Ruby (and Jacob) Makes - Milk Bottle Elephants (with tutorial)

A couple of weeks ago Jacob made the blue elephant at Beavers, it has his Beaver Promise under the lid. When it came home Ruby decided that she had to make one too and promptly helped herself to a milk bottle out of the recycling box. 

They are very similar to the Elmer Elephants craft session I set up at Dragonflies playgroup a couple of years ago.

They are so easy to make...

You will need:

A clean milk bottle (any size will do but a 4 pint is best)

PVA glue

Tissue paper

Googley eyes

Craft knife

Scissors

Depending on the type of elephant you make:

Craft foam

Felt

Sparkles

Milk bottle lid

To make both elephants: 

Using a craft knife (or kitchen knife as the plastic bottle is soft) cut the bottom half of the bottle off (leaving roughly 2 thirds of the handle there as the trunk) and discard. Then using scissors cut out arches on all bottom sides of the bottle to create legs. 

For the Indian elephant (top one):

Leave the lid sections un-touched.

Cover bottle using tissue paper in a colour of your choice using the PVA glue. Allow to dry.

Take a piece of felt and cut into a curved rectangle shape with a point in the centre at one end. Undo the lid, place felt over the opening and screw the lid back on.

Add googley eyes to the front of the elephant above the handle trunk and sparkles to the felt.

Ta-da! you are finished.

For Elmer (bottom one): 

Carefully cut away the raised lid bit of the bottle. 

Cut squares of different coloured tissue paper and cover the bottle using the PVA glue in a patchwork pattern. Allow to dry

Cut out ear, tusk and tail shapes from the foam and glue into place.

Add the googley eyes and you are finished. 

Why not use your Elmer to re-tell the story!