If you haven't yet heard, birdwatching is having a serious moment. And while we've done the nitty-gritty research on your standard birdwatching binoculars, we'll admit there's nothing quite better than the old-school style made from cardboard tubes. Once you craft your own stylish set, you'll be well on your way to saying things like "Why is that a Yellow-rumped Warbler I see?"
Supplies
- Cardboard toilet paper rolls
- Extra cardboard
- Paint
- Washi tape
- Low temperature glue gun
- Hole punch
- Cord or thin rope
- Embroidery thread
Step 1. Measure the distance between a child's pupils. Place two toilet paper rolls next to each other and measure the distance from the center of one roll to the center of the other. Next, shape a piece of extra cardboard into a round, making sure its diameter is enough so that the toilet paper rolls are separated enough to sit in the center on the child's eyes: hold closed with tape or a few dabs of hot glue. Decorate all pieces as desired - craft paint and Washi tape work great! Glue all three pieces together with dabs of hot glue.
Step 2. Punch holes in the outer side of each toilet paper roll. Thread a length of cord or thin rope through the holes, creating a lanyard. You can either knot the ends to hold them in place or loop the ends back on themselves about 1/2-inch; hold the loop in place with a dab of hot glue. If desired, wrap embroidery floss around the end of the loop to cover up the untidy bits; hold in place with hot glue.
