How to Make Chia Pets

Chia pets, made from chia grass, are a fun project for all ages. Watching the "hair" grow is also fun and can be a learning experience for younger children. To make it a learning tool, watching and talk about the grass growth each day, and make sure to have a fun name for your chia pet. Before making your pet, have an idea of what you will make. Pets can range from porcupines with grass quills to a person's head with spiky hair to a hairy turtle or anything else you can imagine. Using a photo if the animal you are modeling can help you make the "pet" look realistic.

Things You'll Need

  • Old nylons
  • Rubber bands or string
  • Puff paint
  • Chia seeds
  • Gardening soil
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Instructions

  1. Preparing Your Pet

    • 1

      Place newspapers over your work space so that the soil doesn't make a mess. Choose an area with no carpet so that cleaning up is easy.

    • 2

      Cut the nylons. Choose a spot on the nylons that is free of holes. Foot sections work best. For the turtle or porcupine, cut about 10 inches of nylon, which can be cut smaller later if need be. For a head, cut 5 or 6 inches, depending on how big you want the pet to be.

    • 3

      Wet the nylon under a faucet. A wet surface helps the seeds begin to grow and also helps them stick to the area where you desire the grass to grow.

    Designing Your Pet

    • 4

      Fill the nylon with soil, packing in as much as possible, making the nylon stretch a little. If making a turtle or porcupine, allow a little room for twisting and tying to create the legs.

    • 5

      Tie the open end of the nylon with a rubber band or string, making sure it's tight and won't pop off during "hair growth." For the turtle and porcupine, pick four spots on the bottom for legs, tie off with rubber bands or string. Perform a similar action to make the animal's head. This is not needed if you're making just a person's head.

    • 6

      Paint an expression on the face or doodle on the sides of the bodies with puff paint. Avoid getting puff paint where the grass will grow as the paint hinders grass growth. Allow the paint to dry before watering pet for the first time.