How do I Make a Melted Army Man Bowl?
In 1938, the Bergen Toy and Novelty Company, also known as Beton, released the first large-scale production plastic army men in the United States. Since then, tiny armies have waged countless wars in millions of backyards. With the exception of a few weapon upgrades in the 1950s and 1960s, the tiny green men have changed very little over the decades. Today, people use the plastic G.I.s for craft projects. Try melting army men together to create a decorative plastic bowl.
Things You'll Need
- 2-qt. metal mixing bowl
- Plastic coated freezer paper
- Masking tape
- 15 to 20 plastic army men
- Disposable lighter
- Diagonal cutting pliers
- 3 quarter-inch diameter self-sticking felt dots
Instructions
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1
Cover the outside of a 2-qt. metal mixing bowl with plastic coated freezer paper. Secure the paper inside the bowl with masking tape. Place the bowl bottom-up on a clean, outdoor cement surface.
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2
Hold a plastic army man's head to the flame of a disposable lighter until the solider catches on fire. Allow the toy to burn for five to 10 seconds. When the plastic begins to melt, blow the flame out.
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3
Insert another army man's boot into the melted plastic head of the first solider. Place both toys over the freezer paper-covered bowl. The soft melted plastic will allow the army men to conform to the shape of the bowl. Hold the soldiers in place until the plastic hardens. Repeat this process to cover the entire with army men.
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4
Reinforce the joints between each army man by applying the lighter's flame to the place where the toys connect.
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5
When the plastic is cool to the touch, gently lift the freezer paper and army men from the mixing bowl. Remove the freezer paper from the melted army men.
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6
Add three evenly spaced, quarter-inch diameter self sticking felt dots to the bottom of your army man bowl.
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Tips & Warnings
Use plastic cowboys, police officers and construction workers to add color to your bowl.
Try using different metal forms to create variety of melted army man containers.
Since fumes from melting plastic may irritate eyes and airways, always wear goggles and a respirator.
Melted army men are not food safe. Only use your bowl for decoration.
References
- Photo Credit miniature model army image by Jon Barnes from Fotolia.com
