Oct 8, 20126,492 views
Nature crafts
Ages4–8 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Twist leftover candy wrappers into butterflies, then glue sugar candies into flowers on a picture frame, adding twig stems and yard leaves. A fine-motor Halloween-candy craft that uses up leftovers.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Small hard candies are a choking hazard for young children. Supervise closely and keep loose candy away from babies and toddlers.
  • Plastic candy wrappers are a choking and suffocation hazard for babies. If a little one crinkles wrappers, an adult stays right beside them and collects every wrapper afterward.
  • The frame used in the post has a border of pistachio shells (a tree nut). For children with nut allergies, skip it and use a nut-free backdrop.
  • Don't eat candy once it has had glue on it. If snacking is allowed, set aside a few clean pieces.
  • Check family and school allergy and candy policies before using candy with a group.

Before the kids arrive

  • Make the pistachio shell frame from the earlier shell craft, or prepare another backdrop.
  • Save and smooth out candy wrappers.
  • Gather small sticks and leaves from the yard.

Steps

  1. Smooth out a candy wrapper.

  2. Give it a good twist in the middle to make a butterfly. Twist a couple more times so it holds its shape.

  3. Lay candies on your frame in flower shapes.

  4. Glue the candy flowers down, one piece at a time.

  5. Glue a small stick under each flower for a stem.

  6. Glue leaves next to the stems.

  7. Glue the wrapper butterflies above the flowers to make it 'beautifuller'.

  8. Leave your candy garden flat until the glue is dry.

Tips

  • You might have to twist the wrappers a couple of times for them to hold their shape. Sounds simple? Trust me, it is not that easy for a 4-year-old. It calls for some serious motor skills.from the author
  • Our girls love to throw wrappers up and pretend they are butterflies. Twisting them into real butterflies quieted them down.from the author
  • Expect some resistance: Big S said 'That's my food, mom!' before she turned her candy into crafting material, and she munched on a few along the way. They really were irresistible.from the author
  • Crinkling wrappers is fun for babies: the sound of crushing plastic excites the young ones. Stay right beside them and gather every wrapper afterward.from the author
  • The candy flower patterns looked so cute they inspired us to make a whole scenery.from the author
  • On the lighter side, she learnt that eating too much candy can give you a tummy ache.from the author
  • One reader always seems to have an excess of candy and found this a good way to use it.from readers

Make it your own

  • Make just the twisted candy wrapper butterflies as a quick, standalone fine-motor activity.
  • Arrange candy flower patterns without glue, then glue your favorite into a full scene.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · October 2012
Candy Craft
This candy craft will come in really handy when Halloween rolls around. You might think your kid would want to eat that candy, but kids love to create with non-toys, even candy.
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Candy Flower Garden with Wrapper Butterflies: the original post

This candy craft will come in really handy when Halloween rolls around. Crafts with candy and crafts with candy wrappers may seem undoable because you might think “my kid would want to eat that candy, not craft with candy”. But kids love to create with non-toys, even candy remember.Read on.. Like many kids, Big S loves her sugar candies. With candy comes the need to keep reminding that the wrappers need to go to the trash bin. The girls love to throw them up and pretend they are butterflies. Laughter and giggles to follow from all the messing up.

  • Sugar candy
  • Candy wrapper

To quiet them down, I took the wrappers and started twisting them to make simple butterflies. The candy wrapper play is perfect for my baby who is almost 1. The sound of crushing plastic just excites the young ones. Smooth out the wrappers and give them a good twist. You might have to twist them a couple of times for them to hold their shape. Sounds simple ? Trust me it is not that easy for a 4 yr old. It called for some serious motor skills. We made some cute, colorful butterflies. Big S squeals: Flowers mommy ! Butterflies need flowers . I saw the pack of candy and said ” Let’s make flowers with these” Big S: No. That’s my food mom. Did she just say candy is her food? Resistant at first to turn the little delicacies into crafting material, she finally started making flower shapes with them. Sure enough munching on a few here and there. They really were irresistible. The candy flower patterns looked so cute, it inspired us to make a scenery with them. This is where things got a bit more interesting. She chose the picture frame from our earlier “shell crafts” as the backdrop for our scenic creations.

  • Picture frame from “nuts about shells”
  • Sugar candy
  • Glue
  • Leaves
  • Small sticks
  • Candy wrapper butterfly

She made the candy flowers and glued them to our frame. Small sticks and leaves from the yard made the stem and leaves. She added the butterflies to make them – you guessed it – “Beautifuller”

Pretty neat don’t you think ?

  • Understanding Nature
  • It screams out – Fine motor skills
  • On the lighter side she learnt – Eating too much candy can give you a tummy ache.

Thanks for reading

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What readers say

💬 2 comments

🎉 Worked for us

A good use for excess candy

A reader whose family always seems to have extra candy sees this craft as a good way to use it up.

“We always have an excess of candy it seems; definitely a good way to use it.”
Ashley, Oct 2012

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 2 comments
  1. Buzzin · Oct 2012 · replying to Ashley

    Thats the best part :-) ! Thanks .

  2. Ashley · Oct 2012

    Very cute pictures! We always have an excess of candy it seems; definitely a good way to use it.

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