If any New Jersey librarian would like the packet from the Creature Feature Teen Craft Workshop, please e-mail Pat Obst at pobst@summitlibrary.org with your CD&L number and it will be send to you. It contains detailed instructions for the first seven crafts listed above.
- No Sew Fleece pillows
Instructions can be found on the web for this pillow, which is made by cutting fringe and tying the two pieces together. Making an 18" x 18" pillow means you can usually make three pillows from 60" wide fleece. Stuff with fiberfill and use scraps of materials to decorate and make animal or monster pillows.
- Paper curling or quillery
As art work on its own or to decorate something else.
- String Art Pictures
Use dot to dot pictures or make your own to make the pattern. Copy on to tracing paper. For the base use the cardboard or Styrofoam that come in all the boxes of books that libraries get. You may need to glue 2 pieces together for enough thickness. You may want to cover with black paper or another color of your choice to fit your design. Place tracing paper pattern on base. Use 5/8 inch nails. Place where the dots are. Tear the tracing paper off the base. Use thread or interesting yarn to create the picture. You may want to add extra nails as you work your design.
- Felt or Paper Beads
See Tina Casey's book on the bibliography. We made beads from animal print felt.
- 3-D Animals
Origami animals or folded paper animals
- Critter Boxes
Make an origami box or folded tab box using animal print or animal picture paper or with plain paper or cardstock and decorate with paper quillery or 3-d animals or with a collage or drawing.
- Duct Tape
Make dishes, pencil holders decorated with animals.
Make animals with the tape.
Make belt, wallet, etc. decorate with animal theme.
- Doghouse
One of many uses for a cardboard box. Buy boxes of desired size at an office supply store. Cut off top flaps, trace a door on one end and cut out. Assemble the box, taping the bottom flaps closed. Using additional cardboard (from all those book boxes,) cut out two triangles for the pitched parts of the front and back of the doghouse. Cut a piece of cardboard an inch longer than the length of the box by an inch longer than the sum of the two sides of the pitched part of the doghouse. Score in the middle and fold to make the roof. Tape the triangles and the roof to the box for your doghouse. Have the children decorate. You can also make a circus train or a corral or a barn.
- Cardboard Crafts
Use corrugated cardboard to make animals or creatures.
Cut it, fold it, score it, use the different textures.
- Masks
These can be as simple as paper plate masks decorated with markers, or more 3-d paper sculpture or paper mache, clay or dough.
- Clay and Dough
Many possibilities. Make animals, creatures from clay. Make critter dishes shaped like animals. Make masks.
- Stained Glass Creatures
Use an inexpensive picture frame, black construction paper and tissue paper or cellophane to make an animal or creature.
- Door Hangers
Foam craft in animal shapes.
- Aluminum Foil Creatures
Give pairs or groups of teens a box of aluminum foil each and have a contest to make the largest, best aluminum foil creature. Use to decorate the room.
- Collage
Make 2 or 3 D creatures using all sorts of paper scraps or other materials, too.
- Wire Sculpture
Another way to make interesting creatures.
- Wind Sock
Make one from poster board and crepe paper.
- Mobiles
Make 3-D animals and hang from dowels or hangers.
- Paper Mache
Make masks, heads, animals.
- Cardboard Heads
Another paper sculpture idea. Three-dimensional heads. Great for decorating, too. See book by David Swinton.
- Mosaics
Cut paper into small mosaic shapes. Use to design a creature.
- Decoupage
Use animal print tissue paper to decoupage a glass candleholder or dish.
- Kites
There are many patterns for animal shaped kites.
- Soft Sculpture
Another way to make sculpture animals or creatures. Use muslin and crayons and fiberfill.
- Banners
Use some of the leftover fleece from #1 above or other fabric to make a banner or a quilt.
- Bead Animals
Kits are available at craft stores or directions can be found on the web to make pony bead jewelry, key chains, or other projects.
