Adorable paper roll pinecone squirrels

DIY paper roll pinecone squirrels! Pinecones have such a beautiful natural shape and texture, making them interesting for crafting. We love going for a walk and collecting nature goodies to turn into fun crafts. 

If you combine your natural finds with other craft materials, like paint, cardboard, paper, or fabric, your crafts will immediately look fun and unique. 

Today we will show you how to make a paper roll squirrel with a pinecone tail. So, gather the craft supplies below and start crafting these funky pinecone squirrels. 

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Paper roll pinecone squirrels craft for kids

Craft Supplies for pinecone squirrels

• Pine cones
• Acorn (optional)
• Paper roll
• Paint, we used acrylic paint
• Paint brush or sponge to apply paint
• Brown craft paper and white paper
• Pom-poms (optional)
• Googly eyes (optional)
• Glue, preferably hot glue
• Scissor

You can take your paper rolls for the base of your squirrels.

Cut a piece of your paper roll depending on the size of your pinecone

Paint your paper rolls and fold/close the top

Step-by-step craft instructions 

Step 1: Gather the craft supplies you need for this craft. 

Step 2: How many squirrels would you like to create? For each squirrel, you need one paper roll (see picture step 1). We cut off a small piece from our paper rolls so the squirrels would match the size of the pine cone better (see picture, step 2). But this step is optional and depends on the size of your pinecones. 

Step 3: Start with painting your paper roll in the squirrel color your child likes. We used blue, yellow, pink, and orange acrylic paint, but any color is possible. You don’t have to use acrylic paint, but the coverage is excellent. Use an (old) cleaning sponge to apply the stain; this works very quickly and neatly. Let the paint dry when your paper roll is fully covered in paint. 

Step 4: When the paint is dry, fold down (close) the top of your paper roll (see picture step 3). You automatically create a head with two ears by folding/closing your paper roll on the top.

Add a cute face to your paper roll squirrels.

And give your paper roll squirrels a pinecone tail

Step 5: We will give our squirrel a face with some brown paper. We cut a (wide) heart shape for the front and glued it upside down with two white teeth popping out and a little black pom-pom for the nose. For the eyes, you can use googly eyes or draw them with a black marker. 

Step 6: We also gave our squirrels two arms to hold an acorn. We cut two rectangular shapes with rounded corners for the arms, from 6 CM/to 2.5 inches long. Glue the arms on the left and right sides of the paper roll.  

pinecone squirrels with acorns, kids’ craft activity

Step 7: Now, glue the pinecone on your paper roll, so your squirrel has a nice full tail. You can glue the pinecone on the back side and have it poke out on top. Or glue your pine cone on the left or right side, so your squirrel’s tail pokes out on the side. I recommend using hot glue (glue gun) to ensure the pinecones stick well to the paper roll. 

Step 8: We will glue an acorn in the squirrel’s hands for the last step. Use a glue gun to secure the acorn.

Great job on these adorable pinecone squirrels. You might also like these gorgeous pinecone butterflies if you enjoy crafting with pinecones. Or try out this lion craft with pinecone manes, a beautiful wall hanger for the kid’s room.

For more information about our favorite craft supplies and stores, check out the blog post favorites.  And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for step-by-step craft instructions! 

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