Simple prints can be made by recycling your meat trays!

What you need:

• Foam meat trays
• Scissors
• Dull pencils/toothpicks
• Black ink or paint
• Foam brush (1" – 2") or brayer

What to do:

• Cut off the edges of meat trays so that you have nice flat rectangles or squares to "etch"
• Using a pencil or fine marker, lightly draw your design on the styrofoam
• Draw into the lines with a dull pencil or a toothpick – remembering that those recessed lines will be white after the ink is applied
• Apply paint/ink evenly with brayer or a wide foam brush
• Position your piece of white paper so that the image will be in the middle of the page.
• Press down firmly & evenly using your hand with a paper towel on top of paper (just in case ink or paint comes through)
• Pull the paper away from styrofoam (printing plate)
• Voila! You have made a print. If you like your design, you can make multiples.
• Finish after paint dries, by mounting on a larger piece of colored construction paper.

*Remember letters and designs will be backwards when printed.  If you want to write your name you must do it backward in order for it to print correctly. (*Hint – Use a mirror to see if it will look right after you write it on a piece of paper)

East Paper Mache'

What you need:

• Cardboard
• Masking tape
• Newspaper
• Heavy duty, clear strippable wallpaper adhesive (you can purchase at home improvement and paint stores in small or large buckets)
• Paint
• Brushes

What to do:

• Make a shape of the animal you want to make out of cardboard. Have an adult cut out with a utility knife.
• To give your creature shape, add mashed up newspaper to cardboard form, then attach with masking tape. Keep adding paper and tape until you have a form.
• Tear newspaper into strips
• Dip strips in wallpaper adhesive and smooth over form. Adding strips until the surface is covered and smooth.
• Allow to dry (usually takes 48 hours)
• Using acrylic paints, add bright colors to your form.
• After background color dries, go in and add details and designs with smaller brush.
• Gold markers, sequins or feathers are nice additions!
• If you’d like to further protect your piece, spray with clear sealer.

Sculpt-A-Creature

What you need:

• Floral foam blocks approximately 3" x 9" rectangle
• Plastic knife
• Pencil
• Toothpicks
• Granite spray paint

What to do:

• Using a pencil, draw creature head shape on the foam block.  Where are the neck, eyes, nose, and mouth if they have them?
• When you’ve mapped out general areas, start carving away with the plastic knife.
• Use a dull pencil to make other designs in the foam.
• If you want to add a piece of foam that has been cut off, use a toothpick in the piece and add to the block foam.
• When all finished, have an adult help you spray the granite spray on your creature to turn it to stone!

Sun Sparklers

What you need:

• Old CD’s
• Glitter paint
• Brushes
• Sequins
• Ribbon
• Scissors

What to do:

• Make sure your CD’s are clean (no oily residue), by wiping off well.
• Using bright color glitter paint, make some designs all around the CD (you’ll have to let them dry on one side before doing the other)
• Add sequins to the glitter paint or add them by gluing after they dry.
• After they are dry, pick pretty colored ribbons and tie different lengths to hang and reflect from your window or ceiling.

Art Hanger

What you need:

• Yardstick
• Drill
• Elmer’s glue/wood glue/tacky glue
• Clothespins
• Wood shapes
• Paint (acrylic)
• Brushes (detail – 1")

What to do:

• Drill 2 holes in the middle of your two ends. (this will let you add a wire or nail to hang your display)
• Pick out random shapes from woodworking scraps, or buy shapes at a craft store.
• Place shapes and clothespins along the yardstick first before gluing to see how your placement will be.
• Four or five clothespins work well evenly placed so that your pictures can be seen.
• Paint your shapes, clothespins and ruler with a solid color. The more colorful the better!
• After paint dries, add designs to wood shapes with small brush.
• Glue wood shapes and clothespins to the yardstick.
• After 24 hours of drying, you are ready to use your display.

Sandpaper Prints

What you need:

• Sandpaper sheets (fine or med. Grit)
• Crayons
• Iron (old)
• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• White paper

What to do:

• Draw a quick design on a piece of paper to think out what your print will be.
• On a small piece of sandpaper, draw your design in crayon. *The darker you apply the crayon, the more color your print will have!
• When finished coloring, place a piece of white paper on top of sandpaper (sandpaper drawing should be on top of newspaper)
• With a newspaper or paper towel, and an adult’s help, heat up the print with an old iron.
• Each iron has different settings. Ours does best on cotton setting.
• Press down and move the iron evenly across the sandpaper under the paper.
• When you smell the crayons melting, you can check to see if your print is done by pulling one corner away just a little!
• If not printing, repeat step #6.
• Pull paper off and let cool.
• Mount your print on another piece of construction paper as a mat.
• You can make another print the same way, only it will be lighter.