Porcupine ornament tutorial kid's craft

Summer is a good time to start crafting ornaments.  You can hang this little porcupine on the tree or eliminate the cord hanger and set him just about anywhere. Very few and inexpensive supplies make this little guy a great group project for churches, girl scouts and more.  Up next... Turtle of course

Click for foot pattern

Porcupine ornament

You will need:

6 Inches gold wire (optional)

3-inch foam ball (76mm) You can use white but I chose the green ones because I had them on hand

6 ml wiggle eyes

large brown chenille stems

Twigs

Wire cutters

Brown pony bead

Brown fun foam

Scissors

Waxed paper to cover work surface while painting

Tacky craft glue

Brown acrylic paint

Small paintbrush

Ruler

Scrap of tan felt

Rubber band

Serrated steak knife

1.     Using the serrated knife carefully cut the foam ball in half.  Rub them together to sand off any rough places.

2.     Place the foam ball half on waxed paper and brush some brown acrylic paint over the entire surface and let dry.

3.     Download the foot pattern and trace onto lightweight cardboard.  Use it to cut out four feet from the fun foam.

4.     Bend a large chenille stem around the arch of the foam half, leaving about an inch or so overlap.  Cut it to fit. (See photo)  Repeat with a second piece of chenille stem so that you have two molded to the foam side by side.  Dab a bit of glue on the two overlapped ends and thread on a pony bead. (Nose) Add a generous amount of glue on the curve of the foam half and attach the two chenille stem pieces.  Secure with a rubber band till the glue sets. (See photo)

5.     Cut several one-inch pieces of tiny twigs with wire cutters.  Add a dot of glue on the ends and insert randomly in the foam back. (quills) Let dry. 

6.     Turn over and work on the bottom. Trace around the foam ball onto a piece of scrap tan felt and cut out.  Using the tacky glue attach fun foam feet around.  Add some more glue and attach a loop of gold cord (optional) Add a generous amount of glue and attach the tan felt circle to cover.  (See photo)  Let dry.

7.     Add wiggle eyes to the front above the nose with some tacky glue.

Note:  Use only tacky glue and brush on acrylic paint.  Some glues and spray paints will eat through the foam.