This is one of my favorite craft activities. Young kids can do it, older kids can do it. I remember doing it once at one of my schools and then kids turned the bird into a parrot. Using painter’s tape, we taped the bird onto each child’s shoulder. I have also used it as an ornament and that is my inspiration for The 12 Days of Christmas 2017.
It is a fairly easy activity: all you need is glue and strips of paper or cardstock. For younger kids, cut the strips 3/4″ wide or 1″ wide. For those looking for a more challenging experience, cut the strips 1/4. Use glitter paper for a fancier look and add Swarovski crystals for the eyes. Play around with it and see what comes.
Supplies:
Materials:
- Strips cut from cardstock
- Scissors
- Tacky glue
- Clothespin
- Swarovski Crystals for the eyes
Cardstock Strips Sizes:
Body: 5 (1-inch-wide) strips, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 inches long
Head: 2 (1-inch-wide) strips, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches long
Tail: 5 (1 1/2-inch-wide on one end and 1-inch-wide on the other end: will look like a long triangle) strips, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 inches long
Beak: 1 (1- by 2-inch) strip
Roll the body strips into circles, overlap their ends about 1/4 inch, and secure with glue. Do the same with the head.
Attach the body pieces together, one circle inside the other.
Repeat with the head.
Once the glue has dried, first attached the tail to the bottom of the body piece. Once those two pieces have dried, I usually stand the body and tail to position the head and then adhere the head to the body. Use binder clips to hold in place until the glue dries.
For the beak, first fold the beak in half. Then measure and score 1/4″ from both edges and fold as shown.
Next, shape the beak by cutting an equilateral triangle off each side of the beak to create shape as shown above.
Adhere the beak together as shown.
Then adhere the beak to the head of the bird. Hold it in place with binder clips. Remove once dry.
Finally, either draw the eyes in or if you have Swarovski crystals, adhere them to the head for eyes.
Just about done. Last step is using fishing wire to thread through the biggest body circle for hanging on a try or window.
Swrily bird made with glitter cardstock