Children's Clothing from Baby Bird Productions presents KIDS FUN STUFF

IF YOU LOVE TO CREATE
THINGS LIKE WE DO:

Here is a fun, easy, not too
messy craft project that you
can do at home - or anywhere !
      

PROJECT:

CREATE YOUR OWN BIRDS OR ANIMALS
FROM SIMPLE CARDBOARD TUBES

BASIC MATERIALS:

cardboard tubes
cardboard scraps 
bits of colored paper
scissors
easy to wash glue or tape
plastic (to put under your
   work area to keep it clean)
paper toweling for clean-up

EXTRAS, IF YOU'VE GOT THEM
    AND WANT TO USE THEM:

colored markers
crayons
paints and paintbrushes
bits of ribbon
bits of yarn
cotton balls

cloth or felt scraps
plastic drinking straws
pipe cleaners
bits of colored foil
bits of colored cellophane
spangles or sequins

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Here's an idea for some fun you can have creating your own special birds
and animals. It doesn't require any expensive or fancy materials, just
use whatever interesting odds and ends that you've got lying around, but
be sure it's okay with mom or dad before you get started. 

All you really need is the leftover cardboard tube from a used up roll of
bathroom tissue and your imagination !

STEP 1:

Gather up all your materials and put something under them, like
a plastic bag, so that you don't get bits of paper and glue all over
the place. This will make clean-up a snap when you're done.
      

Adjust your tube, if you like. You can cut your tube to make a short
fat animal, or attach tubes to each other to make a long animal, or
cut bits out of the tube for unusual effects like a zig-zag edge. If
you have some extra cardboard from tissue tubes or an empty
box, you can use it to cut out the big shapes that you might want
to add, like a head or wings or legs, but you can just as easily use
bits of colored paper for these things.

STEP 2: 

Cut or tear shapes from bits of colored paper to make things like
eyes, noses, beaks, ears, tongues, horns, tails and such. Be
creative. You could cover your bird in colorful scrap paper
feathers or cover you alligator in colorful scales or even invent
a creature that no one's ever seen before - with antennae or
horns or two heads ! Add on any of the extra materials that
your parents let you use, like bits of yarn or cotton balls. Glue
your pieces onto your tube as you work.

STEP 3:

Don't forget that you can make some 
of your body parts, like noses or beaks
or ears, three dimensional. Here are a
few tricks to get you started. You can
use these same techniques on all sorts
of craft projects !

1: Cut out a circle and then cut a slit up
    to the middle. Then wrap one end
    around the other and you'll have a
    cone - a tall narrow cone or a short
    wide one.

2: If you make a circle and then cut it like
    a spiral, you can then pull the two
    ends away from each other to get
    some funny pieces to attach to your
    creatures.

3: You can take a plain strip of paper and
     glue it on so that the center pops out.
     Just don't pull the two ends all the way
     away from each other.

4: You can take a long strip of paper and fold
     it first in one direction and then in the
     other, back and forth until it's all folded
     up. When you open it, it will look like an
     accordian. This is great for shaggy dogs
     or wild monster fur.

5: You can take a long strip of paper and
    wrap it around a pencil for a minute.
    You'll end up with a curl.

6: You can cut a row of lines partway up
     a rectangle of paper and then fold or
     curl the ends to make a fringe. Bend
     the two edges around till they meet
     and you'll have a funny tuft of hair.

7: you can cut a rounded-off triangle and
    curve the edges a little bit before you
    glue them down. They make great ears.

8: EXPERIMENT ! Never be afraid to
    invent your own techniques !

Step 4:

Don't forget to clean up when you're all done. 

Your cardboard birds and animals can be as simple or as fanciful as you
like. They can be very realistic - for example, you might make a model
of your pet or a bird that you see outside your window. On the other
hand, you might want to make a crazy looking monster or an alien from
outer space. You might even try making a human, like your favorite
character from a story. Why, you could make a whole parade of
characters and decorate your room with them or give them to people
as gifts. Just have fun doing it !

For more FREE FUN GAMES AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES,
CLICK HERE to return to our FUN STUFF page.

If you'd like to know more about Baby Bird Productions, we offer
fun, colorful CHILDREN'S CLOTHING, plus cheerful family gifts
and clothing. We also publish longer, fully illustrated, childsafe,
picture books, CHILDREN'S STORIES AND FAIRY TALES.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our simple arts and crafts project for children
which gives step by step instructions for a creative art project using scrap materials.

© Children's clothing, baby clothes and children's stories, plus clothing and unique gifts for the whole
family from Baby Bird Productions shops. Copyright: Barbara Freedman-De Vito, since 2003. This
site is protected by copyright internationally. All rights reserved.