Brassy Barnyard Bird

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Brassy Barnyard Bird

Typical Project Completion Time: 1-2 hours
(does not include drying time)

If you’d like a few chicks for this mother hen, look for the Busy Barnyard Brood, also found in the Easter section. The fast and fun baby chicks are a cinch to make.

STYROFOAM* Brand Products:
Eggs: 5-7/8″ x 3-7/8″; 2-1/2″; two 1-1/2″
Ball, 3″

Other Materials:
Wooden dowel, 1/2″ x 10″
Buttons, 5/16″, two black
Doll’s eyelashes
Craft foam, green
Ribbon, 1/4″ x 12″, orange
Acrylic craft paint: yellow, brown
Felt: square, yellow; scraps, pink and orange
Feathers, yellow
Serrated knife
Old candle
Craft knife with a sharp blade
Paintbrush
Sharp pencil
Putty knife, 1″ or thin edged table knife
Thick white craft glue
Low temperature glue gun and glue sticks

1. Flatten wide end of large egg against a tabletop so egg will stand.
2. Make a wide hole in bottom of foam ball using pencil; twist hole onto narrow end of egg until ball and egg fit together snugly. Glue together using low temperature glue.
3. Paint body and two, 1-1/2″ balls yellow; let dry.
4. Wax serrated knife with old candle; cut 2-1/2″ egg in half lengthwise, forming feet. Using craft knife, cut two small wedges in narrow end of each half egg, forming “toes” (refer to photo). Paint feet brown; let dry.
5. Cut wooden dowel into four, 2-1/2″ lengths. Using craft knife or utility knife, whittle ends to a point. Paint dowels brown; let dry.
6. Using patterns, cut wings and tail from yellow felt. Cut beak from orange felt. Cut two 1/2″ circles from pink felt.
7. Using craft knife, make a small, horizontal slit in face for beak. Make slightly angled slits in the sides of the body for the wings and cut a single vertical slit in the back for the tail. Place a bead of white craft glue on each slit and then insert felt pieces; if needed, use putty knife or sharp table knife to insert felt into slit.
8. Using sharp pencil, make a hole toward back of each foot; place a generous dot of white craft glue into the hole and gently twist the point of a dowel into each hole, about 1/2″ deep. Make a hole in the bottom of each 1-1/2″ ball; place a generous dot of glue into each hole and gently twist the top of each lower leg dowel into holes, connecting foot to knee.
9. Make holes, slightly off center, in the tops of the knee balls; gently twist remaining dowels into each hole.
10. Make leg holes in the base of the large egg; insert legs, angled slightly in – do not glue. Test to see if chick will stand; if not, adjust angle of dowel slightly. Glue legs in place.
11. Cut a free-form base from green craft foam. Using low temperature glue, glue chick to base.
12. Using white glue, glue bits of yellow feather on either side of tail, on end of each wing, around neck, around the top of each leg and at the top of the head.
13. Glue on button eyes with low temperature glue. Glue on felt cheeks with white craft glue. Glue small strip of eyelash above each eye.
14. Tie ribbon in a bow; glue to neck.
15. Arrange wings; felt will stick to foam, so wings can be posed in different positions.

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