Gift a friend with this curly critter, who's ever ready to spring into action delivering a phone message or reminder.
| Prep Time: Under 1 hour | |
| What you need: | |
| Balsa wood (3/8 inch thick) cut into a 3- by 6-inch
rectangle
Plastic bottle caps Hot glue gun Acrylic paint and brushes 1 utility extension spring, 3/4 inch wide 2 utility compression springs, 3/16 inch wide (sold at most hardware stores) Wire cutters Needle-nose pliers Ribbon (3/8 inch wide and 4 inches long) | |
| Seasons: Christmas, Father's day, Mother's day, Year round | |
| Materials: bottle caps, paints, ribbon, wood | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. | Hot-glue a bottle cap to each corner of the balsa wood, then turn the wood over and have your child paint the top and sides. |
| 2. | While the paint dries, slowly pull the ends of the large spring to create a 1/16-inch space between the coils. With wire cutters, trim the spring into a 3-inch-long caterpillar body, then use pliers to curl the cut ends so no sharp points protrude (adults only). |
| 3. | To provide a surface for gluing the spring to the wood, wind the ribbon between every third coil (a great job for kids). Straighten the ribbon so that it lies flat, apply hot glue and stick it to the wood. |
| 4. | For antennae, cut the small springs 1 inch long and wind the ends around the first coil in the body. Slip a gift tag between two coils, and the caterpillar is ready to deliver its first message. |
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