Critter Chalkboard

These Critter Chalkboards make great gifts or craft projects for all ages. Once you start making them, you won’t want to stop!

SUPPLIES: (this list is for a cow)
unwanted CD disk (the ones you get in your junk mail works great)
black acrylic paint or chalkboard paint
black and white felt (other colors for different animals)
2 large white pom pom (other colors for different animals)
2 medium white pompoms (other colors for different animals)
1 small pink pompom (for different animals that have pink noses)
goggle eyes
whiskers or black embroidery floss (for animals with whiskers)
chalk
sponge
magnet (the heavier your critter, the larger the magnet)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Trace the CD onto the black felt.

2. Paint the CD black – this may take three coats for total coverage.

3. Set aside to dry.

4. Draw your shapes onto the felt colors (for the ears, hooves/paws, face, etc.).

5. Glue the ears to the back of the face.

6. Glue the whiskers to the face (if your animal needs whiskers.

7. Glue two medium white pom-poms to the face and one medium pom-pom below them (like a triangle) on the face for the nose.

8. Add the goggle eyes close to the nose.

9. For the hooves/paws, glue them around the center edge (like it’s holding the CD). These are your “hands”.
* This step is done after the CD is completed.

10. Glue the face onto the CD.
* This step is done after the CD is completed.

CONSTRUCTING YOUR BLACKBOARD (CD):

1. Glue the black felt circle to the back of the CD.

2. Glue on the magnet near the top.

3. Turning to the painted side, glue your two large white pom-poms to the bottom of the CD.

4. Then glue the hooves/feet at an angle touching the pompom.

5. Put a line of glue on the bottom of the head, and glue this to the top of the CD.

6. Glue the outside of the paws to the edge of the CD (as described in step 9 above).

7. Your chalkboard is ready. Put your sponge and chalk in the cow’s hooves.
* Now you have a cute recycled CD chalkboard for memos and messages.

VARIATIONS:
* Use green craft foam for the head, hands and feet. Cut a fat heart out of the felt, two “peanut” shapes (with three bumps for toes) and four circles. Use 2 green pipe cleaners for the legs. Use the fat heart and two circles for the face. Glue the circles on the sides of the heart for the cheeks. Glue the goggle eyes in the top center of the heart (the humps). Make three bumps in two of the other circles (for the hands). Glue these on the CD as instructed above. Glue the pipe cleaners to the back bottom of the CD. Glue the “peanut” shaped craft foam to the bottom of the pipe cleaners. You now have a frog!

* Other critters – A bunny, a cat, a dog, a pig, a squirrel…etc.

* Use your imagination and make any critter you like. Just remember the CD is the body so make the critter around the CD.