Materials:
Foam board
Mat board
Newspaper
Waxed paper
Masking tape
White glue
Fabric glue
Wallpaper paste
Acrylic paints
Gesso
Pencil
Brushes
Ruler
Felt
Scissors
Rubber bands
Utility knife
Cotton swabs
Dowel rod scraps
Paste and paint pans
Directions:
1. To start, divide a nine-inch square of the foam board
into three-inch squares. It's important to keep the corners
at right angles so that the edges of the box will join
properly. If you have one available, a T-square or triangle
will be helpful.
2. Lay the square on a stack of newspapers or other
protective material, and have an adult use a ruler and a
utility knife to remove the four corners. Next, gently cut
through just the top layer of paper and foam on the center
square. Carefully bend the sides up on each side to make the
box shape. Match the sides, and tape each side joint in
several places.
3. To make the lid, turn the container top down onto another
piece of foam board, trace around the form, and cut out the
shape. Cut three pieces of mat board smaller than the inside
dimensions of the box, and glue them together. Use rubber
bands to hold the pieces in place until they dry. Remove the
bands and glue the pieces to the inside center of the lid.
This built up area will help keep the lid in place.
4. Mix the wallpaper paste according to the manufacturer's
directions. Tear newspapers into squares or short strips,
and working on waxed paper, begin pasting the box, starting
at the seams. Cover all the corners and the seam around the
bottom. Use the handle of an artist's paintbrush to help
push the paper into the indented areas. Now cover the bottom
and the sides, extending the layer about (OMEGA) inch over
the top and into the box.
5. After the box is completed, paper mache the lid,
including the bottom. While it's not necessary, you can make
a knob by attaching a large bottle cap to the box top. Tape
it to the lid, then cover and paste it to the form using
small strips and the paper mache mixture. Apply an extra
layer or so at the joint.
6. When the box is dry, you're ready to paint the surface
decoration. Apply one coat of gesso (primer) to the
container. After this dries, paint the box a background
color, and then apply dot designs with short dowel rods and
cotton swabs. Another option is to use fabric paints in
squeeze bottles to apply dots, squiggles, and other
shapes.
7. In our example, we drew designs on the box and the lid
with white glue. After the glue dried, we applied gesso and
then painted the box and the lid black. Finally, we dry
brushed a light coating of silver over the surface, and we
painted short dowels and glued them in place to make the
knob for the lid.
8. You'll need two pieces of felt for the box lining, one
for the bottom and another to go around the inside. Measure
the bottom, the distance around, and the height of the
inside to determine how much felt to cut. Subtract about 1/4
inch from the height to allow the lid to fit properly. Use
fabric glue to fasten the material into the box. When you're
finished, sign your name and the year on the back or the
bottom.
About the author
ChildFun.com is a wonderful
parenting resource, and is full of year round holiday crafts,
recipes and kid's activities.
