koi kite

We are having work done on the house this week, so I am trying to keep the kids occupied. The carpenter is lovely and very patient. Still, searching my bookmarks for crafts that might be fun. This morning we went to the aquarium to watch the hippos and sharks be fed, then we came home. One hour killed.

This craft I archived a while ago, and thought it might be perfect with these little squares of tissue paper I bought a few months ago. I kind of remember mentioning it, but can't find the post.

We use quite a bit of tissue paper, but when you buy larger sheets, then you are stuck to the colors, and cutting and all that crappizzle. So, I saw this at Lakeshore Learning Store, and on a whim I bought it.

It is awesome. When the kids are in my hair, I give them cardstock and glue and they go to town. This project, though, calls for half circle cut tissue paper. Yeah, I didn't cut these, I used them as it. This project is called Koi Nobori Kite, or Japanese Carp Kite. It was super easy, fun, and looks very cool. You start with construction paper. The craft directions are 11"x17", but we used a normal size paper. I think it turned out cool. Beatrice wanted an orange fish and Thomas wanted a blue one. I poured some glue onto a paper plate, and they painted on glue. You layer tissue paper like scales.

Bea didn't want to layer like bricks, so hers are all over the place. It still looks rocking cool. Then we cut a piece of black construction paper to make a head. (Scales on the body) And she cut two circle eyes. We glued all of that on.  

Now the streamers. We grabbed some spare crepe paper from the basement and cut long pieces, flipped the paper around and Beatrice glued them on the bottom of the paper.

We then stapled the fish into a circle and attached a string like a kite.

And Ta-da!

We hung it in our new playroom. (So long, guests. You are SOL! We have a need to play!)