Good afternoon, how did you get on with the drawing workshop? I’d love to see!
For the rest of today we are going to make some super space crafts! As usual, I have a selection of ideas for you to choose from – just like I would at “real life” Art Camp. We are going to start off with a telescope, and then see what we can find – there could be planets, space shuttles, galaxies, stars, maybe even some flying saucers and aliens!
Space Crafts
Make a Cardboard Telescope
What better way to start off some space based crafts than with a telescope! I have two ideas, one simple, and one a little more complicated! The first one is from Highlights, and you can find the tutorial here.
The second tutorial is from Inna’s Creations, and it looks like this:
Recycled Rockets - 3 Ideas
Now, we have seen what’s up there, lets make a rocket to blast off up into space and see what else we can find! I have 3 ideas to make cardboard rockets, which one will you pick?
The first idea is from Kindergarten Connection, and uses pegs, cardboard tubes, and a plastic egg – but if you don’t have a plastic egg lying around, try the rounded end of a bottle, or roll cardboard into a cone…
These bright and colourful rockets are easy to make, and Mas and Pas has a great tutorial! You could make a whole fleet – what would your space company be called?
The third idea comes from Lizon, which is a website that is not in English (even google translate can’t work it out), so unless you can decipher the language you won’t be able to read the instructions, BUT, I am sure you can figure out how to make it from the pictures! I love how it has different compartments, which is why I included it!
Space Rocket Corner Bookmark
If you like paper crafts or origami, this one is for you! It’s also a craft that has a use, which is great! You could give them as gifts, or keep them for your own reading… Hop over to Artsy Crafty Mom for the how to!
Star Mobiles
As we zoom up in our rockets, we start to see the stars and planets! Let’s make some mobiles so we can keep that magic at home forever! There’s 3 lovely ideas below:
I love this colourful wall hanging from Honey Bear Lane – you can explore the planets of the solar system through this craft, or make it more random. Either way its super pretty!
Here is a similar idea from Scratch and Stitch, which is pitched as a baby mobile, but frankly, I think it would look lovely in any room! I love the natural stick frame, and all the different materials for the stars.
I can’t find the original credit for this lovely idea! You could make this in small scale, using either of the ideas above as the framework, you could make a criss cross frame to hang the stars from, or just make loads of single strands and pin them to the ceiling! I think the gold thread is what makes this work so well… you cold make the stars from gold cardboard, which is available at most craft stores.
Constellation Jar Lamps
While we are sailing through the stars, why not catch a constellation and turn it into a beautiful lamp? Ideas 2 Live 4 have a great tutorial…
Shooting Star Art
Oh look! A shooting star – let’s make a picture of it! I This chalk idea is lovely, and Projects with Kids has a free star template if you need one.
All you need is black paper or card, pastels or chalks, and a star shape to draw around! What colour will you make yours? Maybe you could add some glitter too?
Comet Craft
Was it a shooting star? Or was it a comet?
We made comets at last year’s Art Camp, and they were really fun, and really simple. You need a stick (the type used for kebabs are good, but anything will work), some tin foil, and some ribbon or tissue or crepe paper. Then you can fly your comets around your little universe all day!
Galaxy Play Dough
We are zooming off again, far into our fair galaxy now…
There are lots of “recipes” for galaxy play dough on the interweb, but this one from Made to Be a Momma is my favourite Use galaxy play dough to make lots of spacey creations! It’s so pretty; I would love to play with it! Remember play dough is a great material to use to explore 3D Art and ceramics, as well as developing the strength in our hands and our fine motor control.
What will you make with your galaxy dough?
Galaxy Art
Let’s make some pictures of the galaxies… Project with Kids has a lovely post about they made these chalk galaxies, but you could make yours with any kind of materials… Galaxies are wonderful art subjects as they have such interesting colours, shapes and patterns….
3D Saturn (or other Planets)
It’s time to land, what planet would you choose to land on? I’d choose Jupiter or Saturn. Shall we have a go at making one of the planets? I really like this 3D Saturn from Kristen Hewitt. However it does use a polystyrene craft ball, which I realise you probably don’t have at home…
Perhaps you could use clay, or dough to make some planets, or try paper mâché?
Paper Plate Flying Saucers
Woah! Did you see that? I’m sure it was a flying saucer whizzing by! Shall we make one to follow it?
Check out these paper plate flying saucers from One Time Through; I know my kids would have hours of fun playing with these! Maybe there are aliens on board…
Cardboard Aliens
I definitely saw some aliens on board that flying saucer, did you? What did they look like?
Use this fun idea from Fun Family Crafts to make your own cardboard aliens! They don’t have to be little green men, they could be any colour you like, and look any way you want them to!
Layered Cardboard Space Scene
Phew! What an adventure!! Now it’s time to head back to earth, but when you get there, maybe you could make a layered 3D picture, or a diorama, of your rocket flying around in space, and show some of the things you saw?
Like the picture, use cardboard, paint, tin foil or anything else you have at home! This is a project to harness all your creative skills! Have fun, and I’d love to see what you make!
Afternoon Reading
I have a lovely story for you, it is called Star Seeker: A Journey into Outer Space by Theresa Haine and Victor Tavares. The video should start playing at the beginning of the story, but if not it starts at 2 mins, 50 seconds. Enjoy…
Extra - Music: The Planets by Gustav Holt
Why not enrich your creative time with some classical music? The Planet Suite by Gustav Holt is quite something, and could really help you set the mood for a grand space adventure! Give it a try. It’s free on Spotify, or you can find it on YouTube too.
Journal Prompts
- Write or draw about a space adventure
- Write a list of your favourite things about space
- Practice drawing planets, stars, moons and other space related things…
- Design a space company logo to go on your very own rocket!
- Draw yourself as an astronaut…
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Hi Katherine – Thanks for including my moon and stars baby mobile in this line-up. I totally agree that it would look great in any room. As soon as my son grows out of his room, I’m putting it up somewhere else in the house.
These are all awesome ideas, we’ll be making up one of those paper tube rockets soon 🙂
It’s really is lovely, and it will be a wonderful way to remember those baby days when it’s hanging somewhere else in years to come! Glad you liked the post; my son is keen to make the space rocket too!