Recycled Paper Mache Birds

With age, I've grown to appreciate bird watching.  I find these creatures interesting and joyful.  This guy was made by balling up and reshaping a paper grocery bag, then securing it with duct tape.  The paste was made from cornstarch, sugar, boiling water, and several drops of preservative oil.  I used eucalyptus oil, but tea tree oil would work, too. I coated old magazine pages in the paste, and let it dry for a few days.  Then a white paint base coat was added.  Then decorating it with my favorite color was fun!  I then used an old coat hanger and pliers to shape the feet, that were then inserted into the body.

This baby bird was made by using a cardboard armature, and then coating magazine pages in the paste and procedures listed above.  I plan on drilling a hole through it and hang it with a beaded string.  My kids love these birds and enjoyed playing with them even before they were painted.  My son told me he *really* liked it which is all that really matters.  This and the next craft come from a cool book called Green Guide for Artists.

Fused Plastic Bag Notebook/To Do List

This notebook cover was made by fusing 8 layers of plastic shopping bags under wax paper with an iron.  The pages are made from assorted junk mail, then sewn together and hand embellished with some sewing stitches.  For the next notebook, I plan to get a sewing machine and make the front look more tidy.  It still turned out pretty well, and I think an obsessive list maker may enjoy it as a gift.