Summer Boost
Activity:
Craft a "Recycled" Angel Tree Topper
This "recycled" angel may use old materials, but it will be a brand new addition to your family's holiday decoration lineup! Show your little one how to craft this adorable angel out of an ordinary soda bottle as the tree topper for this year's Christmas tree. As your family receives a cherished new holiday keepsake, your child will fine tune his creativity, fine motor skills, and ability to follow directions!
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What You Need:
- 2-liter bottle
- Scissors
- Scrap material
- Glue dots
- Cardboard
- Paint
- Glitter (optional)
- A doll head
What You Do:
- Have your child read through all the instructions out loud so that you both know what needs to be done, and ask your child if she has any questions before you begin.
- Cut off the bottle portion of the 2-liter bottle, so that the bottle creates a cone that can go over the top of your Christmas tree. Cutting through a plastic bottle can be dangerous, so it is best for an adult to do this portion of the project.
- Use the scrap of material to drape around the bottle, so it looks like a loose fitting gown. Your child is free to choose the color of material and how long the gown is. An old t-shirt is great for this project! Your child can wrap the material around the bottle until he is happy with how it looks, and then can cut it down as necessary.
- Once the material is arranged the way your child wants it, hold the material in place as he glues it to the back of the bottle. Using glue dots will enable your child to easily attach the material without having to wait long for the glue to dry.
- Invite your child to draw angel wings onto the cardboard. If he wishes, he can practice on scrap paper first.
- Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut out the wings your child drew.
- Once the wings are cut out, instruct your child to go ahead and paint them. White, yellow, and gold are common traditional colors, but he can choose any color he likes!
- To achieve an extra sheen, invite your child to sprinkle glitter over the glue while it is still wet.
- While your child waits for the wings to dry, he can use the glue dots to glue the doll head to the top of the 2-liter bottle (just above the neckline of the material).
- Once the paint on the wings is dry, your child is free to glue the wings to the back of the angel.
One of the many great things about this project is that it really allows your child to get creative! Your child has the opportunity to decide on the color or pattern of the material, the type of doll head to use, the length of the dress, as well as the color and style of the wings.
