Outer Space Scenes

Kindergarten is starting their Space unit so our first project is an Outer Space Scene.








Take a piece of poster board or heavy duty sketch paper. Take a scrap corner piece and cut a template of your planet. Here I used a different color so you can see it.






Attach temporarily to your paper with some masking tape.





Using black paint color in your outer space background. The scrap poster board protects the area where you will be painting in your planet. Great technique for kids.




Let the black paint dry but do not remove that scrap piece just yet. Splatter some white paint on your space for stars. With kids you can use a splatter box.





Remove the scrap piece and paint in your planet.

While your planet is drying working on the characters for your Space scene. Here I am cutting my astronaut out of corrugated cardboard for a bit of a 3D look. The kids will probably cut theirs out of paper.





Paint or color in with markers.






After the planet has dried I want to add some texture to it. For the look of craters I'm going to be using a few different materials,...bubble wrap, toilet paper roll, a straw, empty glue bottle, and a maybe a bottle lid.






First the bubble wrap.





Toilet paper roll...make sure you do some craters coming right off the end of the paper...more realistic looking.





the glue bottle and the straw.



Let dry.




For the astronaut face plate I am using some leftover mylar wrapping paper from Christmas...glue into place.



Add some fine details with a sharpie and a fine marker.


If you want to be able to change out your characters just use tape or Velcro circles to allow for easy changes. You can also laminate your background so you can keep on making changes for months to come.


That's it...give it a go..you can make your background larger with additional planets...you then can create lots of different characters to change around.

























I also wanted to show you my find from this weekend. The Calgary Herald runs a large secondhand book sale every year. I lucked out and found a complete set of "Family Creative Workshop" all 23 volumes plus index.

Now these books are from the early 70's but they are terrific. When I started out 20 years ago running art therapy groups at a local hospital I would take these books out constantly from the library...but due to their age they were eventually taken out of circulation.




I hope to show you lots of projects from these books....a few modifications to update them a bit but surprisingly a lot of the designs are back in fashion.

Here is some wire jewellery techniques.



Weaving projects.

Paper cutting designs.



I'll see you next time.

gail

Easier Bird Puppet

Well here is another bird puppet but an simpler version your kids can easily make with just a bit of help from Mom or Dad. With a pull of the string it flaps its wings. Kids seem to really love these projects.

Materials Required:

-white posterboard or manila tag, you could also use a paper plate for the wing sections

-2 brass paper fasteners

-string

-paint

-paintbrush,water

-potato

-bead

-straw (optional)

- pencil and/or marker

To start you need to draw out your body and wings. Now you can make this bird any size you wish. You need to place to marks for holes in the body and then in the corresponding wings.

You can check out the template here (flying bird) but you will find it on the small size so you might want to enlarge it.

Paint in your bird using whatever color you desire....we are using tempura.

When you are finished painting let dry.

I wanted some extra details for this bird so I cut up some potato stamps...what kid doesn't love to use potato stamps.

Using liquid tempura or acrylic craft paint stamp on your details....I use foam plates to hold the paint but in the interest of the environment I use these over and over...you can wash them after using water based paint or with acrylics I just let them dry and put more paint on over top (even different colors for once acrylic is dry...its dry and won't mix with any new paint)

You can use other materials for stamping on details...here I'm using a straw to get some nice circles.

Let your bird dry and then cut out.

Punch your holes...for the big holes I use a hole punch and for the little holes I use an awl but you can use a heavy needle, a bent paper clip or even a sharp pencil. Attach your paper fasteners going from the front of the bird..thru the wing and then loosely bending back....if they are too tight the wings will have difficultly moving.

Fully extend the wings and then attach a string from one small hole in the wing to the other..knot tightly.

Now take a long piece of string...depending on the size of your bird you want it to be long enough to be doubled and still hang a good 3 inches from the bottom of the bird.

Loop it over the middle of your string that is between the wings...you want to get it as close as you can to the middle so the movement of the wings is balanced.

Knot into place.

Attach a bead at the bottom so you have something to pull on to make the puppet work.

Make a loop with some extra string and tape to the back of the head for hanging.

That's it another bird puppet. Using this same method for the mechanism you can make a variety of puppets.

Give it a try and I'll see you next time.

gail

Articulated Bird Puppet

Here is a bird I've been meaning to make for some time. In fact I plan on making a few...all different types of birds from a small sparrow up to an owl but this is the prototype.

I am a big bird fan...we have two birds in our household. A budgie named Patrick and a cockatiel named Tika who loves to perch on the laptop while I'm writing these posts.

I'm also a fan of these puppets and designing the mechanism to get the right movement....

So if you are interested I'll walk you thru the process. I also plan on posting a simpler design later this week but these are really not that hard.

Materials Required:

- template

- thin cardboard like from a cereal box or shirt box

- paint, I used acrylic craft paint

- scissors

- string

- bead

- mod podge (optional)

- awl

Print off template. Trace onto light cardboard...I used the back end of a paper pad.

Cut out....lightly mark in feathers and details if you want to help during the painting but keep in mind acrylic paint will cover these marks.

Punch out holes....use a very small punch or just use a large tapestry needle or awl.

Paint as desired. Let dry.

I added 2 coats of Mod Podge to give it a shiny finish and make it a bit more substanial.

Take some string about 10 inches...I start with more than I need and then cut down as I go....better to have too much than it being too short and you have to start over.

From the back of the bird pull string thru on of the holes in the main body....knot several times and then trim end.

Thread string thru the corresponding wing using the upper hole.

Now you could use paper fasteners but I found they overwhelmed the bird...in the easier version to come we'll use fasteners.

Thread thru other wing.

Insert string thru other hole in main body from the back and knot off...you want the wings to be fully extended when you do this so you;ll have enough slack to make the mechanism work.

I painted my knots the same color as the body to make them less noticeable.

Now take another string...again start with 10 inches. Thread thru the bottom hole in the wing..come around the side and knot to the original string end.

Take the long end of the string and repeat on other side...remember to keep the wings fully extended when you do this. Trim ends.

Take another length of string...this time around 24 inches...loop over the middle of the string at the bottom of the wings...you really want this to be in the middle to get an even movement.

Tie into a knot leaving you two loose ends at the bottom of your string.

Now you could just tie a loop at the bottom for pulling but I prefer to use a bead.

Make a little hanger out of wire and either glue or tape into place at the back of the head.

That's it and you'll have an articulated bird puppet you can hang up anywhere. My kids love these as well.

Give it a try and I'll have an easier version next as well as some more of these engaging birds....the cockatiel started huffing at this one so it must be at least somewhat realistic.

gail