Things You'll Need:
- small clay pot
- yarn or twine
- big wooden beads
- a small bell
- white spray paint
- black acrylic paint
- cotton balls
- paper plate
- newspaper or black garbage bag
- scissors
-
Step 1
First, you need to prepare the area in which you will be painting. Lay newspaper down on the floor and/or on the table so that paint will not show up in places it shouldn't. If you have younger ones, cover them in a cut garbage bag, so their clothes will not become painted.
-
Step 2
Take the clay pot (or clay pots) outside and spray them with the white spray paint. Wait for them to dry before you take it inside to paint with the black paint.
-
Step 3
If you are doing this craft for lots of students, separate the black paint into many plates and spread them around the area so the students can share. If you are doing this for one, just put about a tablespoon of black paint in a paper plate.
-
Step 4
Take the cotton ball(s) and dip them in the black paint. Use them to put imperfect black spots all over the white clay pot, so that it ends up looking like a cow. Set aside until it is dry. Once it is dry, you can begin the rest of the steps.
-
Step 5
Take the yarn or twine, and hold one end by your nose, then stretch your arm until you are holding the yarn in one hand of your outstretched arm and one end at your nose, taut. Do this three times, until you have a length of string that is approximately three yards long. If you are having the student do this, you might need to make their string a little longer manually. Cut the string.
-
Step 6
Once you have the three yard string, fold the string in half, and then half again. Cut both ends, so you wind up with four strings. If you are doing this for a group of students, you will need to repeat steps two and three until you have the approximate amount of strings. You will only be using three of the strings per student.
-
Step 7
Pick out one big wooden bead. Take on of your three strings, and thread the bead onto the string. Take the other two strings and place them right next to the string with the bead on it, and tie all three of them on one side of the bead, and then on the other side of the bead. When you are done, you should have all three strings the same length, attached in the middle with the bead.
-
Step 8
Once you have done this, thread all three strings through another bead. Tie this bead about a thumbs length away from the middle bead. This will be what makes the bell ring, so it will need to be close enough to be inside the clay pot, but long enough to move when swung.
-
Step 9
Once you have both beads on the three strings, tie the bell on the end of the second bead, like you would tie your shoe lace. Cut off the excess string on that end. You should have a bell, a bead, about two inches of string, a middle bead, and the other long end of string.
-
Step 10
Thread the long end of the string through the hole at the bottom of the small clay pot, so the end with the bell is hanging in the clay pot. At this point, you should be able to ring it. If it doesn't make sound, you tied the bell and second bead too close to the middle bead.
-
Step 11
Take a third bead and thread it through the three strings at the top of the clay pot, and tie them so that the bead holds the strings inside the clay pot. This is the only bead that shows, so make it a pretty one.
-
Step 12
The last step that you need to do, is to tie the top of the strings so that you make a handle. If you have string left over, trim it so it looks nice.
-
Step 13
Enjoy ringing your Cow Bell!
