The Summer Reading Challenge has now ended in Cheshire West and Chester Libraries but these crafts are still fun to do!

Get a head - How to make your very own Silly Squad head

Materials

Balloon, Newspaper (roughly torn into small pieces), PVA glue, Water, Vaselene, Large bowl, Small tray or shallow container, Paint Brush, Clothes peg, Piece of wire shaped to make a hook / loop, Poster Paints, Piece of ribbon or string.

Instructions

You will get messy so make sure you wear old clothes!


1) Cover the surface you are working on with a plastic sheet or old paper.

2) In a small tray or shallow container mix the PVA glue and water together - 2 parts PVA glue to 1 part water.

3) Blow up the balloon, tie a knot in the top and smear a thin layer of Vaseline over the surface.Rest the balloon in the large bowl for stability.

4) Dip the pieces of newspaper into the glue mixture. Wipe off the excess glue by sliding the pieces against the edge of the tray allowing any excess to drip back into the tray. Cover the surface of the balloon, overlapping the pieces. Use fingers or a paintbrush to smooth out any creases.

5) Cover the balloon at least twice then smooth over the whole surface. Using the peg on the knotted end, hang to dry overnight.

6) When dry, tape the wire loop to the top end of your balloon head. Tape on any features you wish to add such as ears. You can add other features like a nose by squeezing lots of wet gluey layers together with your fingers. Mold into the shape you want then secure in place with more strips of paper mache.

7) Cover the balloon with another two coats of paper, leaving the loop and ears sticking out,

the tape holding them in place now covered with the paper mache.

8) Hang to dry.

9) When completely dry you can gently pop the balloon and remove it.

10) Paint the head, thread string or ribbon through the loop and hang up. You could make one of the Silly Squad, create your own silly head, even make an octopus attaching tissue paper as tentacles at the base.





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