HAVE A CLOSE SHAVE AND MAKE YOURSELF A FINE FEATHERED FRIEND

HAVE a hoot making an owl collage.

We do so much colouring and drawing in our house that I feel as though I’m always sharpening pencils. Next time you reach for the sharpener why not keep some of the wood shavings to add another dimension to your art?

This sharp-looking owl collage is really simple to make. The owl’s feathers are made from pencil sharpenings – a pretty use for something you would otherwise throw away.

YOU WILL NEED

Blunt pencils; a pencil sharpener; a glue stick; coloured paper; toy eyes or googly eyes; a twig

WHAT TO DO

1. Sharpen your pencils and try to keep the sharpenings in long pieces. This might take some practice so make sure you have plenty of pencils to sharpen!

2. When you have a few curls to work with (see picture 1), set some of the sharpenings aside to frame the eyes. Don’t worry if you don’t have two complete circles, as you can always combine pieces.

3. Draw an oval of glue on your coloured paper (see picture 2), then, starting at the bottom of the shape, stick your sharpenings down to form the owl’s feathers. Work your way upwards until you reach the top. Use some extra blobs of glue if necessary to help keep them in place.

4. Glue the eyes in place then cut a small triangle of card and stick it on to make a beak. Leave your picture to dry.

5. Take the curls you set to one side and apply a line of glue to the bottom of each (you might need to use a cocktail stick to help you apply the glue accurately – ask an adult to help if you are having trouble) and stick them in place around the eyes. Handle them carefully as they are quite fragile.

6. Glue a stick in place at the bottom for your owl to sit on and leave your picture to dry.

7. If you enjoyed making your owl, why not think of some other creatures to create? A hedgehog or fish would suit this layered collage technique too.

*Adult supervision is recommended when crafting