Project #2- Put A Bird On It

    The second project from my artist talk at Opus the other day is ever so sweet and cute- easy to make for most age groups which makes this the perfect project for a hot Summer afternoon when it is time to seek out the shade! We like to tie this project in with a nature walk- collecting little bits of grass, feathers, leaves and string to be used in the nest portion- as always we never pick anything living just collect what has already fallen.

What you will need:

paper plate
scrap paper for bird shape
felt eggs
glue
glitter
acrylic medium
nesting materials

Step 1- have your Little draw and cut out a bird- or you can do this for them depending on their level of scissor expertise! I like to use plain paper for the bird body so the artist can do in and colour and decorate the bird as they feel fit- this is a great spot to interject with a conversation about different birds- where they live, what colours they are, what they eat ect. Colour the bird form and glue it down to the centre of the paper plate.

Step 2- start creating the nest out of gathered scraps- you can use grasses, feathers, bits of paper,wool and string- again this is a great spot to discuss what birds build their nests out of.

Step 3- once the nest has been created in the bottom half of the plate- just covering the bird's feet- pour acrylic medium all over the nest bits- this seals the multiple bits and keeps them in place long term- this is always a great spot to add a bit of shine to the project- and yes in real life birds probably don't have a tone of glitter in their nests but this is just for good fun! So if the artist is so inclined let them sprinkle a bit* of glitter into the acrylic medium.

Step 4- add the felt eggs- which are just egg shapes cut out of felt- on top of all the glittery, nesty goodness. Set aside to dry- depending on how much acrylic medium was used it could take up to 24 hours to completely dry. As always exercise good studio safety and supervise children at all times when acrylic medium is being used- if only to keep it from being spilled- no one wants to clean this business out of the carpet!

        Once the acrylic medium is set and dries you can hang your bird nest plate up to enjoy! I love that this project covers so many bases- nature and collecting walk, discussions on bird habitat as well as working on a different surface than usual- working on a round plate instead of a square piece of paper! Plus lets face it- everything is better when you "put a bird on it"!

* when I say a bit of glitter this usually means glitter covers every surface of every item in our home the second the glitter jar is opened!