Popsicle Stick Ballerina

This craft is for preschool and school-age kids, and is a fun way to express your artsy side! But the fun does not stop after you’re done making your ballerina, it can be a source of creative play after. This activity sparks imaginative play and expresses creativity. There is also a superhero popsicle stick craft blog post as well, if you want to make a friend for your ballerina!

Supplies:

- Popsicle/Craft sticks (2 sizes— a bigger one for the body, and a smaller size for the arms)

- Markers (a black marker, a color for the hair, and another color for the leotard and slippers)

- Construction Paper or Cupcake Paper Liners (for a tutu skirt)

- Small googly eyes (or a black marker)

- Glue

- Scissors

Activity Steps:

Step 1:

First, draw the hair of your ballerina.

We are going to make a bun hairstyle.

Go to the top part of your popsicle stick.

With a marker, make a snail/spiral design in the shape of a circle for the bun.

The hair should be a little bit bigger than your thumb.

Helpful Hint: You can add bangs to the hairstyle if you want by drawing a tent shape on either side of the spiral design.

Step 2: Next add the face. Glue your two small googly eyes with glue right below the hair you just drew. Make sure not to touch the glue while it dries. Now, draw a smile on below the eyes with a red or pink marker.

Helpful Hint: if you do not have googly eyes just draw them on with a black marker.

Step 3: Draw the leotard on your ballerina. Before drawing the leotard, draw a horizontal line halfway on the popsicle stick so you know where the tutu will go. Below the smile you just drew, leave a small space and draw a V shape for the collar of the leotard. Under the V you just drew color in the popsicle stick all the way until you reach the middle line you drew, where the tutu will be.

Step 4: Next you will make the tutu. Take a cupcake liner and fold it in half, horizontally (a hamburger style fold) and cut it. If you do not have a cupcake liner, take construction paper and draw a semicircle. This should be around 2 inches across.

Helpful Hint: Draw a circle and cut it in half to make an easy semicircle.

Step 5: Glue your tutu to the big popsicle stick half way down.

Step 6:

With a black marker you are going to draw legs onto your ballerina.

From where the tutu ends, draw a line down the middle of the big popsicle stick so you get 2 legs.

Fun Fact: There are five main foot positions: first position, second position, third position, open fourth position and closed fourth position, and finally the fifth position.Try doing them and have fun!

Step 7:

Now, we are going to draw the ballerina slippers on!

On each side of the line you drew for the legs go to the very end of the popsicle stick and make a U shape and color it in.

On top of this, draw the ballerina slippers laces.

Draw the letter X 2 times on top of each other.

Don’t forget to do the other side too, so your ballerina has two slippers!

Step 8: Lastly, take the big popsicle stick and the 1 smaller popsicle stick. You are going to cut the smaller sticks in half. Then glue them to the big one, with the curved part of the popsicle stick pointing out, these are the arms of the ballerina. Glue on the back, one to the left side and one to the right side, close to the top. The arms should look like the letter V.

Reminder: Make sure the googly eyes and tutu glue has dried first, before flipping over your ballerina to glue on the arms.

Fun Fact: The arms in the air is called the fifth high arm position in ballet.

Step 9: You finished your ballerina! Now you can put on a dance recital and twirl around with your ballerina. This is the best step where all your hard work pays off and you can play with your creation!

Remember: both boys and girls can be ballerinas. Ballet is a sport that everyone can enjoy!