Articles with Tips for Fun Arts and Crafts Activities with Your Kids

Making Friends Egg Carton Arts & Crafts Activities For Kids - Egg Carton Arts & Crafts Activity Ideas for Kids.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Egg Cartons
Misc Arts & Crafts Items Depending On Project

DLTK's Hickory Dickory Dock
Clock and Mouse Craft
This is a great craft for kids just learning to tell time. Make sure you check out the full Hickory Dickory Dock section for more ideas and for verses to the popular nursery rhyme from one o'clock to noon

We made this craft when Kaitlyn was about 2 1/2 years old -- She's 4 1/2 now (yes, that's how long these things sit before I get them on the site sometimes *blush*). If you prefer, you can choose to make JUST the clock or JUST the mouse. If you're doing the craft with younger kids, you may want to make each part on a separate day (so they don't get tired). When we did it, we painted all the clock pieces and made the mouse on day 1. On day 2, we assembled the clock and added the mouse to it.

TEMPLATE FOR CLOCK (B&W only)


MATERIALS:
CLOCK

3 cardboard tubes ( paper towel) (or cut down gift wrap rolls to about the same size)
ALTERNATIVE: substitute a Kleenex box for the 3 cardboard tubes.
small paper plate
brass fastener (optional)
paint (whatever color you want your clock) or old paper bags or gift wrap
glue
scissors
tape
MOUSE

yarn (we used shades of brown + a short piece of pink for the tail)
The mouse looked a lot like "Tutter" from bear in the big blue house when we were done.
If you used blue wool it would be a very good likeness.

egg carton cup (the part that one egg goes into)
piece of cardboard or a 3 1/4 inch diskette (temporary use)
glue
scissors
piece of cardboard (small piece for the ears -- old cereal boxes work well)
wiggly eyes (or make paper ones)
small pom pom for a nose (or make a paper one)
INSTRUCTIONS:
CLOCK:



Paint all three cardboard tubes and the plate (the top, eating part of the plate should be painted, not the bottom)
I realize we used a very odd color for our clock, but Kaitlyn is really enjoying mixing her own colors (she calls it her "science"). This is equal portions of Crayola blue, green and red plus a double portion of white.

Let dry completely

Print out the clock face template. It's a "tracer page" so that young children can practice their numbers. It's a little bit smaller than I would have preferred, but it had to fit in the plate.
if you're making the craft with older children, you can have them trace a circle... (an old CD is about the right size for tracing).
Then have them print their own numbers on the circle -- you may want to pre-make an example so they can follow along how the numbers are arranged.
Suggest to them that it's easier to do 3, 6, 9 and 12 first (the four corners) and then fill in the other numbers after.
If you chose not to use the template, you'll have to make your own hands too.

Cut out the clock face and the hands.

Glue the face onto the center of the paper plate

Either poke a hole with a pencil through the center of the clock (adults should do this part) and put the hands on with brass fasteners OR just glue the hands onto the clock, pointing to ONE O'CLOCK.
If you use brass fasteners, you can have the kids turn the clock to TWO O'CLOCK, THREE O'CLOCK, etc as you sing the different verses of the song.

Tape the three tubes together in a triangular shape (this will make the clock sturdy enough to stand up on its own).

Glue or tape the paper plate to the top of the tubes.

To make the clock even sturdier, you can cut a rectangular base out of a piece of cardboard and glue/tape the clock to it.








MOUSE:

Take your styrofoam cup and "squish" it lightly so that it's longer than it is wide (I find it looks more mouse like this way and the kids like squishing it *wink*)

At this point, an adult should poke two slits in the side/top of the egg carton.
Cut out two ear shapes with tabs (like pink image beside these directions) out of a piece of cardboard. Don't worry about perfection!
Cover with pink paper or paint pink.
Shove the tabs from the ears into the sides of the egg carton cup.


red mark shows
approximate place to
put the ear slit
ear shape

Make a yarn pom pom:
wrap yarn around the diskette or piece of cardboard (or the serving platter from your toy kitchen set *grin*) about 30 times. You can mix different colors if you're using scraps of wool (we used dark brown, light brown and cream)
Slide off and tie in the center
for this one, we didn't actually snip the ends... we just left it as a loop so his "fur" wasn't too wild. It's up to you which way you want to do it.

apply glue LIBERALLY all over the egg carton cup and drape the yarn pom pom over top.

press down firmly
let dry completely (er, I never listen to my own advice... we didn't let it dry for more than a minute before we continued on, but it's a lot more fiddly when you do the rest with the wool still wet)


Tie a tail onto the back yarn of the mouse. We used a scrap of rosey pink wool for this (I keep EVERYTHING *grin*)

Glue the eyes and nose onto the front of the mouse (we used wiggly eyes and a pink pom pom nose, but you can use paper for the features!)




FINAL ASSEMBLY
Tie a piece of wool that is 2 1/2 times the length of the clock onto the mouse.

Put the wool through the clock. The child can pull the end of the wool to make the mouse climb up the OUTSIDE of the clock and let go of the wool so the mouse runs down.

You can attach a craft stick or a straw to the end of the wool the child holds onto as a handle if you like.

Kaitlyn had the most fun when she ignored the clock and just dragged her mouse along behind her (taking it for walks)

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Easy Lion Paper Plate Craft
I've had a lot of requests for more paper plate crafts. This king of the jungle is made with a paper plate. I've provided templates for dinner sized and snack sized plates. If you don't have paper plates, don't fret! Just take a regular plate and trace it onto a piece of cardboard (old cereal boxes work great!) or use a margarine/ice cream container lid.

You can easily make a mask, by leaving off the eyes and cutting holes. Attach (glue and tape) a popsicle stick or unsharpened pencil to the bottom for the child to hold it to their face.

Older children may prefer the toilet paper roll version (Age 3+) or the paper folding version (Age 6+) as they are each more challenging (although some days it's nice to have an easy craft on hand when supper's running a bit late!)

MATERIALS
it all depends on what option you use... you'll will need

either paper plate (whatever size)
cardboard cut into a circle OR
margarine or ice cream container lid


either yellow paint, yellow construction paper OR
yellow tissue paper


either brown and/or orange paint,
brown and/or orange construction paper,
brown and/or orange tissue paper, OR
brown and/or orange wool


either black paint, OR
black marker, OR
black wool


INSTRUCTIONS
Paint your paper plate yellow

or

glue yellow construction/tissue paper onto it (rip 1 inch (ish) squares of construction/tissue paper and glue them on with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 regular children's white glue. This is sort of like mod podging)


OPTIONS FOR THE MANE:
Swirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally). With a a toothbrush, dip into the paint and brush on a mane (this is how we did ours)

Swirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally. With a sponge, dip into the paint and sponge on a mane.

Cut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips of brown, yellow and or orange construction or tissue paper and glue them around the outside edge of the plate to make your mane. You can curl all/some of them around a pencil to make some curly parts

Cut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips into the paper plate itself. Roll them around a pencil to make curly parts. You can paint/color with marker the tips brown if you like

Cut 2 inch (ish) long strips of orange/brown/yellow wool and glue onto the paper plate to make the mane

cRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Hanging Wall Pocket
Supplies:
2 plain paper plates
a hole punch
yarn, twine, or other thick thread
scissors
stickers (optional)
thick needle (optional)
crayons, paint, or markers



Cut one paper plate in half.

Punch holes along the straight edge, about 1 inch apart (don't punch near the circular part yet).
Put the plates together, the fronts together, forming a pocket. While holding them together, punch holes around the edges about 1 inch apart. It may help to use clothes pins to hold the 2 plates together.
Have the child "sew" up all the edges with yarn, string, or twine. Older children can use an upholstery needle. For younger ones, a bit of nail polish put on the end of the string (let it dry first) will act like a needle.
Make a hole for hanging the wall pocket on the wall. Decorate the wall pocket with crayons, markers, or paint.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Plate Angel -
Supplies needed: a paper plate
pencil
scissors
tape or stapler
crayons, paint, and/or markers for decoration


Draw a pattern like this on the underside of a paper plate.
Cut along the lines, discarding the dark section.

Decorate the angel.
Overlap the edges of the angel's skirt slightly and tape or staple it into place.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:

Paper Plate Crab -
MATERIALS:
paper plate or alternate (we used snack size in this picture, but dinner size would work too)
pipecleaners or two twist tie's twisted together - 9 of these. If using snack size, cut pipecleaners in half
1 inch(ish) pieces of drinking straw
hole punch
markers or paint

INSTRUCTIONS:
punch 8 holes around the edge of the plate
thread pipecleaners/twistties through these holes and twist to secure.
Put three pieces of straw on each of the pipecleaners. (represents real leg segments)
bend legs to shape/make look like he's walking
punch two more holes, close together in the "front" and put 1 pipecleaner through with ends sticking up. Twist to secure and add beads to the end to decorate (if desired)
color or paint

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Plate Pig -


8 paper plates (either dinner size or dessert size),

egg carton cup or empty cream container (nose)

2 tp rolls for dessert size plates or 4 tp rolls for dinner size (legs),

scissors,

tape or glue,

piece of pink paper (or white paper coloring pink),

pink paint and black paint or marker.

OPTIONAL: googly eyes and a pipecleaner.








If you don't have pink paint, you could cut up 1 inch (ish) squares of pink construction paper or tissue paper and glue those to the paper plates (like mod podging) instead of painting.

We used styrofoam plates as it's what we had in the house. BUT, the paint didn't stick very well and flaked off easily so we couldn't play with the pig *wail*. If I had it all to do again, I'd recommend using paper plates that aren't too glossy on the bottoms. OK, before we go further, we're going to get to know our paper plates (so you'll understand the terms I'm using). The paper plates have a BOTTOM (the part you set on the table) and a TOP (the part you put the food on).



Paint the bottom of the paper plates, egg carton cups and tp rolls pink and let dry.

Kaitlyn (Age "almost 3" at the time *sob*) had loads of fun painting plates and tp rolls pink and gluing them together.

I ended up doing the nose, mouth, tail and legs.

If you're doing this with an older child (4+ ish), try making up a tongue twister to say while you're doing the project (something like "painting pink pig plates" or "please paint the pig plates pink").

Split your plates into sets of two.

Glue each set of two together rim to rim (TOP to TOP).

Glue the bottoms of the 4 sets together so you have a stack of paper plates (see photo). The top plate in the stack will be the face.

If you're using 2 tp rolls, cut them in half. If you're using 4 tp rolls, look at the dimensions and trim them down a bit if you want to (so the legs are proportionate with the pig).

Fold your pink paper in half and cut out a triangle (you'll end up with two identical ears). Glue or tape these to the back of the top set of plates. (If you want to get really fancy, you can sandwich the ears between the plates when you're gluing them together rim to rim).

Draw/paint black nostrils onto the egg cup and glue it to the face.

Draw/paint black eyes onto the pig, attach googly eyes, or draw eyes on white paper and glue them on.

Draw/paint a black mouth onto the pig or draw a mouth on white paper and glue it on.


Once everything is completely dry, squish the top of the tp rolls and slide them between the plates to make 4 legs. Tape or glue.

Twist a pipecleaner into a piggy tail and poke it through the back plate (use a sharp pencil to make a small starter hole) or take a circle of pink paper and cut it in a spiral and glue it to the back plate.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Rabbit Mask Craft -
Supplies needed: Two plain, white paper plates
Pink construction paper or pink paint
Scissors
Stapler
Glue
Crayons, markers, or paint
Optional: small pink pompom
Optional: elastic

Making the rabbit's ears: Either paint the center of a paper plate pink or cut a circle from pink construction paper (it should be the same size as the inside of a paper plate); then glue the pink paper circle to the center of a paper plate.
Cut the paper plate in half (the two halves will be the rabbit's ears).
Making the rabbit's face:Using a new paper plate, cut a wedge (about 1/4 of the plate) out of the paper plate (the large part of the plate will be the rabbit's face).
Staple the ears to the face.
Cut two eye holes in the face.
Optional: glue a small pink pompom to the center of the face (this is the rabbit's nose).
Optional: staple a piece of elastic (about a foot long) to the mask to keep it in place.

Decorate your mask with crayons, markers, or paint. Don't forget to draw whiskers!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Swimming Pool Plate -

Materials Needed: 9" paper plate; blue tissue paper; fun foam; 1" Styrofoam ball; scissors; Elmer's Washable School Glue; Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Cut blue tissue paper to the size of the paper plate and adhere it to the plate with Elmer's Washable School Glue. This will be the pool water.
Cut a small rectangle out of the fun foam and glue it to one edge of the plate lining up one end of the rectangle with the edge of the plate. The rest of the rectangle should lie facing the center of the plate. This will be the diving board.
Use Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens to draw segments or lines on the Styrofoam ball to resemble a beach ball. When it has dried, glue it to the tissue paper and the plate.
Cut an inner tube shape from the fun foam and decorate it with the Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens. Glue it to the plate using Elmer's Washable School Glue.
Cut out another rectangular shape for a raft and decorate it with Paint Pens. Glue it to the plate as well using Elmer's School Glue.
To make waves in the "water", use blue Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Apple Pencil Holder-

Materials:
balloon
paper mache paste
strips of newspaper
strips of white paper (3 sheets or so of old computer paper works well)
red tempra/poster paint (or red tissue paper or red napkins)
green felt or green construction paper

Instructions:
prepare your paper mache paste (read my "How to Paper Mache" section if you don't know how this is done.

Blow up the balloon ALL THE WAY and then let all the air out now blow up the balloon a little bit (until it has about a 5 inch diameter) and tie it
blowing it up all the way and letting the air out first, will make the apple more round.





Cover with 2 to 4 layers of newspaper paper mache and let it dry. About 24 hours to dry unless you leave it somewhere sunny and warm
don't cover the tied part (this will be the hole for the pencils.


Cover with 2 to 4 layers of white computer paper (it's much easier to paint over than newspaper!) and let dry

Reach through the hole with a sharp pin and pop the balloon. If you can, pull out the balloon bits


IF NECESSARY: Take a fairly damp cloth and widen the hole (for the pencils) to the desired size (you can see from the photo above how large we made our hole). The damp cloth will soften the mache so you can work with it. Be patient and let it soften!



Crush the bottom of the apple so that it stands without help. You won't be able to crush it when it's all dry, so use a damp cloth (or set the apple on a damp paper towel for about 15 minutes) to soften the mache. Then push gently to make a flat surface on the bottom.

Paint the apple red. If you covered with white computer paper, this should only take one coat. If you're using tissue paper or napkins, tear into small pieces and paper mache them onto the apple in a final layer to turn it red.
Let dry


OPTIONAL: Give the apple a coat or two of spray varnish (I always have a can of this around for projects the girls are especially proud of, to waterproof them and ensure they last longer)

Cut two simple leaf shapes from green felt or construction paper and glue to the top of the apple.

Add a couple of sharp new pencils and present to your teacher (or to a child who is just starting school).

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Best Paper Mache Recipe -

At FAMILYFUN, we've sampled lots of papier-mâché recipes, but our favorite is this smooth, light paste that's easy to work with. To make it, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 2 cups cold water in a bowl. Add this mixture to a saucepan of 2 cups boiling water and bring it to a boil again. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Let it cool; it will thicken as it cools. Once it does, it's ready to use.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ATIVITY:
Celluclay Eggs -

Celluclay Instant Paper Mache
Styrofoam goose eggs
Watercolors
Acrylic paints
Markers
Gems
Glitter
Ribbon
Paintbrushes
Cup of water
Paper towels
Plastic mixing bowl
Measuring cup
Resealable sandwich bags
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.






Mix one cup dry paper mache with cup warm water in a sandwich bag. Knead mixture like bread dough until well mixed. If mixture is too dry add a little water; if too wet, add a little dry paper.



Cover mixed paper mache with damp paper towel while working.



Form Celluclay around styrofoam eggs.



Set aside and allow to dry until no longer sticky.



Use watercolors, markers, acrylic paint or even food coloring to decorate eggs. Add gems, glitter, or other embellishments or accessorize with ribbons and bows - you're only limited by your imagination!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Dolphin Paper Mache Craft -

MATERIALS:
The only "store bought" material is paint (tempra, poster or finger paint all work well... acrylic paints work great, but don't wash out of clothes!!!) We mixed white and black to make our own grey. Alternatively, you can mod podge (mache) on 1 inch squares of grey tissue paper. Or make a "funky dolphin" by maching on 1 inch squares of patterned tissue paper or napkins

paint brush

newspaper

toilet paper or paper towel

paper towel roll

toilet paper roll

scissors

tape (masking or scotch tape)

ONE OF: white glue, mod podge OR paper mache paste (1 part flour to 5 parts water... boil about 3 minutes and let cool)


STEP 1: BUILD THE FRAME:
This is part of a more complicated crafting series so if you have any suggestions to improve the instructions, please feel free to let me know! I recommend you quickly review all the instructions before starting the project.

Take the paper towel roll and cut a V shape out of one end
Discard the small piece
Pull the two ends of the cut together and tape (it will crunch up a bit, but we'll fill in the dips later.)
At this point, you can stuff the whole thing with newspaper or toilet paper so it's a bit more solid.
The open end is the head, and the narrow, taped end is the back.



Take a toilet paper roll & cut lengthwise, so you can unroll it.

Draw on a dolphin tail shape and cut it out.

Because you used a tp roll, your tail will be nice and curvy

Tape the tail to the back of the paper towel roll



Take a 1/2 sheet of newspaper and scrunch into a ball.

Insert ball into open end of the paper towel roll.

This will be the rounded head

Tape it well

Take a piece of cardboard (old cereal box) or another unrolled toilet paper roll and cut out a top fin shape (see photo).

Cut a U shape snout (mouth) for the dolphin

Cut two bottom fin shapes ("wings" as my 2 year old called them) (same as top fin shape in photo, but a bit longer and skinnier)

Tape/glue on the top fin (this step is a bit finnicky... just put big pieces of tape on either side of the fin and tape it on the body).
Shannon sent in the following suggestion for the top fin: Cut about an extra inch to the bottom of the fin. Then cut about an inch straight up in the middle. Fold in the flaps in opposite directions, then tape the flaps to the back.

Tape/glue the mouth to the bottom of the head
Tape/glue bottom fins (wings) to the bottom of the body.

Your dolphin frame is now complete. Use toilet paper and more tape to fill in any dips and round out the head.







STEP 2: MACHE:
Tear newspaper into strips about 1 to 2 inches wide. You can have some that are longer and some that are shorter.

Paper mache the entire thing

You don't want more than 4 layers of mache added or it won't dry properly. I usually tell the kids not to add more than 2 layers (when they inevitably overlap things a bit more than they should, we end up with 4).

Use shorter pieces when macheing around the fin and tail if it's too finicky (or have younger kids mache the nice easy body and save the hard parts for yourself).

Let mache dry (set outside on a nice sunny or breezy day and it will dry very quickly).

OPTIONAL: Apply a second coat of no more than 4 layers and let dry (one coat is enough, but the more coats you add the sturdier it will be ... especially if you've added mache limbs and tail). Let dry. Apply a third coat. Let dry.

The very top layer of mache can be done with white paper. This will make it easier to apply paint.



STEP 3: PAINT:
Paint with grey paint.

Decorate (add a white blow hole and black eyes or glue on wiggly eyes).

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Fall Mosaic Paper Mache Box -

Paper mache box, small
Tissue paper, orange
Tissue paper, yellow
Tissue paper, red
Sizzix Machine
Sizzix Die-Cut, Leaf
Paper Mod Podge
Scissors
Ruler
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.






Cut 2 orange and yellow tissues into ½-inch to ¾-inch squares.



Working in sections at a time, brush Mod Podge onto the box and lay yellow and orange paper squares over the Mod Podge. Cover the papers with another layer of Mod Podge.



Use the Sizzix Machine and leaf die to cut 10-12 leaves from red tissue paper. Mod Podge leaves to the box.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Make a Paper Mache Dinosaur Hat -
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
One large balloon for each hat
A lot of old newspaper and/or brown-bag paper
Flour-water glue (instructions follow)
Scissors
Hole punch (or just use the tip of a scissors to make holes)
Assorted paper, cardboard scraps, styrofoam scraps, egg cartons
Paint
String or elastic for chin straps

1. Choose the type of dinosaur hat(s) you want to make. Species with interesting heads include (click on the underlined names to see a picture of that dinosaur): Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and T. rex. For more dinosaur pictures, click here.

2. Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water (boiling gives it a nice consistency). A good recipe is: Mix 1 cup of flour into 1 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool.

3. Have the students tear a lot of strips of newspaper and/or brown bag paper. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn't really matter.

4. Blow up a balloon for each child. Each hat is molded over a large balloon.

5. Dip each strips of paper in the flour glue and put on the balloon. Put the balloon sideways because most dinosaurs had long heads. Apply the papier-mâché strips to cover about half of each balloon . About 3 layers of paper are necessary for a hat thick enough to decorate later. You can do all the layers at one time, or wait between layers. Let dry for a few days.

6. Pop the balloon when the hat's dry and remove. Trim the hat, depending on the dinosaur species chosen. Using glue or staples, add horns, frills, crests, beaks, teeth, and more, made of paper, cardboard, styrofoam, egg cartons, etc. Let dry.

7. When the hats are dry, punch holes for chin straps and paint the eyes, nostrils, beaks, skin color, etc. Let paint dry. .

8. Add string or elastic to use as a chin strap. As a costume addition, the students could drape themselves in paper that matches their mask or wear matching clothing.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Mache Baskets -


Fill these bright baskets with eggs
and other Easter goodies. What You Need:
Balloons
Liquid starch
Old newspapers
Old cake or pie tin
String
Paper or plastic cup
Colored tissue paper
Can of flat white spray paint
Jar of gloss medium and varnish
Paintbrush




Step 1. Instructions:
1. Tear newspapers into 1-inch-wide strips that are 2 to 3 inches long. Blow up the balloon and tie the end with an overhand knot.





Step 2. 2. Pour starch into the pie tin. Cover the balloon with newspaper strips that have been dipped into the starch. After the balloon is covered with this layer, add a second layer. Overlap the strips and completely cover the balloon, except for the knotted end. Tie a string above the knot of the balloon. Hang the balloon in a cool, dry area to dry overnight. Add more strips, if necessary, and let these strips dry.





Step 3. 3. Snip the knotted end from the balloon, let the air escape, and remove the balloon. Let the paper ball dry for a few more hours.

4. Cut 1 inch off the top of the plastic cup to use for the base. Cover the base with paper strips. Fasten the wide end of the base to the wide end of the ball with more strips. Cover the hole where you removed the balloon with strips. Let the ball dry.





Step 5. 5. Draw a zigzag line around the ball's middle to mark the top of the basket, and a pair of parallel lines over the top (the narrow end) to mark the handle. Cut out the enclosed areas to form the basket. Spray-paint the basket white. When completely dry, apply tissue paper.

TIP: Paint small areas of the basket with the gloss medium and varnish. Lay cut strips of tissue paper over the medium. Paint the medium over the top of the tissue paper. Cover all sides of the basket with the tissue paper. Let dry.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Mache Dinosaurs Hat -
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
One large balloon for each hat
A lot of old newspaper and/or brown-bag paper
Flour-water glue (instructions follow)
Scissors
Hole punch (or just use the tip of a scissors to make holes)
Assorted paper, cardboard scraps, styrofoam scraps, egg cartons
Paint
String or elastic for chin straps

1. Choose the type of dinosaur hat(s) you want to make. Species with interesting heads include (click on the underlined names to see a picture of that dinosaur): Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and T. rex. For more dinosaur pictures, click here.

2. Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water (boiling gives it a nice consistency). A good recipe is: Mix 1 cup of flour into 1 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool.

3. Have the students tear a lot of strips of newspaper and/or brown bag paper. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn't really matter.

4. Blow up a balloon for each child. Each hat is molded over a large balloon.

5. Dip each strips of paper in the flour glue and put on the balloon. Put the balloon sideways because most dinosaurs had long heads. Apply the papier-mâché strips to cover about half of each balloon . About 3 layers of paper are necessary for a hat thick enough to decorate later. You can do all the layers at one time, or wait between layers. Let dry for a few days.

6. Pop the balloon when the hat's dry and remove. Trim the hat, depending on the dinosaur species chosen. Using glue or staples, add horns, frills, crests, beaks, teeth, and more, made of paper, cardboard, styrofoam, egg cartons, etc. Let dry.

7. When the hats are dry, punch holes for chin straps and paint the eyes, nostrils, beaks, skin color, etc. Let paint dry. .

8. Add string or elastic to use as a chin strap. As a costume addition, the students could drape themselves in paper that matches their mask or wear matching clothing.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Mache Masks -
Materials Needed:

Round Balloon
Newspaper
Paper Mache Paste
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Instructions:
Make sure you cover you work surface well. I usually set down newspaper first and then wax paper or plastic wrap on top of the newspaper. This is a very messy project!
Decide what size and shape of mask or head you want and choose the appropriate sized balloon. Blow up the balloon and tie it closed. Find a bowl or cup your balloon can sit in while you work on it. Completely cover the cup or bowl with plastic wrap so the paper mache does not stick to it. Also cover the table or work surface under the cup with the plastic wrap. Set your balloon in the cup or bowl and set it aside.

Tear several newspaper pages into strips. You will want them 1 inch wide and about 6 - 8 inches long. Set them aside.

Use a large bowl to prepare your paper mache paste (Pick a recipe here). The paste will be sticky! I would suggest using a bowl that is easy to soak and clean (glass perhaps) or even a disposable bowl. Now you are ready to start with the paper mache!

Dip the newspaper strips into the glue and spread them onto the balloon. Completely cover the balloon, except for the area where it is sitting in the cup. Set aside and let this first layer dry.

Once the first layer is completely dry, use various supplies to make the facial features on your ballooen if desired. You can make a nose, ears, thick eye brows, lips, etc. Use cardboard, masking tape, foil, or other items shown on this supply list. Use masking tape to hold everything in place.

Add atleast two more layers of paper mache to your balloon. Allow each layer to dry completely before putting on the next layer. Once it is dry, pop the balloon and remove it through the opening left at the bottom (If you cannot get the balloon out, don't worry about it too much - No one will see it).

You can now paint and decorate your mask or face as desired. You can add hair using yarn, thin scraps of material, or anything else you desire.

To make a more realistic shaped face, make as above except use a double layer of tin foil instead of a balloon. Use your face as a mold. Have someone help you gently press the tin foil to your face to get a nice face mold. Wad up newspaper and put it inside the curved section of the foil mold and lay it on your work surface. While applying the first layer of newspaper and paste, make sure not to press on your mold too hard or it will lose it shapes!

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