July 4th: newspaper pom-poms

I am sure there are oodles of tutorials out there for paper pom-poms but I have one for you anyway using the swath of painted newspaper I did up earlier. It's really easy and will give yer kiddos something to do between melty popsicles and fireworks. Here's how I did it.

Grab a sheet of painted up newspaper. One large piece is a good start. Cut or tear it in half and then in half again.

Fold each piece in half width-wise and cut up from open-edges almost to the fold every finger-width or so. The thinner the cuts, the pommier the poms.

 Take two cut pieces for each pom and smoosh them into each other while still folded. Tuck into a painted or paper covered cardboard tube and staple or tape into place. You may wish to use a bit of double stick tape or glue here. A little shaking can shake all sorts of shakey paper loose. Next,  fold tube in half length-wise and staple again to create a handle.  If you wish, decorate the handle with stickers and other bits of fun.

Take yer new poms out and go a little rah-rah crazy. Happy 4th!

paint some newspaper today

for craft making tomorrow...
*paper hats
*bunting

*wreaths
*collages

and stay tuned for newspaper pom-poms (my paper is still drying)!

Playing with Tints, Painted Newspaper and Triangles

I'm so sorry I'm a bit tardy with this follow-up project to the tinting project. I had it done but it's been super busy around these parts. I sat down and did this project sans kiddos but it has prompted the nephew a-go-go to plan an enormous dragon project using this idea for the scales. Imagine how awesome it would be to create a series of these in each color of the rainbow!

So, to begin, you will need a sheet of newspaper that has been tinted as described in this post. Once you have that done gather up your supplies and get ready for some triangular fun.

You Will Need:

*painted newspaper (1 sheet is more than enough)

*scissors

*glue stick

*acrylic or tempera paint

*empty cereal box or other carton

*pencil

*ruler

*white glue

scrumdilly-do it!

Grab your cereal box or other carton and flatten it out. Remove one large side and have your kiddo paint it a nice neutral color that will "go" with their tinted paper. Set aside to dry.

Once dry, flip over and have your kiddo use a ruler to measure in 1" (2.54 cm) around each side and then connect the marks using a straight line. They then should have a rectangle drawn inside the box carton.

This next part is for the grown-ups ONLY. Use a straight blade to cut into the rectangle towards the center. This is just to create an opening for your scissors to wiggle in. Use the scissors to remove the rectangle without cutting into your frame.

Ta-da! This will be the frame. Now, grab the other side of the carton and position the frame somewhat centered on top. Have your kiddo trace the rectangle onto the carton with a pencil. This will be your work space.

Bring the tinted newspaper into the workspace and cut a strip about 1 1/2" (3.81 cm) from one end of the tint spectrum to the other. Repeat. You may not need all the paper but having the choice of colors within the tin spectrum is nice. Next, have your kiddo turn the entire strip into a pile of triangles using a pair of scissors. Depending on the age of your kiddo you can let them have a go at it or turn it into a geometry lesson to see how to cut an equilateral triangle. Repeat for the second strip as well.

Once you have a pile of triangles, uncap that glue stick and get to gluing. You will want to begin the process a smidge outside the drawn rectangle. Happily apply glue stick to the surface of the rectangle. Gather up a triangle and place it along the bottom line beginning at either the left or right side, making sure to position it a little outside the lines. Place another triangle down next to the first until you reach the other side.

Next, repeat the same process but this time invert the triangles so that they are "upside down" and ready to snuggle into the open space between the first row of triangles. Continue moving up to the top of the rectangle, filling in all the space. Your kiddo can choose to continue with the tint theme moving from light to dark or vice-versa or they can pick randomly or approach it all as if it were a jigsaw puzzle.

Once the entire area is covered, it is time to add the second layer. For this your kiddo is going to wrap each triangle around their pencil to create a bit of curl and then apply the glue-stick just to the flat top (opposite the point) of their triangle. next they will affix the curled triangles atop the happy work area sticking to one triangle direction in each row. This too can be approached at random or following tint order.

Once dry and nicely "stuck", draw a thin line of white glue to the underside (back) of the painted frame and position over the design (you can also draw along the pencil line if you can see it). If the cardboard is being stubborn and won't stay in place, use a couple of clothespins or paper clips to anchor the pieces together.

Once the glue has dried, grown-ups can now trim the excess from the non-frame cardboard with a pair of scissors. If the triangles have lost a bit of their curl, your kiddos can gently rework them with their fingers. To hang, flip over and affix a paperclip, string or wire using glue or clear tape.

And finally, find a happy place to exhibit your nifty new piece of contemporary art!