Shoe-Box Fish bowl

***Please note that is post was actually started on October 14, 2011 but never finished. Emma #2 is now 9-years-old and really into art stuff. Enjoy the post!***

Emma #2 asked me to post an idea she would like to share with you. Until she is either old enough to post for herself or have her mommy or daddy help her, I will be posting for her.

Emma #2 is a bright, funny, loving, caring, 8-year-old with really great ideas! I am hoping that by fostering those ideas here, she will become more creative. For privacy reasons, Emma #2's picture will not be shown on this website but her ideas sure will be.

Supplies needed:
Empty shoe box
Paint
Paint Brushes
Paper plate (to put the paint on)
Water
Paper Towel
News Paper (to protect the surface you will be working on)

Construction:
Working on newspaper to protect your surface:
1) Remove the lid from the shoe box, set the shoe box aside.
2) In the lid of the shoe box, cut a hole. (Emma #1 recommends adults help with the cutting part.) Cut the hole no bigger than 1 inch from the sides of the lid. The idea is the lid will become a "window" into the shoe box.
3) Place some white paint on your paper plate and add about 1/2 teaspoon of water, stir until completely mixed and paint the entire shoe box, inside and out. (by painting the shoe box with white paint, it will make it easier to add other colors to your shoe box without too much fading)
4) Once the white paint has dried, paint the INSIDE of the both shoe box and the inside of the lid BLUE to represent water. **A lighter blue would probably work best. Set aside to dry.
5) Once the blue paint dries, use other colors to paint the top of the lid and the outside of the shoe box as desired. Emma #1 also recommends painting some plants on the back and pebbles on the bottom.
   OPTIONAL: to add dimension to the project you could draw and cut out fish bowl plants, glue in small stones as the gravel, and even add a little castle like you might see in a real fish tank.
6) Take either cardboard or think paper (like cardstock), draw and color a fish on one side, cut and color a mirror image fish ton another piece of paper to be glued on the back side of the first fish.
7) When both fishes are ready to be attached, take a piece of "magic strength" or clear thread, knot at one end and place between the fish with glue. Set aside to allow glue to dry.
     ***Make several fish of different shapes and sizes to add variety to your "fish bowl" shoe box. Emma #1 also suggests that you cut the thread to hang the fish at different lengths to make the "fish bowl" look more real.

Assembly:

When all your pieces are painted and decorated as desired (with GLITTER, per Emma #2), begin to put the fish bowl together.
1) To attach the fish, place take on the loose end of the string and place on the "top" of the inside of the shoe box. Hang in the desired locations. Emma #2 suggested hanging a fish or two from the inside of the lid so the fish will look like it is close to the side of the fish bowl.
2) Once all your fish and fish bowl are decorated as desired, place the lid back on the box, and set on the side to display your "fish bowl"!

I will add some pictures later on when I have made one of my own. Until then, you can use your imagination. :)

Emma 1 & Emma 2