How adorable are these little Valentine animals? This is one of my favorite projects and I love that the little guys are made from recycled paper towel tubes. This is a super simple project and actually you can make any type of animal by following the same basic instructions.
Make these darling little paper tube animals for a fun Valentine activity. Body and legs are all one piece cut from cardboard rolls and paper towel rolls. Great homeschool project. Make an entire zoo of animals, making freehand heads and tails. These little guys are a fun alternative to giving valentine cards. Make and give these animals to friends and family. And what a fun surprise to have these little guys setting at everyone’s place at the breakfast table on Valentine’s Day.
Items needed:
- Paper tubes from t paper or paper towels
- Scissors
- Empty cereal box
- Pencil/ marker
- Tacky glue to fortify leg joints
- Paint/ brush
Instructions:
- Make various sized animals, depending on the length of tube you choose to start with. Giraffe was made from a paper towel tube and cat was made from a toilet paper tube.
- For legs, cut a slit on each end of the tube to desired leg length. (center area will be the body. Now make an angled cut on either side of the slit to form the legs. ( angle will be away from the center cut.) Cut away the sections next to the legs, cutting around the tube so that you now only have the center body area and the legs.
- Bend legs down and then, using tacky glue, smear a bit of glue on the topside and bottom side of the leg joints. Let this dry with body lying on it\’s side. This will help strengthen the legs and keep them in position easier.
- Meanwhile, cut out patterns for the heads and ears and then trace onto a section of the cereal box or similar box. Cut out, making slits for joining where indicated.
- Make curly tails from sections you have already discarded when making the body & legs.
- Make 1/2 inch slits for the head and tail on the upper side of the body.
- Paint all pieces and let dry thoroughly.
- Assemble your animals. Make a whole zoo of animals, making any funny animal you can imagine.
Designed by Sharon Pierce McCullough
