Fun with Paper Mache

Posted for Mary Ayers

This no-cook paper mache paste recipe is a good one to make with kids because it is easy to make and does not require heat.
Materials Needed:
*Water
*Flour

Instructions:
To make this paper mache paste, simply mix together 1 part flour to 2 parts water. You will want it to be the consistency of thick glue, but you also want it to be runny and not thick like paste. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to remove any lumps.

A few helpful tips I have read in regards to using this paste are:
*If you live in an area with high humidity, add a few tablespoons of salt to help prevent mold.
*If you don’t like the smell of the glue mixture you can add a few sprinkles of cinnamon or
cinnamon to sweeten it up!
You should be able to store this glue in a covered bowl or jar, in the refrigerator, for a few days.

Find out how to create a cute penguin using a light bulb, paper mache techniques, and a few other supplies.
*Age Guideline: 8 Years and Up
*Time Required: 30 minutes
The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances. For best results, read through all of these steps before you start making this craft.

Before you start any project it is easiest to gather together all of the supplies. For this project you will need:
*Light Bulb
*Newspaper
*Paper Mache Paste
*Acrylic Paint
*Wiggle Eyes
*Craft Foam
*Fabric Scraps
*Craft Glue
*Paint Brush
*Scissors
Now we can start…

Start by putting a few paper mache layers on the light bulb. Let the paper mache layers dry completely before moving on to the next step…

Paint the entire light bulb white. Let the paint dry.

Use black paint to make your light bulb look like a penguin’s body.

Glue two small wiggle eyes onto your penguin.

Cut a beak and two webbed feet out of orange craft foam and glue them in place.

Optional:
Cut a piece of scrap fabric, about 2″ x 3″. Using the photo as a guideline, wrap it around the top of the Penguin’s head to be the hat. Glue it in place

Cut another piece of scrap fabric, it should be about 6 inches long and only about a quarter to a half an inch wide. Wrap this around the extra fabric sticking out over the top of the light bulb and tie.
Make small snips in the fabric gathered above the tie so it looks fringed and resembles a pom-pom on top of the hat. Your penguin is now done. You can display your Penguin on a shelf or even a ribbon for hanging.

For more ideas, be sure to check out a book on paper mache or another great craft idea from the library.

Enjoy!

Alien Glo?

Fifth through eighth graders created these aliens and painted them with fluorescent paint. Fluorescent paint can be found in most art classrooms around the country but not many people know how or when the paint was invented.

Check out The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors to learn the story of two Berkeley brothers who collaborated to make paint glow under ultraviolet light. They used their mother’s new kitchen mixer to combine chemicals with alcohol, shellac and other ingredients to form the paint. Unfortunately, one time they didn’t clean the mixer right away their mother made a very colorful cake. They went on to experiment at home creating better mixtures, and now we see day-glo paint in Disneyland, on billboards and many other places.

So next time you see day-glo paint you can tell your parents about the Switzers!

Owen and Mzee

With the holidays almost here and the arrival of Thanksgiving, we often think of friends and family and how important they are to us. Well, let me tell a story about two of the most unlikely best friends. It is the true story of Mzee, a somewhat grumpy 130-year-old tortoise, and his best friend Owen, a year old, 600 pound orphaned baby hippo.

Owen’s family lived in the Subaki River in Kenya, Africa. On December 24, 2004, a great tsunami struck and Owen, and his family, or pod, were all washed down to the mouth of the river. Afterwards only one hippo could be seen and that was Owen. Hundreds of people worked all day to rescue and save Owen. After his rescue, Owen was taken to his new home in a lush wildlife sanctuary known as Haller Park. It was here that he became friends with the very solitary, 130 year old tortoise, Mzee.

The library has two wonderful books about Owen and Mzee. One is a picture book entitled A Mama for Owen by Marion Bauer and the other a non-fiction book entitled Owen and Mzee: the Language of Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff. These two animals have become such an example of friendship and how becoming a friend can so directly affect your life in a positive way that they have their own website. Make sure to check it out and make sure to take time to be thankful for friends and family, for they surely are so important to each and every one of us!

Trekkies Alert

Fellow Trekkies !!!!!

Come one come all and see this 15,000 sq. ft. exhibit filled with such items as a
replica of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 bridge, and gadgets such as tricorders, phasers, communicators, and costumes from the original show and subsequent movies.The actual shooting model for the Borg cube will be on display.

For additional fees you can even experience a Star Trek flight simulator or the IMAX presentations of Star Trek.

Costumes are allowed, however, masks and weapons from ANY galaxy are to be left
in your spaceship.

The show will run from October 23, 2009 until January 3, 2010.
Call the Tech museum for more info at 408-294-TECH. Tickets are $19-$25.
See you there….Live Long and Prosper.

Posted by Barbara Hamze.

SLOB by Ellen Potter

Owen Birnbaum may be the smartest kid at the Martha Doxie School; he’s also the fattest kid in school, although he hasn’t always been that way. Something awful happened two years ago and that’s when everything changed for him and his sister. Being the fattest kid in school is not easy, especially when your evil-minded P.E. teacher has it out for you, and most of the other kids are just happy they’re not the ones on the teacher’s hit list. Enter Mason Ragg, a loner who just may be a diabolical criminal mastermind with the battle scars to prove it; the rumor going around school is that the new kid also carries a switchblade knife hidden in his sock. Like eveyone else in school, it seems that Mason Ragg has it out for the fat kid. He may even be the one who’s been stealing Owen’s oreos. And then there is that fateful day in gym class when Owen begins to see that Mason Ragg is not exactly what he seems to be. And you know what? Neither is Owen; the Martha Doxie School is in for a big surprise.

**You’ll have to read nearly to the end of the book to discover the significance of the title; and it may not be what you think.