How to Make a Duck Bill for Kids

Make a duck bill using basic craft supplies.

When your child is putting together a duck costume for a theatrical play, costume party or for Halloween, you can make the costume more authentic by accessorizing the costume with a duck bill. You may have a difficult time locating a duck bill at a costume shop, but you can create one with a few basic craft materials that can be purchased inexpensively from any art supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Acrylic paint, yellow and black
• Paintbrush
• Acrylic glaze, clear
• Hot glue stick
• Hot glue gun
• Elastic string
• Stapler

Instructions

1. Cut out two trapezoids from cardboard using scissors to measure six inches wide, four inches long. Cut out two acute triangles from cardboard that are three inches wide and four inches long. Acute triangles have angles less than 90 degrees.

2. Paint one side of each trapezoid and triangle using yellow acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes.

3. Paint two pea-sized dots of black acrylic paint onto the top of one of the trapezoids. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes. These will be the nostrils on the duck bill.

4. Paint a layer of clear acrylic glaze over the top of both trapezoids and both triangles. Allow the glaze to dry for 30 minutes. This will make the bill shiny like a real duck bill.

5. Insert a hot glue stick into the back of a hot glue gun and plug in the hot glue gun to heat up for 10 minutes.

6. Squeeze a line of hot glue along one of the long sides of one of the triangles, and press the glue-covered edge onto one of the four-inch edges on one of the trapezoids. Allow the hot glue to cool for one minute.

7. Squeeze a line of hot glue along the other long side on the same triangle, and press the glue-covered edge onto one of the four-inch edges on the other trapezoid. Position the trapezoid to that the six-inch edge lines up with the six-inch edge on the other trapezoid. Allow the hot glue to cool for one minute.

8. Repeat this process to glue the other triangle onto the other side of the trapezoidal forms. This will naturally cause the trapezoids to angle out into a duck-bill shape.

9. Cut an eight-inch piece of elastic string with scissors. Staple each end of the string onto inside of the duck bill, positioning one string onto each side of the duck bill.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep hot glue out of the reach of children.

• Hot glue can cause serious burns on skin.

References

• 123 Peppy: How to Make a Duckbill