Today on The Inspiration Edit I have a fantastic, fun, and simple clothes peg crocodile craft to share with you. This is a great clothespin craft that can be made both at home and as an easy preschool craft idea.
Painting and creating with kids is not only fun but educational. It's a great way to expand the imagination, develop fine motor skills, and get kids talking and working on those arty skills.
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💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
- Snappy Fun: The clothespin makes your croc’s mouth open and close—chomp chomp!
- Hands-On Play: It’s part craft, part toy, and all fun for pretend play.
- Swamp-Tastic Decor: Makes a fun jungle display or puppet show star!
🎨 Supplies Needed
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🖌️ How To Make the Crocodile Craft
- Step 1: Begin by painting your clothespins green.
- Step 2: Set aside and allow your clothespins to dry completely.
- Step 3: Bend your green pipe cleaner in a zigzag pattern.
- Step 4: Cut your pipe cleaner to fit the top of your clothespin using the metal portion as a guide. Don’t go past the metal with the pipe cleaner.
- Step 5: Hot glue your pipe cleaner in place. Hot glue googly eyes on top of your clothespin.
- Step 6: Paint the inside of your crocodile's mouth red.
- Step 7: Allow to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Using scraps of white poster board, create alligator teeth by zigzagging your scissors.
- Step 8: Hot glue the zig zag teeth in place. Turn over your Crocodile craft and glue a magnet to the back. Your magnet is finished and ready to hang your children’s masterpieces on the fridge
Enjoy this fantastic crocodile craft idea. It is such an easy craft for preschoolers and I love it.
Have you ever made clothespin crafts for preschoolers before? I'd love to hear your ideas!
Why not try making more clothing pin creatures.
It is super fun and a fantastic craft to make at home with the kids or in the classroom.
- Paint First: Begin by painting the clothespins green and allow them to dry completely.
- Create Texture: Bend green pipe cleaners in a zigzag pattern to mimic the crocodile's back and glue them atop the clothespin.
- Add Eyes: Attach googly eyes to the top of the clothespin for a fun, animated look.
- Design the Mouth: Paint the inside of the clothespin red to represent the mouth's interior.
- Craft Teeth: Cut white poster board in a zigzag pattern to form teeth and glue them inside the mouth.
- Magnetize: Glue a magnet to the back of the clothespin to transform it into a functional fridge magnet.
💡 Pro Tip: Make several crocodile clothespins and host a simple snapping contest by racing to pick up small objects, adding fun playtime after crafting.
🧑🎨 Expert Tips
- Layered Jaw Texture: Lightly sponge different shades of green across the clothespin before adding details to give the crocodile’s skin a more realistic, textured look.
- Open Mouth Detail: Attach tiny paper teeth to both the top and bottom inside of the clothespin so the crocodile looks like it's snapping when opened.
- Ridged Back Effect: Glue small raised bumps along the spine using tiny pieces of foam or layered dots of glue for a subtle, tactile finish.
- Side Eye Enhancement: Position the eyes on the very edge of the clothespin to mimic a crocodile’s wide field of vision and make the figure look more animated.
- Blended Tail Extension: Add a small green paper or felt tail at the back end of the clothespin to complete the crocodile shape without adding much bulk.
- Mud Base Trick: Display the finished crocodile resting on a "mud" base made from crumpled brown paper to create a quick mini-scene without needing extra props.
💭 FAQs
Painted crocodile clothespins can gently clip onto book pages, creating quirky bookmarks that snap the spot without bending or damaging your books.
By attaching a keyring to the crocodile’s back, kids can clip them to backpacks, adding a playful, custom-made charm to everyday school gear.
Glue a small paperclip to the crocodile mouth and use magnets on fishing poles, turning them into silly targets for DIY fishing challenges.
How To Make A Clothespin Craft Crocodile Craft
Equipment
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
Materials
- Clothing pegs
- Poster Board
- Red & Green Paint
- Paint Brush
- Google Eyes
- Begin by painting your clothespins green. Set aside and allow your clothespins to dry completely.Glue Sticks
- Magnets
- Green Pipe Cleaners
Instructions
- Bend your green pipe cleaner in a zigzag pattern.
- Cut your pipe cleaner to fit the top of your clothespin using the metal portion as a guide. Don’t go past the metal with the pipe cleaner.
- Allow to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
- Using scraps of white poster board, create alligator teeth by zigzagging your scissors.
- Hot glue the zig zag teeth in place.
- Your magnet is finished and ready to hang your children’s masterpieces on the fridge
- Enjoy this fantastic crocodile craft idea. It is such an easy craft for preschoolers and I love it.
- Have you ever made clothespin crafts for preschoolers before? I’d love to hear your ideas!
🖌️ Related Crafts
Love these crafts! Don't forget to pin them on Pinterest or leave a comment and let us know how you got on!
Did you make this craft? Leave a review and comment below! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest.
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