Cork-Stamped Flower Wreath

We recently used wine corks and a handful of colourful buttons to stamp up a bouquet of pretty paper flowers. The hooligans so enjoyed making the process, we decided to do it again.

This time, we're making a sweet, little wreath, perfect for celebrating the arrival of spring! 

You Will Need: 

• paper plate
• paint
• 10 corks (a group of 7 and a group of 3)
• colourful buttons or craft-foam circles
• elastic bands
• white card stock
• plate or Styrofoam tray (your paint pallet)
• glue
• scissors
• paintbrush (optional)
• decorative ribbon (for hanging)

Instructions:

Begin by cutting out the inner circle of your paper plate. The outer circle will form your wreath. The inner circle can be saved for making a different craft on another day.

Have your child paint that outer circle in a fun, colour. Don't put any emphasis on perfection here. It's important to let children simply enjoy the process and decide for themselves when their work is finished.

Set the wreath aside to dry. It's time to get busy stamping! With an elastic band, secure 3 corks together. Do the same for the remaining 7 corks. These will be your flower "stamps".

Drizzle several colours of paint onto a flat surface like a plate or a Styrofoam tray, overlapping the colours slightly.

Now your child can dip a stamp into the paint and press it onto the white card stock. Encourage your child to wiggle the stamp in the paint, or to give it a little twist to ensure the corks are well-coated. Stamp as many flowers as you wish! This part of the process is really fun. I found it a little addictive and had a hard time deciding when enough was enough!

Let your flowers dry, and then cut them out. Older children can do this step themselves, but if you're crafting with very young children, you'll likely need to do the cutting for them them. For the centres of the flowers, glue a button or craft-foam circle in place.

Finish by gluing flowers all around the painted wreath! To hang your adorable spring wreath, punch a hole in the top of the paper plate, thread a ribbon through and tie a bow!

Happy spring!