If you’re looking for a fun project to do next week during the kids’ Thanksgiving break, deck the walls with a gallery of glittery bugs. This project Is from the new The Handmade Charlotte Playbook by Rachel Faucett which is an incredible guide of crafts to keep your kids entertained and crafting and offers a nice break from all those Zoom classes! Start with a printed picture for a quick project or design your own new species. Make an entire collection of shadow boxes and you’ll have a great start to your own personal science museum. Here’s how…

You’ll need:

• Box lid
• Large printouts of beetles & bugs
• Cardstock
• Acrylic paint (various colors)
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge
• Scissors
• Glitter (various colors)

Here’s how…

1. Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the top of the beetle. Work in sections, covering each area with glitter as you go. Let dry.
2. Paint the inside and outside of the box lid. Let dry.
3. Cut out the glittered beetle, taking extra care around any delicate parts like thin legs. If any part of the beetle feels fragile, use Mod Podge to attach a piece of card stock to strengthen it
4. Fold a strip of card stock into a small box and attach it to the back of the beetle. This will give the beetle a three-dimensional quality when placed inside the box lid.
5. Attach the small folded box on the back of the beetle to the painted box lid using Mod Podge and allow to dry.
6. Repeat the process to create an entire museum of glittery bugs!

Reprinted from The Handmade Charlotte Playbook by Rachel Faucett in arrangement with TarcherPerigee, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2020, Rachel Faucett.