MODELLING IN TISSUE-PAPER
A FEW cents will be sufficient to buy enough tissue-paper to model
good-sized elephants, too large to stuff into the Christmas stocking,
for they measure six or seven inches in length and stand four or five
inches high; and you can make chickens nearly life-size, and the queer
little turkeys, too.
You must select paper of the necessary color, and fold, roll, fold,
squeeze, fold, tie, with here a little pull and there a little pat, a
spreading out, a pinching in; that is all. There is no sewing, no
pasting, no pinning, merely modelling and tying, using only tissue-paper
and string.
These animals are very substantial and unique. They are not at all thin
or flat, but well rounded out and lifelike, with character and
independence enough to stand alone--just the kind your little brother
and sister will be delighted with, for they may play with the toys free
from all danger of hurts or bruises. To
Make the Chicken
select a sheet of tissue-paper of a soft yellow color, cut it through
the centre, fold into two pieces. Take one of the halves and gather up
the long edge where it has been cut (Fig. 92), then gather the opposite
edge (Fig. 93). Crease the paper as it is folded by holding one end with
the right hand (Fig. 92), and drawing the paper several times through
the partially closed left hand. This will cause it to retain the
creases, as seen in Fig. 93.
[Illustration: Fig. 92.--The beginning of the paper chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 93--Second step in modelling chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 94.--Third step in modelling chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 95.--Fourth step in modelling chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 96.--Fifth step in modelling chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 97.--Head and body of chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 98.--Modelling the chicken's legs.]
Roll a separate piece of paper into a little wad and lay it on the
creased strip (Fig. 93) about one-fourth of the distance from one end.
Bend the short end of the strip over the wad of paper, as in Fig. 94;
then fold up the strip where the end of the short fold lies, bend this
over the first fold (Fig. 95) and bring the loose end on the bottom of
the three layers. Fig. 96 shows a wad of paper inserted at one end of a
strip of creased paper folded over and over three times, making four
layers, two on top and two on the bottom of the paper wad. Wind a string
around the paper tight up to the wad and tie it securely to form the
head (Fig. 97). You now have the body and head of the chicken. Make the
legs and feet of a strip of paper about sixteen inches long and seven
and one-half wide. Gather up the two long sides with your fingers as you
did the paper in Fig. 93; crease the paper, then wind each leg with
string, leaving one inch free at each end to form the feet (Fig. 98).
Lift up the free end of the folded paper (Fig. 97) and place the centre
of the legs (Fig. 98) midway under the last fold as in Fig. 99. Tie the
end of the loose layer of the body securely on the body, and you will
have the foundation ready for the beak, wings, and tail (Fig. 100).
[Illustration: Fig. 99.--Modelling body and legs of chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 100.--Partially modelled ready for beak, wings and
tail.]
[Illustration: Fig. 101.--The beak of chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 102.--Modelling beak on chicken.]
[Illustration: Fig. 103.--Paper chicken nearly finished.]
[Illustration: Fig. 104.--Hungry little paper chicken.]
Cut a square of the same kind of tissue paper, measuring nine and
one-half inches on all four sides; fold diagonally twice across the
square as when making a paper pin-wheel. The centre of the square is
exactly where the diagonal lines meet and cross; pinch the centre
portion up into a beak and tie it with a string (Fig. 101); then fit the
beak over the centre of the chicken's head, bringing the paper entirely
over the head on all sides; tie the square around the chicken's neck
close up to the head (Fig. 102). The two points A and B of the square
must form the wings, while C is carried backward over the under portion
of the body and D back over the upper part, the two ends C and D being
brought together and tied tight up to the body to form the tail. In Fig.
103 you will see exactly how to pinch up the wing if you notice
particularly the upper part of the wing B, next to the body. The wing A
on Fig. 103 shows how the two wings must be tied close to, but not on,
the body. When each wing is tied, make the tail of C and D by tying the
extensions together as explained above; that done, bend down the legs,
spread out the wings and tail, open out and flatten the feet, then
stand the little chicken on a level surface (Fig. 104). Remember always
to crease the tissue-paper with the grain of the paper; if you attempt
to cross the grain the paper will be very apt to tear.
The Turkey
[Illustration: Fig. 105.--The astonished paper turkey.]
[Illustration: Fig. 106.--Modelling turkey's body.]
[Illustration: Fig. 107.--Legs and feet of turkey.]
[Illustration: Fig. 108.--Head modelled on turkey.]
(Fig. 105) is also modelled from half a sheet of tissue-paper as near
the general color of a turkey as can be found. Make Fig. 92 and Fig. 93
of the paper; then fold Fig. 93 five and three-quarter inches from one
end (Fig. 106, F). Three inches from this end tie the two layers
together (Fig. 106, G). Fold the strips back and tie a string through
the lower loop up over the loose top layer (Fig. 106, H). Wind the
extreme end of the paper (Fig. 106, O), with string to form the beak
(Fig. 107), bend the beak down and tie it to the neck to form the top of
the head (Fig. 108, P). Make the legs and feet as you did those for the
chicken (Fig. 98) and slide them through the body so that one fold of
the body will be above and two beneath the legs (Fig. 107). Cut the
wings from a separate piece of tissue-paper (Fig. 109). Let the paper
measure seven inches on the widest side, five on the opposite side, and
four and one-half on each of the other sides. Pinch the paper together
through the centre and tie (Fig. 110). Gather up one wing, so that it
will not tear, and slip it through the body, immediately over the legs,
with the widest side toward the front (Fig. 105), leaving the other wing
out free on the other side of the turkey. Bend down the legs, spread the
tail out fan shape and bend it up; open out the wings and drop them
downward and forward (Fig. 105). Flatten out the feet and stand up the
turkey (Fig. 105).
[Illustration: Fig. 109.--Paper for turkey wings.]
[Illustration: Fig. 110.--Turkey wings.]
[Illustration: Fig. 111.--Elephant modelled of tissue-paper.]
The Elephant
(Fig. 111) will require two sheets of brown tissue-paper for its body,
head, and trunk, which are all made of a single strip of paper. Unfold,
spread out and fit the two sheets of tissue-paper together; then gather
up one side, as in Fig. 92, crease and gather up the other side (Fig.
93). Bind one end with black thread to the distance of four and one-half
inches to form the trunk; then fold the remainder of the strip into four
layers, beginning with the free end of the paper; fold over and over
three times. This gives the body and head. Bind black thread around the
folds next to the trunk to form the head. Make four legs of two pieces
of paper in the same way you formed those of the chicken (Fig. 98), only
the elephant's legs must be very much thicker. Slide the legs through
the body between the two layers of paper, shove the front legs forward
and the hind legs backward. For the tail use a small strip of the brown
tissue-paper. Wrap it around and around with black thread to within an
inch of the bottom and cut this end up into fringe. Fasten the tail on
the elephant with black thread, pass the thread between the first and
second layers of paper forming the back of the body of the animal and
tie the tail on the outside threads which cross from side to side of the
elephant; bend the top of the tail over the thread, as you would hang a
garment on a clothes-line, and tie the bent-over end down on to the tail
proper. Shape the ears like Fig. 112, pinch together the end S and tuck
it under the thread which separates the head from the body. Allow the
long side, M, to form the front of the ears. You can add white ivory
tusks if desired. Roll up two white writing-paper lighters and push an
end of each up in the head under the trunk, forming one tusk on each
side.
[Illustration: Fig. 112.--Elephant's ear.]
In making these little creatures do not forget that you must do some
modelling, bending and shaping them with your fingers, squeezing up the
paper where it stands out too far, and gently pulling it out in places
where it flattens too much. The heads can be turned to suit the fancy,
the bodies inclined this or that way, or they may stand stiff and erect.
You might model a number of chickens, of different-colored paper, some
yellow, some white, and others black, like real chickens; or make
several turkeys and two or three elephants, some of the latter with
tusks and others without. The toys when finished will cause exclamations
of delight and approval. They are simple and easy to put together,
something which will not cost much and yet be worth many times the
amount expended for the necessary material to manufacture. The little
animals are attractive, substantial toys, entirely different from the
common ones which any girl or boy with sufficient pocket money may
purchase.