An Upcycled Elmer the Patchwork Elephant: Craft Inspiration
Posted by EYR Team on 12th Aug 2020
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Looking to reduce waste in your setting? Why not upcycle your household items and craft off cuts into something fun and creative! In this blog we will share instructions as to how you can transform an ordinary milk bottle and paper offcuts into a colourful Elmer the Elephant. First published in 1989, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is a beloved story all about the importance of being different. With a few simple steps outlined here, you can bring the Elmer character to life using materials you would normally through away!
You will need:
- A washed and dried milk bottle
- Squares of coloured tissue paper (we used our offcuts from previous crafts)
- Large googly eyes
- Scissors
- PVA glue
- A paintbrush
How to make your Elmer the Elephant:
- (We advise an adult do this job). Start by cutting your milk bottle just below the beginning of the handle. The bottom half can be discarded and used for later crafts
- Next you will need to carefully cut four small rectangles out of the base to give your elephant legs
- Now you have the base of your elephant it's time to add the patchwork! If you haven't already, cut your tissue paper offcuts into small squares until you have a small multicoloured pile of paper
- Next, use your brush to add a smear of PVA glue onto each square and glue these firmly onto the milk carton. Continue until the body is completely covered
- The penultimate step is to add some characteristic ears! Cut out two ear shapes from card or the remaining milk bottle and add your patchwork pieces using PVA. Glue the ears to either side of the milk bottle trunk
- Finally, add your googly eyes and Elmer is brought to life!
If you loved this craft, why not make some more friends for Elmer! We made a blue patchwork elephant, a pink spotty elephant and a rainbow striped elephant to accompany Elmer on his adventures. To supplement this craft, encourage your little ones to identify what makes them different and the importance of this.
We would love to see how you get on with your Rainbow Elmer the Elephant craft! Send us pictures of your masterpieces on Facebook or Instagram by tagging us or using the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR