Spring is sprung, the grass is riz…
It’s time to celebrate the colours bursting out around us at this time of year - bright skies, lush lawns and those blooms and blossoms lighting up the garden.

Patty pans seem perfect kids craft. Maybe it’s because they’re already cheerfully coloured, or simply because they evoke thoughts of two of my favourite things - parties and cakes! Whatever the reason, I have a real soft spot for patty pans.

If you’re gathering a supply of simple materials for your creative kids don’t overlook the humble patty pan. Available cheaply at supermarkets they’re a versatile little item that’s handy to have in the pantry for baking, and should also be a staple in any crafty stash.

I’m finding patty pans in all sorts of fun sizes, colours and patterns these days, but don’t overlook the plain white ones – they’re lovely when kids add their own colours in texta.

How can patty pans be used? Of course the possibilities are as endless as your child’s imagination, but here are a few ideas:

Something to give

Taking flowers to a friend? Attach patty pans to pipe-cleaners or sticks to create a bouquet that’s everlasting.

Need a special card for a special person? Commission the kids to make something unique, with patty pan embellishments that add an extra dimension.

Something to wear

A colourful necklace or lei is easily made by threading patty pans along a length of string or ribbon. Make holes in the centre of each patty pan with a hole punch or by poking with a skewer. Tie a pasta noodle ‘anchor’ to one end of the string and wrap the other end in tape to make a stiff ‘needle’ that’s easier for children to manoeuvre. When it’s is ready to wear trim the ends and tie together.

Brighten up paper hats and crowns with the addition of some fancy patty pan blooms.

Something to decorate

A festive bunting can be made by folding patty pans in half and gluing them into closed semicircles along a length of string.

To make a simple wreath cut the centre from a paper plate, and then get the kids to glue patty pans around the remaining ring. Attach a loop of string to hang the wreath from a door handle.

Fold patty pans into quarters or eights and use scissors to snip away pieces from the edges. Unfold to reveal lacy snowflake shapes.

More for busy fingers

Patty pans are a fun accessory to add to your playdough kit, and often inspire some creative playful ‘baking’.

Light and easy to fold and cut, they’re ideal for collage - simply provide a glue stick and let the kids go for it. You never know what might emerge… polka dots, skirts on figures, flowers or planets.

Use patty pans as sorting cups. Offer children a range of small items to sort – pasta shapes, seeds pods from a bushwalk, buttons from the sewing box, etc. and encourage children to sort them into colours or shapes.