Cowboy Boot Bookends
These boots are made for reading! Make a pair of cowboy boot bookends to hold up your favorite books. They’re also a great gift for an avid reader. Howdy pardner!
1. Get your favorite titles, magazines, or textbooks in order with these trendy bookends! This project requires two buckets of Crayola Air-Dry Clay because the boots must be very heavy. Sculpt on a clean, dry surface such as paper plates. Here’s how we made these boots.
2. Take the large cylinder of clay from the pack. This is enough for one boot. Cut it in half so pieces have one flat and one round side. Put half of the clay back so you can sculpt one section at a time.`
3. With your fingers, start pushing the clay on top down with your thumbs and inching up with your pointer fingers. This forms the top of the boot. Keep pinching and pushing your thumbs down into the clay until you have made a deep opening for the leg of the boot.
4. Shape clay pull tabs on the top just like cowboys use to pull on their boots. To attach the tabs, scratch the surfaces of tabs and boot top with a craft stick. Slightly dampen the area with a wet finger. This technique is called "scoring." Press tabs on boot.
5. Now take out the other half of the clay. Place the flat side down. With your fingers, pinch and pull to form a very pointed boot toe. Mix in a little water if started to get dry. On the other end, press your thumb into the clay and pinch to form a heel. Make sure the bottom of the boot is flat.
6. Attach the leg to the foot of the boot by using the scoring technique. Make sure your boot can stand on its own. If it can’t, flatten the bottom or adjust the leg to keep it from toppling over. If your boots are a little lopsided, that’s OK because they will look well worn!
7. If you like, etch designs in the wet clay with modeling tools. Smooth out any rough surfaces with a little bit of water and your finger.
8. Sculpt the second boot in the same way. Air-dry your boots, which could take a few days because there is so much clay.
9. Cover your painting surface with newspaper. Paint your boots with Crayola Washable Kid’s Paint or Watercolors. Remember to wash your brush before changing colors. Depending on the leather look you have in mind, you may want to apply several coats. Air-dry the paint.
10. Gently place rocks in the boots if they are needed for weight. You are now ready to stack your books between your boots, pardner!
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project.
Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—
- Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
- Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
- Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
- The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
- Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
- Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
- Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.
Modeling Tools—Use the least dangerous point or edge sufficient to do the job. For example, craft sticks, plastic knives and forks, and cookie cutters can cut or carve modeling materials.
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