This sneaky sheep project is a great way to entertain kids on a rainy day or over the Easter holidays. Using an egg carton from the recycling bin, cotton wool and some basic craft bits and bobs, it's a fun activity for children that won't break the bank. From curious kids who love to watch the lambs in the fields to crafty kids who are dying to get their fingers messy, we think young children will love this spring craft idea!
Sneaky Sheep
The sheep are always breaking out, it drives the farmer mad. He’s often mending fences, but they’re good at being baa-d!
You will need
Egg carton
Cereal-box card, 2 x 2 in.
(5 x 5 cm)
Cotton (wool) ball
Glue
Craft scissors
Ruler
Black felt-tip or gel pen
1. Cut an egg cup from the carton and straighten the edge so it sits flat and the cup is about ¾ in. (2 cm) high. Don’t worry if there are a few gaps in the sides from the carton joins (like the one in the picture)—this won’t affect your sheep!
2. For the legs, use the black pen to draw two small black squares on opposite sides of the cup (avoiding any gaps), right on the edge. Then draw two more, halfway between the first ones, so you end up with four evenly spaced legs around the cup. Color-in the squares and try to make them the same size.
3. Snip up the sides of the marked legs and also snip the card halfway between each leg.
4. Now push these flaps of card up into the cup (under the body), leaving the legs down.
TIP
For a lying down sheep, simply cut a shallower egg cup from the carton and follow the instructions from step 5. A white gel or liquid paper pen works well for closed eyes.
5. Cover the top of your sheep’s body with a good layer of glue. Tease out a small piece of cotton ball so it’s not too thick, then start pressing it into the glue. Begin around the bottom edge, just above the legs, and work round, finishing on top. A thin coat of cotton ball looks best.
6. While the glue is drying, copy the head template onto some cereal-box card. Draw circles where you want the eyes to be, and color around them with the black pen. Add a tiny dot inside the eyes.
7. Carefully cut out the head and glue it onto the body. You could add a little tuft of cotton ball between the ears, if you want.
The project is taken from the new kids craft book by Tracey Radford, Make Your Own Farm Animals and More. If your kids are curious about the animals in the fields or love tractors and other farmyard items, then they will love to make their own farm to play with!