Create these charming paper animal portraits, which are perfect for any child's room.
Tools and Materials
Colored cardstock scrapbooking paper for the background
Monkey or Giraffe template
Soft pencil
Tracing paper
Scrapbooking paper, in giraffe or monkey colors
Craft knife
Nontoxic, acid-free liquid glue or glue pen
1/4-inch hole punch
1/8-inch hole punch
Xyron machine with permanent adhesive cartridge or heavy-duty spray adhesive
For frame, option 1:
Large piece of heavyweight white paper (such as watercolor paper)
Adhesive dimensional foam dots
Shadowbox frame
For frame, option 2:
Pre-stretched 12-by-12-inch canvas
Double-sided acid-free tape
Monkey How-To (including directions for first framing option):
1. Cut a 10-by-10-inch piece of cardstock scrapbooking paper for the background.
2. Print the monkey template. With a soft pencil on tracing paper, trace the outline of each shape.
3. Transfer the traced outline to different colored scrapbooking papers by putting the tracing face down on the back of the paper. Retrace the original tracing; this will transfer the pencil lead from the tracing paper, and you will have the reverse of the shape on the back of the colored paper.
4. Cut out all of the pieces from the colored paper.
5. Glue the monkey's belly and tail to his body. Trim off any excess. Glue the monkey's mouth and ears to his head.
6. Glue the body of the monkey to the background with Xyron permanent adhesive or spray adhesive.
7. Punch out two black eyes with a 1/4-inch hole punch. Punch out two white dots with a 1/16-inch hole punch.
8. Using the tip of the craft knife, carefully glue the white dots on the black dots to create the monkey's eyes. When they've dried, glue the eyes onto the face.
9. Using Xyron permanent adhesive or spray adhesive, adhere the background to a larger sheet of heavyweight white paper. Trim a 1-inch border around the background.
10. Apply adhesive dimensional foam dots evenly around the back of the monkey's head and ears. Place the head on the monkey's body.
11. Make sure that the artwork is clean and dust-free, and frame in a shadowbox frame to enhance the depth of the piece.
Giraffe How-To (including directions for second framing option)
1. Cut a 10-by-10-inch piece of colored scrapbooking paper for the background.
2. Print the giraffe template. With a soft pencil on tracing paper, trace the outline of each shape.
3. Transfer the traced outline to different colored papers by putting the tracing face down on the back of the paper. Retrace the original tracing; this will transfer the pencil lead from the tracing paper, and you will have the reverse of the shape on the back of the colored paper.
4. Cut out all of the pieces from the colored paper.
5. Adhere the spots on the giraffe's body and face with a nontoxic, acid-free liquid glue or glue pen. Trim off any excess. Glue the ears to the giraffe's head.
6. Glue the body of the giraffe to the background with Xyron permanent adhesive.
7. Punch out two black eyes with a 1/4-inch hole punch. Punch out two white dots with a 1/16-inch hole punch.
8. Using the tip of the craft knife, carefully glue the white dots on the black dots to create the giraffe's eyes. When they've dried, glue the eyes onto the face.
9. Using a Xyron permanent adhesive or spray adhesive, adhere the giraffe's body and head to the background. Do the same to adhere the background to the center of a pre-stretched 12-by-12-inch canvas.
Resources
All papers and cutting tools are from Martha Stewart Crafts. All other art and framing supplies are available at crafts or art stores.
