Pen/Pencil Holder

Materials:

• Balloon
• Paper mache paste (3/4 parts glue & 1/4 parts water + newspaper strips)
• Strips of newspaper
• Strips of white paper (3 sheets or so of old computer paper works well)
• Red paint
• Green paper

Instructions:

• Prepare your paper mache paste
• Blow up the balloon until it has about a 5 inch diameter and tie it
• Cover with 2 to 4 layers of newspaper paper mache and let it dry. About 24 hours to dry unless you leave it somewhere sunny and warm.
• Don’t cover the tied part (this will be the hole for the pens/pencils).
• Cover with 2 to 4 layers of white computer paper and dry.
• Reach through the hole with a sharp pin and pop the balloon. If you can, pull out the balloon bits.
• If necessary, take a fairly damp cloth and widen the hole to the desired size. The damp cloth will soften the mache so you can work with it.
• Crush the bottom of the holder so that it stands without help. Set the holder on a damp paper towel or damp cloth for about 15 min to soften the mache. Then push gently to make a flat surface on the bottom.
• Paint the holder red and let it dry.
• Cut two simple leaf shapes from green felt or construction paper and glue to the top of the apple.