Tag Archives: paper twist

Aug11

BUGS AND THINGS: Butterfly

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BUGS AND THINGS: Butterfly
BUTTERFLY

BUTTERFLY

BUTTERFLY

Butterflies belong to the order of Lepidoptera which means “scaly wings.”

Butterflies and moths live in high mountains, warm tropical rainforests, the Artic tundra, deserts and swamps. Some pollinate flowers but some are also pests. They help the environment by providing food for bats lizards, frogs and birds.

 Scientists have discovered one million creatures in the animal world; ¾ of these are insects. Of these, 18,000 to 20,000 different kinds of butterflies have been identified.

During the fall, monarch butterflies fly as far as 3,000 miles to their winter homes. None of them return to their place of origin because few of the live longer than a month. Only some butterfly species can journey very far.

Materials:

Paper Twist or similar wide wire ribbon (color of choice)

Chenille stems (color of choice)

Clothespin

sequins, glitter, markers, etc.

Project:

  1. Unfurl the twist and lay one end down on a smooth surface. Determine the length. For example, if you choose to make a 6” butterfly, unfold it, and lay down 6” of twist going in one direction. Lay down another 6” going in the other direction. Continue in this manner until you have 3-4 loops of twist on each side. Cut off any excess.
  2. Pinch the twist loops in the center with a clothespin.
  3. Decorate the clothespin with sequins, glitter, markers, and other craft items.
  4. Take two chenille stems and wrap them around the clothespin. Curl the ends so that the stems look like antenna.

 

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Jul15

BUGS AND THINGS: Dragonflies

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BUGS AND THINGS: Dragonflies

DRAGONFLY

 

DRAGONFLY

The young dragonfly begins life in the water as a naiad. It feeds on tiny insects and fish. It has long legs which hold the insects it captures while flying. Dragonflies perform good deeds, too: they love to eat mosquitoes. Many dragonfly species live in marshes near rivers and ponds.

Materials:

One sheet lime green stock

Two sheets black construction paper

2 feet Paper Twist (any color)

Circle cutter or template of a circle

Pointed tip scissors

Circle punch

Ruler

White glue

String

Thin gauge wire

Project:

  1. Cut two 3 ½”, three 3”, twelve 1 ½”, six 1”, and eight circle punches.
  2. Cut two ¼” x ½” strips of black construction paper.
  3. Cut two 2” circles out of the lime green paper.
  4. Place on 3” circle and two circle punches aside. Separate the remaining circle and punches into two piles.
  5. To make the body, glue one 3 ½” circle with the edge of one 3” circle, then glue six 1 ½” circles in a row. At the end, glue three circle punches.
  6. Flip the body over and glue a second set of circles over the first row.
  7. For the eyes. Glue two 2” lime green circles on the 3” circle to make the eyes. Glue a black circle punch in the center of each eye.
  8. Attach the head by gluing it to the folds.
  9. To make the wings twist a small piece of wire around the center of the piece of twist. Round off the ends of the twist with scissors. Punch a hole behind the largest body section and insert the wire around the ribbon through this hole to attach the wings to the body. Inset a length of string through this hole to hang the dragonfly.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Delano, Marte Ferguson. National Geographic Kids/Butterflies. Washington DC: National Geographic for Kids.

Greensburg, David T. Bugs! NY: Little, Brown and Company. 1997.

Jackson, Demi.  Guess That Animal! Name That Bug! NY: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2017.

McKissack, Patricia and Frederick. Bugs! Chicago: Children’s Press, 1988.

Parker, Nancy Winslow and Wright, Joan Richards. Bugs. NY: Greenwillow, 1987.

Simon, Seymour. Butterflies. NY: Collins, 2011.

Singer, Marilyn. Caterpillars. Waynesville, MC: Early Light Books, Inc., 2011.

Taylor, Barbara, ed. 1000 Facts on Bugs. NY: Miles Kelly Publishing, 2005.

 

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Dec14

Fence Weaving for the Holidays: Paper Garland

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Fence Weaving for the Holidays: Paper Garland

Materials:

Paper in 4 holiday colors or colors of choice

Scissors

Pencil/eraser

Ruler or yard stick

Beads, glitter or similar craft items (optional)

Glue stick

Ribbon, paper twist, strips of fabric or similar material

One chain link fence

 

  1. Use three or four different colored papers. The sample in the photograph uses red, green, silver and brown. Measure and cut one of the colored papers into six ½” x 8” strips.
  2. Measure and cut the next colored paper into seven strips measuring ½” x 6.”
  3. Glue one strip of paper measuring ½” x 6.” Then glue a strip of measuring ½” x 8” through the first loop. Alternate the colors of the paper strips until you have 13 paper loops in two different colors forming a garland. (For example, the pattern would be red, green, red, green, etc.) Use the photograph for reference.
  4. Next, measure and cut the paper of the third color into 16 strips of 1/2” x 5.”
  5. Glue one strip of that paper through one of the loops measuring ½” x8”. Glue another strip through that same loop so that the loops hang down from the first loop. Use as many strips to form loops of the third color as you wish. The sample in the photograph used four strips of that color. Continue to glue strips of the third color into loops hanging down from the larger loops. The sample shows four smaller loops of paper flowing vertically from four larger loops for a total of 16 loops of the third color.
  6. Proceed in the same way with the fourth colored paper. Cut strips measuring ½” x 5.” Loop the strips vertically from the second colored paper. See the photograph of the sample for reference.
  7. Optional: glue glitter or sequins or small beads on any or all the loops. Use small beads and be aware that heavy or large beads can drag down the paper loops.
  8. Loop the ribbon through one of the paper loops at one end, then weave the ribbon in and out of the chain link fence. Tie a bow at the top. Repeat this step at the other end and in the middle.
  9. Or use your imagination and use other decorative objects!
  10. Hang from the fence during the holiday season.
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