Robot Sculptures

Rummage through the tool box for parts for clay sculptures.

You will need:

• 2/3 cup salt
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Decorative embellishments and small hardware (we used nuts, bolts, screws, caps, etc.)
• Waxed paper lined cookie sheet for drying

Other ideas: sequins, googly eyes, pop-tops, bottle caps, hooks, etc.

How to:

1. In a small saucepan, mix the salt and baking soda with 1/3 cup of water and bring to a boil.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water. Stir well.
3. Remove salt mixture from heat and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir vigorously for a minute or two to thicken clay. Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool before working with it.
4. Shape clay into desired shapes and add embellishments for features. Use your imagination to figure out what each piece can turn into. (Screws with flat heads make great legs and will allow your figure to stand. Nails for eyes? Picture brackets for arms? A nut and bolt for a top hat? You decide!) Ours started out to be snowmen, but eventually we decided they looked more like robots.
5. Once your sculpture is finished, set on waxed paper and let dry. (Takes about two days to dry completely.)

Thoughts:

This was so easy to make...the first time. We have tried to make these a couple of times since and have had bad luck. Both times, even though I followed the directions exactly, the mixture came out too runny. I don't know what to say about it, because I cannot figure out why it worked so well the first time but none since.

Anyway, give it a try and see if you have better luck or if you can figure out the solution. This really is pretty cool. The figures held up very well until they got stored in Elliott's action figures box. Now they are missing a few parts. But other than that, they are pretty sturdy and get lots of play.

Elliott's Evaluation:

We still have them. They are in my action figures box. I liked going through all the tools. The legs are screws. The eyes are bolts. I like taking the top bolts off of Mommy's  robot's head.

Melody Maker

This project involves a child's favorite things; noise, tools and a trip to the hardware store! We spread this out into 2 day craft and made a trip to Home Depot part of the fun. We made this over a year ago and Elliott still requests to play with it.

You will need:

• 1/2 by 4-inch Threaded eyebolt
• Teflon (plumber's) tape
• 1/2-inch coupling nut
• 1/2-inch all-thread rod, 24 to 36 inches long
• 10 to 15 1/2-inch washers
• 1/2-inch locknut

Overwhelmed already? If you're like me, you will have never heard of half of these items. (We had just finished remodeling our bathrooms, so plumber's tape was the only item I knew or had in stock.) I got this idea from Family Fun magazine. Go to their website for a printable diagram that you can bring right to the store. (www.FamilyFun.com/magazine)

How to:

1. Wrap teflon tape around the end of the eyebolt and both ends of the rod. (Prevents metal from unscrewing.)
2. Assemble the pieces in the order listed, slide washers on and finish with the locknut.
3. Hang the eyebolt with a rope and place within child's reach. They will push the washers up to the top and let them drop again and again and again and again.....

Thoughts:

After assembling this rod, I felt like I could build anything! It was really fun to locate all the items at the store. And as an added bonus: I don't give my husband a blank stare if he happens to mention "washers" or "eyebolts".

Elliott really enjoyed putting all the parts together and like I said, a year later he still plays with it. A note of caution, it IS a metal rod. Probably not the best project for a child who likes to, say, swing metal rods around. This is an outside toy for that exact reason.