Craft for Kids: Tomato Cage Sculpture

Some days you set out materials and you have plan for how you think they will be used. Some days you set out materials and you wait to see how they are used. We have two tomato cages that have been sitting in our shed since we tried growing tomatoes two years ago. The bugs and birds in our neighborhood feasted on the cherry tomatoes we grew and we were left with very few to eat. It was decided after the summer of animal feasting we were not going to have a free offering of tomatoes for the local birds and beasts for awhile. It seemed a shame to have the tomato cages just sit in the shed so, I took out one of them and put in on the deck. My son asked if I could get him some yarn so he could do a project with it. While I got the yarn, he gathered sticks, leaves and a magnolia bloom. After securing the top of the cage with a twist tie,  I sat back on a deck chair and watched him create. He can't tie knots in yarn yet so, he wrapped it around and around the sticks and leaves. After awhile I asked him to teach me how to attach sticks and leaves, it was fun to have him be the teacher. It was amazing to see how the sticks and leaves stayed in place. Sometimes just setting out materials and watching your children decide what to create provides you with a wonderful sculpture for your deck. The tomato cage sculpture we created turned out well I think!

 Here are some other inspirations for re-using items around the house :

• Rain Gutters, Roads, Toothpaste, and Clipboards – shelves from gutters and rattles from toothpaste boxes
• It’s Playtime: Play with Recycled Items – some fun ideas for using items out of your recycling bin
• Recycled Art: Creating a K-cup Mobile – create art with a used Keurig K-cup