2010 Goofy Pipecleaner Glasses

Goofy glasses make for great fun!
 
This is a very simple project that only takes a few minutes and creates memorable times and photos.  This is based on a tutorial over at Make and Takes for the kids sized version:

http://www.makeandtakes.com/celebrate-2010-with-some-goofy-glasses
As my son is 16, I had to upsize the project:

• 7 pipecleaners
• Craft Scissors

Shape 4 pipe cleaners, 1 for each number, into "2010".  Fold 2 pipe cleaners in half and and shape each into an earpiece. 

 

Cut the remaining pipe cleaner to connect the number together - as it was too uncomfortable with having the "1" over the nose, I cut a longer piece (about the length of my thumb) to shape into a piece to go over the nose.

Rock Frog

This is a rock frog that I made for my fairy/whimsy garden. (Sorry for the fuzzy pictures - my good camera went out on me and I had to drag this old camera out of the closet).

Items used:

• Rock
• Green Acrylic Paint
• Paintbrush
• Black Marker
• Green Pipe Cleaner
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks (or other strong glue)
• 2 googly eyes
• Optional - Clear Acrylic Spray Paint

Paint the rock green (or any color your want your frog to be)

Cut the pipe cleaner in half and shap them into legs by bending the right end back then up at angle then down at an angle about an inch over and then bend at an angle forward and twist it back and then around the edge of the foot. Repeat to make the legs for the other side of the frog.

Glue the legs on to the bottom of the frog.

Glue the eyes on the frog and draw on a mouth (and warts on the back if you would like) with the black marker and spray with clear acrylic paint and allow to dry (this was done before I put him outside, but the picture did not turn out).

BUTTERFLY MOBILE

This project was for a Mother's Day gift for my son's step-Grandmother. It was originally intended that he do the project on his own, but it turned out to be more of a joint venture as it was tricker than I had estimated.

Nearly everything for this project was purchase from the Dollar Tree and spent $3, as I had scissors, thread and the ribbon on hand already.

The original project with a tutorial was found at

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/butterfly_mobile

Items used:

• Tissue paper (multi-colored)
• Wooden wreath (medium sized)
• Pipecleaners (multi-colored)
• Scissors
• Thread (could use fishing line also)
• 1/8th inch wide ribbon

The butterfly shapes are made by cutting approx. 9x6 inch pieces of tissue paper folded in half with as curve at the bottom and side (see below) but straight at the top. You then use 3 butterfly shapes for each butterfly. My son chose to use mostly one color for the top and bottom and a contrasting color in the center.

You then choose the color of pipecleaner you want to use with each butterfly.

To make the butterfly, center the pipecleaner then fold it over the lower edge, then scrunch the tissue paper to make the wings and then twist both sides of the pipecleaner together to make the butterfly.

Here is where it gets tricky; tie a piece of thread that is about 12-14 inches long through the pipecleaner at the bottom of the butterfly centering it then tie a knot. Then pull the threads up and tie a knot about an inch from the edge then tie a knot around the head of the butterfly, then trim the thread. It will look like this when you are done.

Cut 4 pieces of ribbon about 10-12 inches long, tie each piece to the corner of the wreath in a knot, then pull all four pieces of ribbon together and center them, then tie knot.

Cut varying lengths of thread, tie to the center of the thread on each butterfly, then tie the thread to the wreath. This is easier if you have one person hold up the wreath and the other one tie the threads. We did this with each of the butterflies except the center one, which we attached with a ribbon to the knot at the center of the ribbons.