Date : July 14, 2020
Did you know Australia has 11 species of owls? When we think of Australian native birds, we often think of brash birds like galahs, cockatoos and even lorikeets.
But the owl is a remarkable bird and has characteristics which capture our curiosity and imagination. They are hauntingly beautiful with their nocturnal existence and intense eyesight.
Owls are raptors, which means they are a bird of prey. They are night hunters and play an important part in the ecosystem by controlling fluctuating species.
The Australian owl species are often found deep in bush heritage areas. They can be found in every state and territory in Australia. You might be lucky to come across an owl at night when going for a late night bushwalk.
Our interest in the owl species in Australia prompted the creation of this unique Gumnut Owl Craft.
If you’ve had a walk around your neighbourhood or even in your own backyard, you may have noticed the trees are bare. Leaves, gumnuts and even bark have scattered across our lawns.
All these natural elements can be used to make a family of gumnut owls.
This craft will make a cute decoration in your bedroom.
Materials
- Collection of gumnuts, leaves, sticks
- Googly Eyes
- Glue
- Scissors
- Tweezers
Instructions
1. Go for a walk in the yard to collect your materials. You will need a few gumnuts in different sizes. Gather leaves and sticks as these will be used for the owl features.
2. Glue two googly eyes on a gumnut. Use tweezers to gently place the eyes on the gumnut if using a hot glue gun.
3. Cut the ends of some leaves to create the owl beaks. Glue the beaks to the gumnut.
4. Glue smaller leaves to both sides of the gumnut to create the owl wings.
5. Repeat the same process to make a few gumnut owl members.
6. Glue your gumnut owls onto a stick to create a family of gumnut owls.
This craft idea can be used for imaginative play to recreate your own stories about owls in the Australian bush.
Crafty Bec
Crafty Bec is here to help stimulate little imaginations and spark a creative flame in little people. Inspired by May Gibbs’ own passion for creative writing and art, Bec helps educators and mums to embrace nature inspired creativity.
