How to Make a Skeleton Model Out of Milk Cans
The use of skulls and skeletons in art and crafts is often associated with death and mortality. In cultures that largely accept death as part of life, such as Mexico, the skeleton is commonly used in art. Make a milk-can skeleton with children as an indoor or outdoor Halloween decoration that can be hung from a tree or attached to a wall with string.
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Things You'll Need
- Five plastic milk cans
- Scissors
- Razor edge knife
- Ballpoint pen
- String
- Hole punch
Instructions
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1
Turn a milk jug upside down with the handle turned to the rear of the jug. Draw a nose and eyes on the plastic jug with a ballpoint pen and cut out the inside of the nose and eyes with the razor knife and scissors. Dispose of the cut out nose and eye pieces and keep the remainder of the jug for the skeleton's head. Slice two 1/2-inch slits in the top of the head of the skeleton for threading string and a 1/2-inch slit on each side of the neck of the bottle.
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2
Pick up a second milk jug and draw a rib cage on a smooth side of the plastic with a ballpoint pen. Make a slit along the ribcage drawing with the razor edge knife and continue to cut out the ribcage outline on the jug with scissors. Remove the inside piece of the ribcage and discard. Make two 1/2-inch slits on the area of the jug that will become the shoulders of the skeleton.
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3
Turn a third milk can upside down and draw a wavy line around the jug a few inches from the end that does not contain the spout to make the outline of the skeleton's pelvis. Beneath the wavy line at the end closest to the spout draw the outline of hands. Cut along the wavy line the entire way around the jug and cut out the hands with the scissors and razor edge knife. Use the razor edge knife to make two 1/2-inch slits close to the center of the pelvis outline.
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4
Draw eight straight bones on the remaining milk cans and a pair of feet using the ballpoint pen. Cut each bone and individual foot from the milk jugs with the razor edge knife and scissors. Layout the pieces to form the skeleton on a hard flat surface.
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5
Punch a single hole at each end of six of the straight bones. With the other two straight bones punch a single hole at one end of each and two holes at the other end; these bones will be used as the upper arm bones. Punch a hole with the hole punch at the top of each hand and foot and punch a hole in opposite corners of the wavy pelvis of the can.
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6
Cut two 12-inch pieces of string and enough 6-inch pieces of string to attach the rest of the bones together. Thread one 12-inch piece of string through the two slits in the head of the skeleton and tie the ends forming a loop for hanging the skeleton.
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7
Thread the second 12-inch piece of string through one of the slits in the neck of the head of the skeleton, pass along the back of the head and down through the second slit. Thread the string through the slits in the top of the ribcage to form a loop and tie off the ends of the string when they meet.
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8
Attach the other pieces of bone together using string through the holes punched in the top and bottom of the bones, pelvis, hands and feet. Each piece of the skeleton should be attached with a loop of string tied off at the two ends.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
