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This craft reprinted courtesy of thebestkidsbooksite.com.

Are you fascinated by the grace and beauty of swans? Did you enjoy reading the Ugly Duckling when you were a kid? Do you like making crafts that invlove hand prints? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this might be just the perfect craft for you!

Books you might enjoy with this craft:

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen

The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen 

White paper
Small white cup
Orange and black construction paper
Tape
Glue
Pipe cleaner
Scissors
Your hands and one of your feet

To begin take two pieces of white paper and lay one on top of the other. Trace your hand print on the top one with all your fingers and thumb spread apart. Cut out the hand print through both sheets of the white paper, creating two hand prints. Repeat. Now you should have four white handprints. They will become your swan's wings.Next take two of the hand prints and lay one over the other and shift it in place so the fingers intermingle and you can see all eight and the two thumbs. Glue or tape them together this way. Repeat with the remaining two hand prints. Set them aside and let them dry.

Next trace one of your feet on white paper with you shoe off. Cut it out. This will become your swan's neck. Take a pair of scissors and curl the heel end of the foot print so it curves over.Now take your pipe cleaner and thread it directly up the middle of your foot print and extend it about one inch beyond the end of the heel. This will make your swan's neck curvy, flexible, and bendable. Set aside.

Next cut out the pieces you will need to put together your swan's head. Click on printables and use the templates as a guide. Take a piece of black paper and fold it in half. Cut out the small piece shown with the straight line of the template on the fold.

Next take a piece of orange paper and fold it half. Cut out the other longer piece shown with the straight line of the template on the fold. Now slip the orange piece over the piece of pipe cleaner that you left extended when you created your swan's neck. Glue or tape in place.

Now add the black piece further up the pipe cleaner, slightly overlapping the orange. Glue in place.

Now let's assemble your Swan! For a basic swan body you could use a small paper cup with the open part of the cup headed toward the rear of the swan or you could use a simple small white paper roll. Either is fine and works well. You decide.

Glue or tape the hand print wings you created on either side of the swan's body pointing backwards.Now add the foot print neck to the front of the swan. If you are using a paper roll, insert the base of the neck inside the paper roll and tape or glue it in place. Trim the sides of the foot print if the toes are too wide. Bend the pipe cleaner neck so your swan's neck has a serene and beautiful arc.

thebestkidsbooksite.com http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com This site contains suggested reading material and crafts to help young readers relate to the stories.