Very Hungry Caterpillar Clay Craft

I have been an Eric Carle fan for many years. In my classroom when teaching younger grades, we read his stories all the time and with the older grades, we would learn how to make art in his style. So of course this Very Hungry Caterpillar Clay Craft is a project that I simply adore.

My middle grandchild is a huge fan of this little caterpillar and so this was created in his honor. You could even make all of the foods to go with it and go through the book, acting it out with your little clay creations. It would be so much fun!

Check out our cute little clay fruits too!

Very Hungry Caterpillar Clay Craft

List of Supplies:

• Air dry clay or foam clay
• Clay tools
• Wire
• Sharpies 

Instructions:

Step 1:

Select green, red, black, yellow and purple colored clay for this Very Hungry Caterpillar craft project. Select 3 different shades of green clays and form smooth round shapes with them.

Step 2:

You can also add a marbles green shade to this craft. Mix and twist 2 different shades of green.

Step 3:

Form a smooth round shape with the mixed green clay.

Step 4:

Roll the ball shape against a smooth surface and form a rope shape with it.

Step 5:

Divide the clay rope into several even pieces. We will make disc shapes with each divided clay parts.

Step 6:

Form the divided clays into smooth, round shapes.

Step 7:

 Flatten the round clay shapes against a flat surface to form the disc shapes.

Step 8:

Form as many clay disc shapes as you’ll need to complete the body part of the clay caterpillar.

Step 9:

Measure a size for the caterpillar and cut out a piece of wire. Slightly bend the wire to the shape desired for the clay caterpillar.

Step 10:

Take any one of the clay discs and insert it into the wire through its center. Push the clay disc to the position you want.

Step 11:

Add more clay disc shapes to the wire.

Step 12:

You can start filling from a side or you can fill one side (left or right) first and then fill the other side.

Step 13:

Fill the entire wire but keep a cm intact for the head.

Step 14:

Measure and take an amount of red clay. Form a round shape with it.

Step 15:

Flatten the red clay ball slightly. Use a clay tool to make a small hole at the bottom side of the clay head shape.

Step 16:

Insert the clay head shape through the wire.

Step 17:

Use yellow clay for the eye bases and green clay for the eyeballs of the clay caterpillar.

Step 18:

Join the clay eye to the clay head, along the top part of it.

Step 19:

Join the other clay eye to the clay head.

Step 20:

Use purple clay to form the antennas of the clay caterpillar.

Step 21:

Use the pointy clay tool to make 2 holes on the top side of the head to insert the open ends of the antenna.

Step 22:

Insert the open ends of the clay antennas into the holes to fix their positions on the clay head neatly.

Step 23:

Join both the clay antennas neatly and allow them to dry a little before making the clay caterpillar stand.

Step 24:

Us the clay tool to make holes below a few clay discs (the ones that touch the bottom surface). This will help the clay caterpillar to stand straight nicely.