Arts and Crafts Class Today

We made these little cuties today. I first saw them years ago in Family Fun Magazine. Each child made one bunny and one chick. Although that was a little ambitious for an hour class. Next time I'd probably just do one or the other and then have them do a coloring page. (Note: The chick is simpler than the bunny.)

You start with wood beads. My local craft store only had wood knobs which only have a hole on one end that does not extend through the bead. But luckily my garage is full of saws and drills and other loud scary things so my woobie was able to drill holes in all 40 beads with nary a complaint--he's a trooper! I then glued the beads together--flat sides together--with the woobie's expensive super glue. (This invoked a small complaint.)

Last night I kept thinking these little ones are not going to be able to paint these without getting fingerprints all over the beads and paint all over themselves. Once again my woobie came to the rescue by making a little stand the kids could put their bead on. THIS WAS A LIFESAVER!

I brought lots of fun Easter colors to class and the kids painted the bodies whichever color they chose. Some chose to do the head a different color than the body, which turned out really cute!

For the bunny I found really fun extra fluffy pipe cleaners. You string two pipe cleaners (side by side) through the body and then fold the ears into shape and the feet into shape. (So one pipe cleaner is a foot and ear and the other pipe cleaner is the other foot and ear. Does that make sense?). We did glue tiny pom pom tails on too. The kids drew the face on with paint pens.

For the chick you fold a regular pipe cleaner in half and thread it through the body from the top and put a feather in the little top loop and pull it tight. Then you shape the bottom of the pipe cleaner into the two feet. The kids did the eyes with paint pens and the beak with a Sharpie.