This week Unplug Your Kids' weekly Unplugged Project was to do something crafty with rocks. So what better way to spend an afternoon nature walk by searching for the perfect rocks to make creatures with! Once we had a substantial stash we returned home, scrubbed them up with soap and water and then placed them in the oven to dry off really well so that they would be ready for gluing the next day.
At first I wasn't sure how we were going to glue our rocks together and actually get them to stay that way *grin* but I ran across an epoxy cement glue at our local grocery store that would set masonry. Woohoo, we're in business :) I covered a magazine with tinfoil, got out some popsicle sticks and set to work mixing the glue.
The popsicle sticks were perfect for mixing the glue and hardeners togther. I worked in front of the kitchen window which I opened a bit to disperse the fumes from the glue. It was a wee bit stinky. With all of the warnings on the glue package I did all of the gluing for the kids...
and got K to help out with a few of the bigger rocks that wanted to slip around and wouldn't stay put once the glue was on them.
I pulled out some wire for them to play around with for making antennae and other body parts :)
It was a little tricky to set some of the stones and wire but we had lots of little bitty rocks left over that we used as rests and stabilizers while the glue set which only took about 10 minutes to firm up enough that we cold set them aside to really get hard, about 2 hours which we used as a lunch break *grin*
Then it was on to the really fun stuff, painting! I made work stations for each of them at the kitchen table by covering it with strips of butcher's wrapping paper with the waxy side up for easy clean up and taped them down with masking tape, gave each of them a palette for paint, a mason jar full of water, blotting paper, paintbrushes and a rainbow of colors :)
The rest was up to them :)
K created a rather inventive seascape with a sailboat and orca complete with a coppery spout of water coming out of it's 'blow hole' on a giant blue rock of water. Nobody said we only had to make animals *grin*
There were snails and frogs with wonky eyes and very big lips....
butterflies and kites flying high in the air....
and of course I just couldn't resist having some fun to and created myself a flock of birds. LOL. If you decide to make some rock creatures my son would love to see them, please stop back and let us know :)
These are great! I also toyed with the idea of making permanent rock creatures but I didn't know what we'd use to glue them together. Now I know! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! I am always so impressed with your creations! Those little creatures (and the seascape) are really wonderful! They'd make neat paperweights for a desk. That looks so fun, that I feel like going off and making some of those myself today! Unfortunately, I have to clean though :(
I hadn't known about this blog until today. I think it's a fantastic way to take a break from the drudgery to do something fun.
You guys did a great job on your sculptures! I think I need to get some of that copper wire you've got. It seems to pop up in so many of your projects, and I like how you work with it.
I love your projects they are so beautiful. I think I need to go to the park and get some rocks. So many great ideas this week.
Heather
http://gottfredsenacademy.blogspot.com
