Make a Mermaid

You'll need:

• A sheet of green craft foam
• Beige or brown pipe cleaners cut into 3" and 5" lengths
• Peg doll heads or round headed clothes pins ­ both available at craft stores
• A fabric flower ­ we used a purple daisy but you can use whatever color you like best
• A hot glue gun
• A mom or an adult to handle the hot glue gun

Note: Hot glue is very hot and an easily burn. So even grown-ups need to be careful.

1. Put a stick of glue into the hot glue gun and plug it in somewhere where it won't get knocked over accidentally. Make sure it is on a paper plate or piece of newspaper while it is warming up so that any hot glue that drips out before you1re ready doesn't get stuck to your table or counter top.
2. Meanwhile, cut the mermaid's tail shape from a piece of foam. It should be about 3 inches long and about 1 and 1/4 inches wide.
3. Take one of the 5" long pipe cleaner pieces. Starting in the middle, wrap the pipe cleaner once around the "neck" of the peg doll so that she now has two arms.
4. Next, make the mermaid's tail support. Run a 1" line of hot glue down the "back" of the peg doll. Wait a moment for the glue to cool slightly then place a 3" long piece of pipe cleaner on it. Watch your fingertips while doing this.
5. Now, put 2 small lines of hot glue on either side of the tail support and while they are still warm position the mermaid's tail.
6. Take apart a fabric flower and cut between the petals to make the mermaid's hair. We got 4 pieces out of one daisy.
7. Put a dot of hot glue on the top of the peg doll¹s "head" and position the hair. Be careful because the hot glue can squeeze up through the weave of the fabric and burn your fingers.
8. Bend the ends of the mermaid¹s arms down, like wrists and hands.
9. Place the mermaid's hands over the edge of the cup of blue Jello so she seems to be gazing into the blue, blue ocean.