How to Make a Bird out of a Plastic Straw
Cut the straw., Cut the short piece open., Flatten the piece., Fold the piece in half, hamburger-style., Cut symmetrical wings on both sides of the fold., Cut small slits around the edges of the wings to make the feather tips., Flatten the other...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Cut the straw.
Observe that the straw is divided into two sections by the "bendy" part.
One section is longer than the other.
Cut the longer section halfway between the end and the bend. , Cut it lengthwise, keeping your cut as straight as possible.
You may want to trace the cut with a marker before cutting., Place the cut piece on a folded towel or hard surface, and flatten it with the edge of a spoon., See the photo for more help., Make sure they stay connected in the middle., Set aside the wings for now., As you did with the other piece, use the edge of a spoon to flatten the rest of the straw, except for the bend., Once the straw has been flattened, position your scissors so that they cut through both layers, just slightly inward from one of the edges created by the fold.
Cut all the way up to the bend.
This will be the "tail" of the bird., On the portion of the straw you just cut, position your scissors so that they cut exactly along the other fold, stopping at the bend.
You should end up with three pieces on this portion of the straw
- two thick "legs" and one slim "tail."
They should resemble the legs of a tripod.,, You should end up with what looks like the bill of a bird., Position the straw so that the tail is on top and pointing back toward you.
Grab one of the legs, and fold it under the tail.
Then, take the end of that leg and pull it over the tail and through the loop you created.
Don't pull it tight just yet, though; repeat the same process with the other leg., Once both of the legs are in position, tighten them slowly and symmetrically so that they make a knot where the tail meets the bend., They should be at a 90-degree angle from the tail.,,, Flatten it with the edge of a spoon for better effect., -
Step 2: Cut the short piece open.
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Step 3: Flatten the piece.
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Step 4: Fold the piece in half
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Step 5: hamburger-style.
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Step 6: Cut symmetrical wings on both sides of the fold.
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Step 7: Cut small slits around the edges of the wings to make the feather tips.
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Step 8: Flatten the other parts of the straw.
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Step 9: Cut out the tail.
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Step 10: Cut the legs.
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Step 11: Bend the legs and tail outward.
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Step 12: Position the bend in the straw so that it resembles the neck of a bird.
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Step 13: Make two cuts just above the bend of the straw
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Step 14: angled toward the center.
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Step 15: Wrap the legs around the tail.
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Step 16: Tighten both legs at the same time.
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Step 17: Make sure the legs point downward.
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Step 18: Push the tail toward the bend to loosen it a bit
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Step 19: and slip the wings through the opening.
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Step 20: Tighten the tail into place again.
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Step 21: Make small feather cuts in the tail.
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Step 22: Display the bird on a glass by putting the rim between the two legs.
Detailed Guide
Observe that the straw is divided into two sections by the "bendy" part.
One section is longer than the other.
Cut the longer section halfway between the end and the bend. , Cut it lengthwise, keeping your cut as straight as possible.
You may want to trace the cut with a marker before cutting., Place the cut piece on a folded towel or hard surface, and flatten it with the edge of a spoon., See the photo for more help., Make sure they stay connected in the middle., Set aside the wings for now., As you did with the other piece, use the edge of a spoon to flatten the rest of the straw, except for the bend., Once the straw has been flattened, position your scissors so that they cut through both layers, just slightly inward from one of the edges created by the fold.
Cut all the way up to the bend.
This will be the "tail" of the bird., On the portion of the straw you just cut, position your scissors so that they cut exactly along the other fold, stopping at the bend.
You should end up with three pieces on this portion of the straw
- two thick "legs" and one slim "tail."
They should resemble the legs of a tripod.,, You should end up with what looks like the bill of a bird., Position the straw so that the tail is on top and pointing back toward you.
Grab one of the legs, and fold it under the tail.
Then, take the end of that leg and pull it over the tail and through the loop you created.
Don't pull it tight just yet, though; repeat the same process with the other leg., Once both of the legs are in position, tighten them slowly and symmetrically so that they make a knot where the tail meets the bend., They should be at a 90-degree angle from the tail.,,, Flatten it with the edge of a spoon for better effect.,
About the Author
Marie Torres
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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