How to Build a Model of a Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects that can jump nearly 20 times its own size. Use basic household and craft materials, such as wooden clothespins and chenille sticks (also known as pipe cleaners), to build a homemade grasshopper model. The grasshopper lookalike can be used to teach children who are unfamiliar with these insects how their bodies move.
Things You'll Need
- Wooden clothespin, any size
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Chenille stick
- 2 pearlized pins (sewing pins with pearl-shaped ends, available at craft stores)
- Glue gun
- Googly eyes
Instructions
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1
Paint a clothespin the color you wish to make your grasshopper. Grasshoppers can be found in a number of colors, such as green, white, yellow, black and orange. Let the paint dry.
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2
Cut two pieces from a chenille stick, each 2 inches long. Bend the chenille sticks in half into a peak to make the front legs. The chenille stick should be the same color as the painted clothespin.
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3
Glue the peaks of the legs near the front of each side of the clothespin. Bend the ends of the legs so that they rest flat on the surface.
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4
Cut two pieces from the chenille stick, each 4 inches long. Bend the pipe cleaners in half into a peak to make the longer hind legs. Glue one end of the leg on the middle of one side of the clothespin. Glue the other leg in the same position on the other side of the clothespin. Bend the opposite ends of the legs so that they rest flat on the surface.
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5
Glue the googly eyes to the clip end of the clothespin. Stick the pins into the top front end of the clothespin to make the antennae.
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Tips & Warnings
Look at pictures of grasshoppers to see the size and where the legs are located.
Find chenille sticks at craft stores.
You can also substitute craft wire for chenille sticks.
Children should be careful not to clip their fingers when working with clothespins.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
