Butterfly Mobile
- black construction paper cut to various sizes
- colored tissue paper
- needle and thread
- paste or glue
- reeds, straws, or sticks to suspend butterflies
Fold two pieces of your black construction paper in half, widthwise. Starting and ending on the folded side of your paper, cut out the shape of a butterfly.
While your shape is still folded in half, cut out decorative sections and holes from your wings.
Unfold your shape and add glue or paste to one side of one shape. Add colored tissue paper, and then lay the other shape on top so they line up perfectly. When the glue is dry, trim the tissue paper to the shape of your butterfly.
Using the needle and thread, attach your butterflies to your sticks to create a pretty mobile.
Crayon and Watercolors
- black crayon
- watercolor paints
- paint brush
- container with water
- paper towel
- white construction paper
Draw an outline of a picture with the black crayon, pressing very heavily.
Paint the various parts of the picture with watercolor paints. The black crayon will keep the colors from running together.
Tissue Flower
- (4) 9"x9" pieces of tissue paper, each a different color
- piece of string
- scissors
Stack the pieces of tissue paper on top of each other and fold together like a fan, accordion style.
Fold in half lengthwise to find the middle, and tie a piece of string around the fold. Don't tie it too tightly — you don't want the paper to gather.
Round off the ends of the tissue paper.
Spread out the tissue paper on each side like an open fan. Carefully separate each layer of the tissue paper and pull it gently towards the center string until it resembles a flower in bloom.
Spring-Tissue Mobile
- scraps of tissue paper
- wax paper
- glue mixture (half glue, half water)
- coat hanger
- string or thread
- lump of clay
- newspaper
Lay the newspaper on your table, and put the glue mixture in a small container.
Cut two pieces of wax paper the same size and lay on the newspaper. Using the paint brush, cover one piece of the wax paper with glue.
Lay pieces of tissue paper all over the glue, and cover the tissue paper with another layer of the glue mixture.
Coat your piece of string in the glue mixture and use it to make a shape, such as a fish, on the tissue covered wax paper. Make sure the two ends of the string meet when your shape is completed.
Lay the other piece of the wax paper on top and press down firmly until it sticks completely.
When dry, trim the paper around the string design. Use a needle and thread to string your design.
Untwist the coat hanger and bend into a slight curve, trimming if necessary. Stick one end into your clay to make an anchor.
Tie your shapes to the wire to create a pretty mobile!
Sponge Flowers
- any color construction paper as your background
- small pieces of torn sponge clipped to a clothespin
- tempura paint in various colors
- construction paper for vase
- black crayon
- scissors
Clip clothespins to each piece of sponge, and put the tempura paint into an egg carton or muffin tin to keep separated. You should have a sponge for each color.
Dip a sponge into the paint, and dab onto your construction paper. Scatter various colors all over the top two-thirds of the paper.
Cut a vase from another piece of construction paper and glue along the bottom third of the paper.
Using a black crayon, draw flower and leaf shapes on top of the sponge painted shapes. Remember, the crayon shapes do not need to conform to the painted shapes!
Circle Flowers Mobile
- (5) 1"x9" strips of construction paper in pastel colors
- (7-8) 1"x2" pieces of construction paper in pastel colors
- wire or wooden hanger
- string or yarn
- scissors
- glue or paste
Paste or glue the 1"x9" pieces of paper into rings.
Round off the tops of the pieces of 1"x2" paper to make petals. Fold the straight edges at the bottom to make a tab.
Glue or paste the tabs in equal intervals to the rings.
Tie a piece of string to the flower, and tie the other end to the hanger. Hang your flowers at different levels for a bright and cheery mobile.
Windmill Craft
- (1) 9"x9" butcher, shelf, or construction paper, any color
- crayons
- paper punch
- tack or small nail
- stick, twig, or 1/4" dowling
Fold the 9"x9" paper in half diagonally, from one corner to the other. Open, and fold in half diagonally in the other directions. Cut about 3/4 of the way from each corner to the center of the piece of paper.
Punch a hole on one side of each cut (on the same side for all of the cuts) and a hole in the middle of the paper.
Fold over each corner with a hole in it to the middle of the paper, so all of the holes line up. Put a tack or nail through all of the holes and attach to a stick to create a windmill.
Sun Mobile
- (1) 9"x9" square of yellow paper
- scissors
- needle and thread
- pencil
Draw a circle on the paper, going right to the edges, and then draw a smaller circle directly in the middle of the paper.
Cut out both circles, and then cut the middle circle a little smaller, so it will swing within the bigger circle.
Draw or write something on the smaller circle.
Sew the smaller circle into the middle of the bigger circle.
For an even sunnier look, trim along the outside of the bigger circle to create a fun design!
