From Sherri Osborn,
Your Guide to Family Crafts.
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Instructions for making an Ant Hill using paper mache' techniques.

Materials Needed:

• Soda Pop Bottle
• Piece of Cadrboard or a Paper PLate
• Newspaper
• Paper Mache Paste
• Masking Tape
• Paint

Instructions:
Make sure you cover you work surface well. I usually set down newspaper first and then wax paper on top of the newspaper. This is a very messy project!

Cut the bottom off the soda pop bottle. Place the bottle in the center of the cardboard or paper plate and tape in place. Also run strips of masking tape from the top of the bottle out towards the edge of the cardboard or paper plate to make it look like a hill.

Tear several newspaper pages into strips. You will want them 1 inch wide and about 6 - 8 inches long. Set them aside.

Use a large bowl to prepare your paper mache paste (Pick a recipe here). The paste will be sticky! I would suggest using a bowl that is easy to soak and clean (glass perhaps) or even a disposable bowl.

Dip the newspaper strips into the glue. Run the newspaper through your fingers to squeeze off extra glue and lay them over the masking tape. Completely cover the masking tape, including where it is stuck to the cardboard or paper plate. Be careful to leave a hole in the top open. Let the first layer dry. Add one or two more layers of paper mache to your ant hill. Allow each layer to dry completely before putting on the next layer.

Once your ant hill is dry, paint it brown or whatever other color you want. You can also sprinkle sand on the paint while it is dry to make it look more authentic! Add ants climbing up the side of the ant hill using pom-poms, paper, or whatever else you want!

 

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