Turn a forgotten, bird-shaped sweet potato into a feathered bird by drawing eyes and wings with a marker, then gluing on feathers and googly eyes. It's a quick, child-led nature craft that saves an unlucky veggie from the back of the cabinet.
Googly eyes are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely with young children.
Once the sweet potato is drawn on and glued, it's a craft, not food. Don't cook or eat it.
Supervise glue use and wash hands after the craft.
Before the kids arrive
Look through the pantry or vegetable bin for a sweet potato with a bird-like shape (older, shriveled ones work well).
Steps
Find a sweet potato that looks like a bird.
Draw eyes and wings on the sweet potato with a marker.
Set out glue, feathers and googly eyes.
Glue feathers onto the bird's body.
Stick on the googly eyes.
Let the glue dry before playing with your bird.
Tips
The forgotten veggie that rolls away to the very end of the cabinet is the one to look for. Ours was a shriveled sweet potato that looked just like a bird, or a seal maybe.from the author
Let the kids lead. I didn't have to explain anything: as soon as the glue, feathers and googly eyes came out, she squealed "Cool! We can stick feathers and googly eyes."from the author
Veggies you can't eat or give away can be used for stamping too.from readers
Make it your own
Turn a differently shaped sweet potato into a seal or another animal.
Use forgotten potatoes or other veggies for stamping.
The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · August 2012
One day Big A found a shriveled up sweet potato. "Mom, this one looks like a bird!" She dashed off with a marker and started drawing eyes and wings.
After Big A had a ball drawing wings and eyes on the sweet potato, I set out some glue, feathers and googly eyes to finish up what she started.
I didn't have to explain anything. She squealed, "Cool! We can stick feathers and googly eyes!" She stuck feathers on the body and attached eyes. Tada!
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What readers say
💬 4 comments✍️ 1 answered by the author
✨ Readers' twist
Stamp with leftover produce
A CSA member hates wasting produce. When they can't eat or gift a vegetable, they stamp with it. TurkeyMom plans to try this with forgotten potatoes.
“On the occasion that we can't consume it or gift it, we do try to stamp with it, that sort of thing.”
🎉 Worked for us
A perfect bird shape
A fellow craft blogger loved how naturally the shriveled sweet potato already looked like a bird.
“Oh my, that sweet potato really is a PERFECT bird shape.”
Recently tried
Read all 4 comments
Sofia's Ideas · Aug 2012
Tada, indeed! ;0
Yes, we belong to a CSA so we hate to let anything go to waste. On the occasion that we can't consume it or gift it, we do try to stamp with it, that sort of thing. And to think, I used to just toss them in the trash!? Gasp!
TurkeyMomAuthor · Aug 2012 · replying to Sofia's Ideas
Stamping seems to be a good idea. Will try to do that to our runaway forgotten potatoes.
maggy, red ted art · Aug 2012
Oh my, that sweet potato really is a PERFECT bird shape. Love it.
Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
Read all 4 comments
Sofia's Ideas · Aug 2012
Tada, indeed! ;0 Yes, we belong to a CSA so we hate to let anything go to waste. On the occasion that we can't consume it or gift it, we do try to stamp with it, that sort of thing. And to think, I used to just toss them in the trash!? Gasp!
TurkeyMomAuthor · Aug 2012 · replying to Sofia's Ideas
Stamping seems to be a good idea. Will try to do that to our runaway forgotten potatoes.
maggy, red ted art · Aug 2012
Oh my, that sweet potato really is a PERFECT bird shape. Love it. Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty! Maggy