Have you ever seen those scrubbing pads which are rectangular, green and thin? Theyre found at most any place that sells dish detergent and similar products. The scrubbing pads are inexpensive and can be used to make a cute alligator pencil holder for a child. As a matter of fact, the alligator is so easy to make, even a child can do it. If you have more than one child, purchase the multi-pack, because all your kids will want to make one for themselves. They finished alligator can sit on a desk, shelf or night stand.
Youll need two of the scrubbing pads to make each alligator. Cut two corners off of each pad, rounding them when you cut them, to make a shape that looks like a long pocket. Use the pocket shape as a pattern to cut two pieces of red felt. The red pieces should be a tad shorter and narrower than the pocket shape.
Cut a piece of white felt to make the alligators teeth. The piece should be long enough to go around the rounded part of one of the pads. Cut the felt to look like teeth, cutting several points across the length of one long side of the felt. Glue the finished teeth to the top rounded part of the scrubber pad. This will be the top of the alligators head and mouth. Glue the two red felt pieces to one side of the green pocket shapes. One piece of the red felt will be glued to the scrubber that has the "teeth". Glue the red piece over the edge of the white felt which is the set of teeth. The second red felt piece should be glued directly to the bottom jaw of the alligator - the scrubber without the teeth. Place the top jaw - the one with the teeth - on top of the bottom jaw. Use hot glue to glue them together across the straight end of the scrubbers. Do not glue the center and rounded ends of the scrubbers. You should now have the shape of the jaws of the alligator, with the teeth showing in the front. Use green pom-poms to make the eyes of the alligator. The one-inch size works well. Glue them all the way back by the straight side of the scrubbers. They should be placed on top, right in front of the area where you glued the scrubbers together. Glue wiggly eyes onto each of the pom-poms to finish the eyes of the alligator. The wiggly eyes should be glued to the front of the pom-poms not on top of them. Create a nose for the alligator by gluing two small black pom-poms onto the rounded area of the top piece. Push the pom-poms almost all the way together and glue them right at the rounded edge. Instead of pom-poms you can use small black beads or shank buttons. After creating the nose the face is almost complete. Now youll choose a method of adding embellishments to the face. Give the alligators face some texture and character by selecting any number of craft supplies. Cut three pieces of rick-rack. One piece should be slightly longer than the other two pieces. The rick-rack can be green or black. Glue one piece from between the eyes to the edge of the snout. The other two pieces should be placed in front of the eyes and reach to the rounded edge. Instead of rick-rack you can use roping, yarn or even fabric paints. The alligator can set on a flat surface and hold any number of things between its jaws. Slide in pencils, markers, pens - even makeup brushes. The cute critter looks great on a childs desk or art table. Kids can make the creation themselves or you can make it and surprise them. A child might even want to make one for his or her favorite teacher. Its a unique gift that will look great on the teachers desk. Make one for Mom to use as a pincushion. She can stick pins and needles in the red felt of the open alligators mouth. Its fun, easy and inexpensive to make several of the alligators so everyone in the family can have one or so you can give them out as gifts.
No comments:
Post a Comment