Crafty Lunchtime Fun: DIY 7 Animal-Themed Lunch Bags

Publish Date August 16, 2023 10 Minute Read
DIY Inspiration
Back to School Tips

With a touch of imagination and a handful of everyday craft supplies, you can turn lunchtime into a wild and exciting adventure by transforming plain lunch bags into friendly yet fierce animals. Plus, once they’ve finished their meal, your youngsters will be left with a fun hand puppet or animal friend to keep and play with, carry in their backpack or use as a cute way to store their belongings! Whether it's a playful bunny, charming lion or lovable hippopotamus, we'll guide you step-by-step on how to creatively change a simple paper lunch bag into something that’s sure to bring a smile to your little ones’ faces. Enjoy creating them yourself for a fun lunchtime surprise, or get the kids involved and watch their excitement grow as they see their lunch bags turn into their favorite animals.

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Frog Lunch Bag

Leap into lunchtime fun by turning an everyday paper bag into a froggy friend to keep your little one’s meal safe.

Materials:

1 green paper bag
Foam or construction paper (1 dark green, 1 light green and 1 red)
2 googly eyes
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and dark green foam or construction paper, cut out 3-4 large spots for the frog’s belly. Cut two circles the same size as your googly eyes to create the back of the eyeballs, and two half circles for eye lids.
  2. Using the light green foam or construction paper, cut out small spots to glue on top of the green spots.
  3. Using glue, secure the googly eyes on top of the dark green circles. Glue the small light green spots on top of the remaining dark green pieces.
  4. Using the red foam or construction paper, cut out a long, thin rectangle for the tongue. Place a dot of glue at one end of the rectangle and roll it around your finger to create a curled shape.
  5. Lay the green bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing down. Fold the top of the bag over and use your fingers to secure the crease.
  6. Glue the eyes on the top of the bag, letting the eyeballs hang above the fold. Glue on the eyelids and spots.
  7. Glue the tongue underneath the fold.
  8. Using a black marker, draw nostrils.

Lion Lunch Bag

Sporting a creative paper mane and adorable smile, this delightful lion will unquestionably rule as the king of the lunch table.

Materials:

1 red paper bag
Construction paper (2 red, 1 tan, 1 white, 1 black, 1 pink and 1 orange)
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and tan construction paper, cut out two medium circles for the head, two rounded rectangles for the arms, two round shapes for the ears and a long rectangle for the body.
  2. Using white construction paper, cut out two small circles for eyes and two small triangles for teeth.
  3. Using black construction paper, cut out two smaller circles to make pupils and a trapezoid for the nose.
  4. Using pink construction paper, cut two small circles for the inner ear.
  5. Using one sheet of red construction paper, cut out a large circle to create the belly.
  6. Cut the yellow, orange and other sheet of red construction paper into evenly sized squares. Cut the squares into evenly sized strips to create the mane. Using a pencil or thin rod, curl one end of each strip.
  7. Apply glue around the edge of one of the tan circles and secure the strips of construction paper with the curled ends on the outside, alternating colors and overlapping as you go, to create the lion’s mane.
  8. Glue the small pink circles on top of the two tan ear shapes. Glue the ears on top of the mane.
  9. Glue the other tan circle on top of the mane, over the bottom of the ears, to finish the head.
  10. Glue on the eyes, nose and teeth.
  11. Using a black marker, draw the mouth, whiskers and eyelashes, if desired.
  12. Lay the red paper bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing down.
  13. Glue the large tan rectangle to the bag to create the body. Glue the arms to the rectangle and the red belly over the body. Glue the head on top of the body.

Hippopotamus Lunch Bag

Your kiddos don’t have to be as hungry as a hippo to appreciate an adorably crafted hippopotamus greeting them at lunch time with a smile made from marshmallows and love.

Materials:

1 brown paper bag
Construction paper (1 pink, 1 white and 1 gray)
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 paper plates
Pink paint
Gray paint
Paint brush
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Lay the brown paper bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing up.
  2. Using scissors, cut 3 sides of a paper plate to match the size of your paper bag, leaving the top rounded. Using glue, secure the cut paper plate to the top of the brown paper bag.
  3. Cut the sides off the second paper plate so it’s the same width as the bag, leaving the rounded top and bottom intact. Fold the paper plate in half to create a crease. Apply glue to the back, bottom half of the fold and secure the plate under the first so that the plate can be opened like a mouth.
  4. Using gray paint, paint the smaller plate, top of folded plate and bag underneath the plate to create the body.
  5. Using pink paint, paint the inside of the folded paper plate to create the inside of the mouth.
  6. Using black marker, draw eyes on the white construction paper. Use scissors to cut the eyes out.
  7. Using gray construction paper, cut out small ear shapes and two ovals to create nostrils. Using pink construction paper, cut out smaller shapes for the inside of the ear.
  8. Glue the eyes and ears to the top paper plate.
  9. Glue two rows of marshmallows inside the folded plate to create teeth.

Mouse Lunch Bag

We already know what happens if you give a mouse a cookie and we want to warn you that if you give your kid a cute mouse-themed lunch bag, they might just ask for one every day!

Materials:

1 brown paper bag
1 white pipe cleaner
Construction paper (1 brown, 1 pink, 1 white and 1 black)
2 wiggly eyes
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and brown construction paper, cut out two large half circles for ears and two rounded rectangles for arms.
  2. Using pink construction paper, cut out two smaller half circles for the inside of the ear and a large circle to create the belly.
  3. Using white construction paper, cut out two small circles for eyes.
  4. Using black construction paper, cut out a small oval for the nose.
  5. Cut the pipe cleaner into an even number of smaller pieces to create whiskers.
  6. Lay the bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing up.
  7. Using glue, secure the pink inner ear sections to the outer ear. Use your hand to roll the bottom of one ear corner to the other, creating a funnel shape. Glue the bottom of the ear close to the center of the flap of the bag. Repeat for the other ear.
  8. Glue the white circles over the base of the ears. Glue the wiggly eyes over the white construction paper.
  9. Glue the whiskers beneath the eyes. Glue the nose over the whiskers.
  10. Glue the pink belly on the body of the bag, letting the flap hang over the top of the belly. Secure the arms under the flap, hanging down and over the belly.
  11. Using the black marker, draw paws.

Bear Lunch Bag

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see an un-bear-ably cute lunch bag staring at me!

Materials:

1 brown paper bag
Construction paper (1 brown, 1 tan, 1 white and 1 black)
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker
Brown marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and brown construction paper, cut out two scalloped half-circles for the ears, two rounded rectangles for the arms and a circle for the nose.
  2. Using tan construction paper, cut out a scalloped circle for the snout.
  3. Using white construction paper, cut out two circles for the eyes and 6 small triangles for the claws.
  4. Using black construction paper, cut out two small circles for pupils.
  5. Lay the brown paper bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing up.
  6. Using glue, secure the snout to the flap of the bag. Glue the nose, eyes, ears and arms, cutting any excess off the sides of the arms so they fit on the bag.
  7. Glue the claws onto the paws.
  8. Using the black marker, draw a mouth on the snout.
  9. Using both the black and brown markers, draw hatch marks on the bag and construction paper to create fur.

Giraffe Lunch Bag

Go big with a whimsical lunch bag designed to look like the tallest animal in the world.

Materials:

1 yellow paper bag
Construction paper (1 orange, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 tan, 1 white and 1 black)
2 brown pom poms
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and orange construction paper, cut out irregular shapes to make spots.
  2. Using red construction paper, cut out smaller irregular shapes to create layered and additional spots.
  3. Using yellow construction paper, cut out tabbed ovals for the ears and long triangles for the ossicles on the top of the head. Cut small irregular shapes for additional spots.
  4. Using pink construction paper, cut out small ovals for the insides of the ears.
  5. Using tan construction paper, cut out a shape for the snout.
  6. Using white construction paper, cut out two circles for the eyes.
  7. Using black construction paper, cut out two circles for the pupils. Cut out 10 small strips to create eyelashes. Carefully pull each paper strip across a sharp edge to create a curled shape.
  8. Lay the bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing down.
  9. Using glue, secure the orange and red spots from one side of the bag to the other to create a jaw, adding red spots both on top of and next to the orange.
  10. Glue the orange, red and yellow spots down the center of the bag to create the neck. Glue the remaining spots around the face.
  11. Glue the snout just above the jaw line. Use the black marker to draw nostrils and a mouth.
  12. Glue the eyelashes to one side of each white circle. Secure the eyes onto the bag, keeping the eyelashes underneath the white circles. Glue the pupils over the white circles.
  13. Glue the pink ovals to the yellow ear shapes, then secure the ears to the top, side of the bag.
  14. Glue the yellow triangles to the top of the bag. Glue the brown pom poms to the top of each triangle to create the ossicles.

Bunny Rabbit Lunch Bag

Hop into a world of fun with a cute and cuddly lunch bag designed to look like a friendly bunny rabbit.

Materials:

1 purple paper lunch bag
Construction paper (1 purple, 1 pink, 1 white and 1 black)
Scissors
Glue stick
Black marker

Directions:

  1. Using scissors and purple construction paper, cut out long ovals to create the ears. Cut two smaller rounded rectangles for the arms.
  2. Using pink construction paper, cut two ovals to create the inside of the ears. Cut two small ovals for cheeks.
  3. Using white construction paper, cut a large half oval for the stomach and small oval for the snout.
  4. Using black construction paper, cut two half moons for the eyes and a small trapezoid for the nose.
  5. Lay the bag flat on your workstation with the flap facing down.
  6. Using glue, secure the large white belly over the body of the bag, aligning the flat part with the bottom of the bag.
  7. Glue the smaller white oval above the belly to create the nose area.
  8. Glue the purple ovals to the inside of the top of the bag to create ears. Glue the large pink ovals inside the ears to give them depth.
  9. Glue one end of each arm underneath the white belly, then fold the arms forward so they overlap. Secure them with glue, if desired.
  10. Glue the eyes, nose and cheeks to create the face.
  11. Using the black marker, draw a mouth.

Once your animal is dry, it’s ready to be filled with their favorite lunch items and snacks. If you’re not sure what to pack, check out these simple yet healthy School Lunch Ideas for Kids.

Continue Your Journey

Keep the inspiration going with even more back to school meal ideas to make lunchtime easier, or head to our Back-to-School Shop for deals on must-have gear and everyday supplies. You can also hop over to The Fresh Lane for creative DIY ideas, fresh finds, expert tips and much, much more.