Dancer Garland

A playful garland we made for a school celebration!

Materials

Coffee Filters

• Markers (non-permanent)
• Water
• Spray bottle (we find this industrial version easy for kids to use and long lasting!)
• Craft trays and/or plastic craft tablecloth
• Cooling racks
• Coffee filters
• Smock

People

• Template characters
• Scissors
• Tape
• Multicultural markers
• Embroidery floss
• Paint brush & water *Optional
• Felt (or fabric, construction paper etc.)
• Craft glue

Putting it Together

• Cord
• Hole punch (or needle)
• Scissors
• Beads

Directions

Coffee Filter Skirts

• Don your smock and cover your workspace with a plasticized table cloth.

• Place your filters into craft trays and draw designs on them with your markers.

•  Place your coloured filters into your trays and spray them with a fine mist of water.

•  Place them on your cooling racks to dry overnight.

•  Voila!

•  If you would like to add any details to your filters.

 People 

• Colour your people in. We went over the marker with a bit of water, using our paint brush.

• Cut your people out.

• Cut out a top for your person.  We made it the length of the body and used felt, but you could make it as elaborate as you would like!

• Glue your clothing onto your person.

• Fold your coffee filters in half and then make any folds that you may like to form a skirt!

• Add your skirt to your person.

• We made a little felt belt to add a bit of polish to the edges, gluing it on the back.

• We then used a bit of embroidery floss to make hair.  (Two tips that we found that worked for the hair were: 1) If you want to make a more formed hair style like a bun, glue a cardstock base onto your head. 2) If your person gets a great deal of hair and they need a bit of support for their neck, glue a wooden craft matchstick on the back of the head, neck and top of the body.) Trim your hair into styles you like!

• Add any details you may like!  Our dancers were quite simple, but we hope you “make them your own!”

• Lace your beads onto your cord, string your dancers (we put the cord through the shoulders behind the dancer in between the body and the shirt and then glued it down again) and hang them up for a celebration!

• Use your extras to make anything you like! (Like this quick sketch of a superhero who transforms into a very fit mermaid!)

Purpose

• Recycling materials into a new use
• Developing fine motor skills (cutting, lacing, gluing etc.)

Safety Notes

• Use scissors with care & supervision.
• Cord, twine etc. can be a strangulation hazard therefore it should be used with adult supervision and for the intended purpose.
• Beads can be a choking hazard and should be kept out of reach from those ages 0-3 years or those that tend to put things into their mouths.
• We recommend that you use a craft tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.