This paper bag hedgehog craft is such a cute little woodland friend to make with the kids! With a spiky brown outline, oversized googly eyes, and tiny paw details, it turns a simple brown paper bag into a hedgehog full of personality. You only need a handful of everyday craft supplies, and our printable hedgehog template makes it easier to get all those little shapes ready.
Whether you’re planning fall crafts for kids, exploring woodland animals, or looking for an easy afternoon activity, this hedgehog is a lovely one to try. Kids can help trace, cut, and glue the pieces together, then give their finished hedgehog a name.
You’ll find the printable template near the end of this post, along with our TikTok video so you can watch the craft come together.
Paper Bag Hedgehog Craft with Printable Template
We love paper bag animal crafts because you can do so much with such a simple starting point. For this hedgehog craft, the brown paper bag becomes the body, while construction paper adds the spines, ears, arms, and feet.
The big googly eyes are the finishing touch, and changing their position slightly gives each hedgehog its own expression. You could make a whole little family of woodland friends, each with different colors or funny faces.
This activity gives children a chance to practice scissor skills, position smaller pieces, and follow a sequence of instructions. Younger kids may need help cutting around the spikes, while older children can take on more of the tracing and cutting themselves.
Materials for Your Paper Bag Hedgehog
To make your hedgehog, gather a brown paper bag and construction paper in a few woodland shades. Dark brown works well for the spines, a lighter brown or golden shade is lovely for the ears and paws, and a little black paper is useful for the nose and mouth.
You will need:
- Brown paper bag
- Construction paper in dark brown, light brown, tan, and black
- Printable hedgehog template
- Pencil for tracing
- Colored pencils
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Two googly eyes
A light-colored pencil or marker is useful for adding the little markings on the feet. You can also cut these details from pale paper if you prefer.
For younger children, you can draw the eyes instead of using googly eyes.
How to Make a Paper Bag Hedgehog
Start by printing the template and setting out your supplies. The instructions below follow the order shown in our craft photos, from preparing the bag to adding those big googly eyes.
Paper bag hedgehog
Turn a paper bag into the cutest little hedgehog with googly eyes, spiky paper edges, and tiny paws! Our printable template makes this woodland craft easy to put together.
Materials
- Brown paper bag
- Construction paper in dark brown, light brown, tan, and black
- Printable hedgehog template
- Pencil for tracing
- Colored pencils
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Two googly eyes
Tools
- Printer for template
Instructions
- Prepare the Paper Bag
Lay your brown paper bag flat on the table with the opening pointing down and the folded base at the top.
Smooth it out so you have a flat surface to work on. The bag itself forms the hedgehog’s body, so there is no need to cover it with another layer of paper.
- Trace and Cut Out the Spiky Pieces
Cut out the paper template pieces, then trace the top tuft and two long side sections onto dark brown construction paper.
Cut around each shape carefully. You should have one wide, spiky piece for the top of the head and two longer pieces to run down the sides of the bag.
The pointed edges can be a little fiddly, so this is a good step for an adult to help younger children with.
- Outline and Attach the Spines
Use a marker or colored pencil to outline the dark brown pieces and help the spiky edges stand out.
Glue one long spiky section behind each side of the paper bag, leaving the points sticking out along the edges. Then attach the wide tuft across the top of the bag, with its points facing down over the front.
Your paper bag should now have its hedgehog outline!
- Cut Out the Smaller Pieces
Use the remaining template shapes to trace and cut out two ears, two smaller inner-ear pieces, two arms, and two feet.
Choose a lighter brown for the ears, arms, and feet, and a pale tan shade for the inner ears. Cut the nose and mouth from black paper.
Keep all the little pieces together on the table so they are easy to find when you start assembling the face and body.
- Add the Ear and Paw Details
Glue a smaller inner-ear piece onto each larger ear.
Outline the ears, arms, and feet with a black marker. Add a pale oval and small toe markings to each foot using a light-colored pencil or marker.
These little details make the finished hedgehog extra cute, but you can keep them simpler if you’re crafting with younger children.
- Glue the Pieces onto the Bag
Attach the ears at the top corners of the hedgehog’s head, beside the brown tuft.
Glue the arms onto the sides of the body so they point inward, then add the two feet near the bottom of the bag.
Position the black nose and mouth in the middle of the face, leaving room above them for the eyes.
- Add the Googly Eyes
Glue two googly eyes above the nose, just underneath the spiky tuft.
Press them gently into place and allow the glue to dry. If you want to add eyebrows or rosy cheeks, you can draw those on now, too.
Your paper bag hedgehog is ready to meet its woodland friends!
Easy Ways to Make Each Hedgehog Different
You can stick with the natural brown shades shown here or let the kids choose their own colors. A pink or rainbow hedgehog would be just as fun to make!
Try adding paper leaves around the bottom of the bag for a fall display, or make a leafy background from a large sheet of construction paper. Children could also write their hedgehog’s name on a little paper sign.
For a woodland animal activity, make several different paper bag animals and use them to inspire a story. Where does the hedgehog live? Who are its friends? What might it discover on a walk through the woods?
Watch Our Paper Bag Hedgehog Craft on TikTok
Want to see how the pieces fit together? Watch our paper bag hedgehog craft video on TikTok for a closer look at the steps, from adding the spines to finishing the face.
Follow In The Playroom on TikTok for more easy kids’ crafts, printable activities, and creative ideas to try together.
@intheplayroom A paper bag, some googly eyes, and the cutest little paws 🦔🤎 Make this paper bag hedgehog with the kids! Find the printable template on intheplayroom.co.uk and save this for your next craft afternoon. #Hedgehog #PaperBagCraft #KidsCrafts #fallcraft #easykidscrafts ♬ Besties in the Forest – Peety Paws
Download the Paper Bag Hedgehog Template
Ready to make your own little hedgehog? Download the printable template below, then use the pieces to trace the shapes onto your construction paper.
If you’re making this craft with a group, prepare the templates in advance so everyone can get started. You can also trace the shapes ahead of time for younger children and let them focus on cutting and sticking.
We hope you have fun making this little paper bag hedgehog with your kids! Don’t forget to save this craft for later and share it with a friend who would love to make one too.
More Paper Bag Crafts for Kids
Got a few paper bags left? Keep the crafting going with more easy paper bag crafts for kids! From woodland animals to colorful characters, these simple ideas turn an everyday bag into something fun to make and play with.
- Easy Paper Bag Apple Craft
- Easy Paper Bag Pumpkin Craft for Kids
- Paper Bag Haunted House Craft
- Cute Paper Bag Corn Craft for Kids
- Groundhog Day Paper Bag Puppet with Free Printable Template
More Woodland Animal Crafts for Kids
Keep the woodland theme going with more animal crafts to make together. Our paper bag fox craft is a lovely companion for this hedgehog, while a rocking paper plate squirrel adds another forest friend to the collection.
These activities work well together for a woodland topic, a fall craft afternoon, or a little display of the animals your children have made.
- Moving Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
- Easy Handprint Owl Craft
- Crumpled Tissue Paper Hedgehog Craft for Kids
- Paper Cup Hopping Fox Craft
- Rocking Fox Paper Plate Craft for Kids
- Rocking Squirrel Paper Plate Craft for Kids
More Fall Crafts and Printables
Looking for more ideas for your next crafting session? Explore our fall crafts and printables for pumpkins, scarecrows, woodland animals, and easy seasonal activities to enjoy at home or in the classroom.
- Free Printable Harvest Dot to Dot Pages for Kids
- Autumn Count and Build Printables
- Free Printable Fall Pattern Block Mats for Preschool Fun
- Torn Paper Autumn Leaf Craft
- Upcycled Glitter Autumn Leaf Craft (Fall Decor)
We hope you have fun making this paper bag hedgehog with your kids! Between the spiky paper edges and those funny googly eyes, each one turns out with its own little personality.
If you enjoyed this craft, please share this blog post with other parents and teachers, or save it to your Pinterest board so you can find the template when you’re ready to make it.
