Papier mache birdie

Recently the ginger one had to make a space rocket as part of a school project. I love these projects that the school sets as they always end with an exhibition of all the kids work and there is such a great variety of imaginative projects, from small intricate Lego constructions to huge cardboard box creations. With all the papier mache equipment out on the table I couldn't resist having a play too.

Here's my little bird. I made his body by scrunching up newspaper around the wire legs I had bent into shape. I then papier mached a layer of book paper over the newspaper, with a final layer of tissue paper over the top. I used Prima "crystals and pearls" for his eyes.

Here's the space rocket...

My other kids also couldn't resist joining in, so the blonde one made a giraffe ( it still needs some wobbly eyes)...

... and the boy didn't want to be left out so he decorated a tube, which he is very proud of.

Bird bags

I made some bags to sell at the craft fair way back in November and I had this idea in my head to make bags with appliqued birds on. The pattern for the basic bag comes from Amy Butler's book "Amy Butler's Style stitches" . It turned out much bigger than I though it would be! The original bag had a bluetit on one side...

and a goldfinch on the other side...

I love how these birds turned out. There was a lady called Louise who had a table on the other side of the craft fair who was enamoured by this bag and asked if I could make her some commission bags with different birds on.

So one bag became three bags...

The first bag had a robin on one side... (This was my favourite bird of all. It turned out so well)

... and an owl on the other side.

The third bag had a pheasant on one side...

... and a partridge on the other.

I love these birds and I will definitely be using this technique again. I think about cushions and aprons at the moment, but not for craft fairs for now, just for me.