How To Make A Papier-Mache Mask (courtesy of Howcast.com)

Make a papier-mache mask for Halloween, a masquerade party, Carnival time or anytime! You will need:

An old tablecloth
A work smock
A clean, empty plastic gallon jug – labels removed
Strong scissors
Craft knife
An elastic band
Newspaper
White computer paper
Unbleached flour or glue
Acrylic paint
Decorations

Step 1 – Cover your workspace with an old tablecloth or sheets of newspaper, and wear something to protect your clothes, like a smock.

Step 2 – With strong scissors, cut the plastic jug in half, lengthwise. Turn the jug upside down. The handle will serve as the mask’s nose. Cut holes for your eyes and mouth with a craft knife. Cut a small hole on each side of the mask, at ear level, for an elastic band.

Step 3 – Tear newspaper and white computer paper into strips, about 1 inch x 6 inches. Shredding the paper by hand works better than cutting it. You’ll need enough pieces to cover your mask with 3 layers of newspaper and 1 layer of computer paper, plus some extra paper for molding facial features.

Step 4 – Whisk 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water into a paste, adding a bit more of either, if needed, to reach a gluey consistency. You can also use glue, thinned out with water.

Step 5 – One by one, dip a newspaper strip into the paste, shake off the access and lay it flat against the mask horizontally, taking care not to cover the holes. Overlap each strip with w new one. When you finish the first layer, let it dry completely before putting on the next one. This time, apply the strips vertically. If you’re putting away your project for the night, store the unused paste in the refrigerator. The next day, microwave it for one minute before using.

Step 6 – Apply the strips for the 3rd layer horizontally. After you’ve applied 3 layers, mold some of the newspaper strips into features, like cheekbones and eyebrows.

Step 7 – Make the last layer out of the torn computer paper, applying the strips vertically. The white paper will give you a blank canvas for creating your character. If you live in a damp climate, you can dry the mask on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet in an oven set to Warm. Check on the mask after about 30 minutes.

Step 8 – When the mask is completely dry, decorate it with paint, feathers, glitter, sequins, beads, fabric, rhinestones, or whatever will make it your own!

Did you know? At 12 to 16 feet tall and several feet wide, the Igbo ijele mask is one of the largest ceremonial masks made in Africa!

How To Make A Kite (courtesy of Vickie GrassStainGuru.com)

Hi! My name is Vickie Bodwell, and today I have my son, Henry Bodwell, helping me show you how to make a kite. This is one of my all-time favorite childhood memories – I remember making a kite with my dad – when I was about your age – with newspapers and sticks. However, today we’re going to use a bit more sophisticated material. We’re going to use:

Heavy craft paper

Wooden dowels

Exacto knife

String

Scissors

Either glue or masking tape

We’ve selected some of Henry’s favorite art supplies to decorate, and the first two steps can be a little bit complicated, so if you’re working with small children, you may want to do those in advance and let them decorate the kite at the end. However, if you want to make our life really easy, you can go to our website and buy our Kitemaking Kit, and you can put it together and the kids can just go ahead and paint it. So, are you ready to go to Step 1? Great!

Step 1 – So, now on Step 1, we’re gonna go ahead and start making the frame of your kite. And, since Henry’s a little bit younger, we’re gonna go ahead I’m just gonna make this piece. What you’re gonna do is your gonna take your 2 sticks – one is gonna be a little bit shorter – and you’re gonna make a cross. You take your thumb to secure it, and you’re gonna want to make sure that the cross on either side is even. And you’ll take a piece of masking tape or glue and you’re gonna put a dab on the lower piece of the cross. Then you take your string and just wrap it tightly to secure the crossbow. And, at some point, you can check to make sure that it’s about even…at this point, balance is gonna be about your best success story for flying your kite.

Once you finish wrapping – you’ll leave a little tail to cut off – you’ll take your glue and just glop it on. So, while that’s drying – it’ll take about 30 minutes – we’ll put that aside and we’ll be ready to move on to Step 2.

Step 2 – So, in Step 2, you’re gonna be working with an Exacto knife, because you’re gonna make a groove into our wooden dowel. And, you’re gonna go along all four corners. So, at this point, you’re gonna start by making a loop at the top of the kite frame and going around each of the 4 sides. At the end, you’re gonna take your string and make another loop, by making a knot, pulling the string through and going back to your knotch. Then, just wrap around the end, let your next end go in the knotch and around, and you’re gonna end up back at the top. And, you’re gonna have a beautiful diamond shape! And you can make any adjustment you need to on your kite.

Step 3 – So, now in Step 3, it’s a good time to bring the kids back in, and we’re gonna take our craft paper, Henry, and we’re gonna carefully draw a line, about a half to one inch around the frame. And then Henry is going to cut along that edge. So, once your kite is completely cut out, you’re going to go back to your frame and you’re gonna place it in the middle. And we’re going to wrap the paper around your kite frame. So, you have the diamond shape – take your kite and put it back in the center. Take your glue or masking tape – I’ll show you how to do both. Henry, we’re going to wrap it like a present. I’m gonna move this craft paper so we can see what we’re doing. If you’re using glue, you just take it and go on one side of the twine, and you just fold it like an envelope. If you’re using masking tape, you just take your masking tape the length of one of the sides. And, you can cut out whatever excess paper you have. So, in this case we’ll just cut off the ends. And, make sure to make a nice point on your diamond kite. Alright! Now, you have the shape of your kite, right?

Step 4 – So, this is the final step in making the kite, and you’re gonna take a string and you’re gonna basically tie it from one end to the other. You make a loop. This will be, when you tie your string to fly your kite, that’s what it will go through. You tie one end to the top – just tie a little knot – tie this securely, because the story goes with my dad that he didn’t tie it securely enough, and the kit flew off! So, tie a really secure knot. Henry, you wanna put it through the loop? Alright – Tah Dah! OK, now, for the final Decorating! You can take any of your art supplies – Henry can do whatever he wants. He can paint, he can use markers, he can use crayons. And, you may even want to do a little tail at the end – weaving some of our fabric remnants and you can tie little bows on it for that extra, special flair.

Now, you have an old-fashioned, paper kite that you can go fly with your kids! So, have a great time flying your kite and we’ll see you next time!

How To Make A Jigsaw Puzzle (courtesy of Howcast.com)

Do you love to do jigsaw puzzles, but hate the corny pictures? Here’s how to make a puzzle with any picture – your pet turtle, your favorite cartoon character, your little brother…ok, maybe not your little brother! You will need:

A grown-up to help with cutting

A photo, poster, picture from a magazine or a drawing

A thick piece of cardboard or foam board

Glue

Scissors

A pencil

Step 1 – Choose a picture that you want to make into a puzzle, then choose a piece of cardboard or foam board that slightly bigger than your picture. The lid of a pizza box can make a perfect puzzle board, as long as it’s not all cheesy and oily!

Step 2 – Glue your image to the board you’ve chosen, and let it dry overnight. Place a flat, heavy object on top, like a book, to make sure it dries nice and evenly.

Step 3 – Ask a grown-up to help you trim up any of the extra cardboard or foam board that surrounds your picture, with the scissors.

Step 4 – Turn your picture over, and draw jigsaw shapes on the back of the board. Shapes with at least 2 semi-circular parts, facing either in or out, work best. Small, complicated shapes will be hard to put back together.

Step 5 – Again, with a grown-up helping you, cut the picture along the lines you’ve just drawn.

Step 6 – Now, jumble up the pieces, and see how long it takes you to do your hand-made puzzle! Or, challenge your friends to try it!

Did you know? The first jigsaw puzzle was made in England in the mid-1700s. It was a map to help kids learn geography!

Learn How To Make A Great Paper Airplane (courtesy of Jogo)

How To Make A Paper Lampshade (courtesy of Threadbangers.com)