Paper Plate Sailboat

Use a paper plate, a craft stick, and paper to craft a delightful sailboat.	First Palette
Materials Paper plate Craft stick or wooden dowel Paper Poster paint, tempera, or acrylic paint Toilet paper tube Paint brush White glue Scissors Stapler Craft knife Crayons or colored markers (optional) Stickers, buttons, etc. (optional)

Safety Tips

Keep the stapler and craft knife out of young children's reach.
Watch out for this sign . It means adult help is needed for the particular step.

Steps

	1.	Cut a paper plate in half Fold a paper plate in half. Cut along the crease.
	2.	Trim off the plate's curved bottom Stack the two halves together. While keeping the two halves aligned, cut a straight line 2½-3 inches from the straight edge.
	3.	Assemble the boat Position the two halves facing each other so that they form a boat-like shape. Ensure that the edges are aligned and then staple all four corners together.
	4.	Paint the boat Paint the boat with a water-based paint, such as poster paint, tempera, or acrylic.
	5.	Make a sail To make a triangular sail, you can start with a square or rectangular piece of paper. a.) Square - Prepare a square sheet, such as origami paper. Fold it diagonally in half to come up with a triangular sail.
		b.) Rectangle - Begin with a rectangular sheet such as A4 or Letter-sized paper. If you used a small paper plate to make your boat, you may need to cut your sheet in half for a smaller sail. Fold the top right corner of the sheet downwards diagonally so that it meets the left edge of the sheet.
		Cut and discard the excess paper below the triangle.
	6.	Decorate the sail You can decorate by drawing, coloring, or painting on both sides of the sail. You can also put stickers, or glue on some basic shapes that you have cut out.
	7.	Attach a mast Unfold the sail and apply glue on all four sides of the square. Position a large craft stick or a wooden dowel along one side.
		Fold the square along the diagonal crease to form a triangle. Press on the edges to glue them in place.
	8.	Cut a slit or hole on a toilet paper tube Prepare a toilet paper tube. About ¾ of an inch from the edge of the tube, cut a small slit for your craft stick mast. If you used a wooden dowel for the mast, make a hole instead of a slit. Use the tip of a pencil to punch a hole. The slit or hole should only be wide enough for the craft stick or the dowel to get through. To keep your mast stable, the stick or the dowel should fit snugly.
	9.	Attach the mast Push the bottom end of the mast into the slit or hole until it touches the inner surface of the toilet paper tube.
		Place the toilet paper tube inside the boat. The tube should fit snugly. If it moves around, glue the sides of the tube onto the inside of the boat.
	10.	Add accents Glue on accents such as buttons or foam shapes. To get your sailing theme going, cut out and glue on items like anchors, life savers, and flags. You can also draw and cut out paper people to ride on your awesome sailboat. Your sailboat can stand upright, but it's not made to go on water.

More Ideas

	Instead of a paper sail, create one from fabric. Choose a plain piece of fabric or a colorful patterned one. Cut it into a triangle and glue it onto the mast. *Check out these crafts for ideas on how to decorate plain fabric: Corn Prints Apron Fruit and Vegetable Prints Glue batik Potato Stamps Sponge Painting
	For a wooden-looking boat, first paint the boat a light brown color. Once it's almost dry, use a dry brush to paint horizontal stripes in a darker shade of brown. Add very little or no water to the dark brown paint. Spread the paint a bit below each stripe so that it blends lightly with the background.

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