Hey Artists!
I am now reviewing children’s books and adding inspired crafts for you to do! My first review is of Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book written by the fantastic Vivian Kirkfield (roll over the image below for artist information).
About Vivian Kirkfield
Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book
*I received a copy of Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book free in exchange for offering an honest review.
Nature Scene Shadow Box
Now it’s craft time! After reading Four Otters Toboggan, I wanted to create a craft that was as fun and whimsical as the animals described in the book. I was inspired to create a colorful nature-themed shadow box craft. I have also included a matching coloring sheet for younger kiddos that may find this craft too challenging. Parental help is needed as there are many steps to this craft, but so much fun to do! Click the button below to download this FREE shadow box printable craft and coloring sheet.
Craft Supplies
- Nature Scene Shadow Box Printable
- White cardstock paper
- Colored Pencils or fine tip markers
- Scissors or X-ACTO knife with cutting mat
- Scoring tool or mechanical pencil
- Ruler
- Glue Stick
- Scotch Tape
Gather your materials. Click on the green button above to print out the Nature Scene Shadow Box craft sheets in the image below. Cardstock paper is best for this craft but copy paper will work too.
Start coloring all of the nature scene layers. Use colors you see outside in nature! When finished, cut out all the layers. Be careful when cutting out layer #4 because it gets a little difficult around the owl and tree. Set them aside.
Color the sheet labeled Box Top. Have fun with this one! You can color as much or as little as you want.
Now it's time to score the paper so that it's easier to fold the cardstock. Grab a score tool and a ruler to trace over those blue dashed lines. The picture below shows two examples of tools to use for scoring and cutting. On the right, you can use a mechanical pencil with the lead pushed in to score the paper and use scissors to cut. On the left, you can use a scoring tool and an XACTO knife to cut.
View the slideshow below for more details.
We will do the same scoring and cutting for the paper labeled box bottom (on the right in the image below). Score the blue dashed lines and then cut only the black lines. Set it aside.
For the image on the left, score both the blue and black dashed lines and then cut the RED lines only.
Example of score lines.
Accordion fold your papers by folding back and forth on the scored lines.
Now you are going to glue the layers to the accordions.
Grab your glue stick and put glue at the end of one of the accordions. Starting with the biggest layer, glue the left side to the accordion. Repeat those steps on the right side. Click on the slideshow below the see the progression of adding the layers. When your done, cut off the excess accordion folds.
Time to put together the top and bottom of the box!
Click on the slideshow below the see the progression of gluing it together.
Do the same steps for the bottom of the box.
Now let's finish up by putting the box together. Grab the nature scene, top lid, and bottom of the box.
Great job! It was a lot of steps but it was sooo worth it right!!
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