• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Carla Schauer Designs
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Rock Painting
      • Rock Painting Ideas
      • Rock Painting Supplies
      • Rock Painting Techniques
    • Craft Tutorials
    • Teens and Tweens
    • Holiday and Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Patriotic
      • Halloween
      • Christmas
    • DIY Decor
    • Technique Guides
  • Printables
  • Creative Life
  • Supplies
  • About
    • Work With Me
      • Art for Licensing
      • Surface Design Gallery
      • Craft Industry Services
      • Published work
      • Testimonials
    • Contact
  • Shop
    • Etsy
    • Zazzle
    • About my Products

Thinking INSIDE the box–A duck habitat diorama.

by Carla Schauer 7 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet

When I was in first grade, we happily learned our alphabet via The Letter People, and accomplished other amazing tasks like jumping rope across the playground at recess.  (uphill both ways!)

Fast forward *ahemwaytoomanyyearsahem* and first graders are writing 2 page stories and reports about animals with accompanying habitats.   Of course, we found out about this habitat half way to it’s due date, thanks to unchecked Friday Folders over spring break, but that’s another point entirely.

I think she did pretty well (insert parental bias here).  Not only did she research the mallard duck habitat, she also decided to insert depictions of facts she learned about the ducks into the project.

There are no male ducks anywhere to be found in this habitat “because it is spring (note the flowering spring tree) and the drakes fly away after the moms lay the eggs”

All the ducks are painted as accurately as a first grader can, and the duck dabbling for food can just be seen behind the mama duck’s head in this photo.

And the nesting duck can be removed to show the 1-13 eggs that are laid in the grass-lined nest.

Aside from the scooping of the Styrofoam, the molding of the birds and a quick tree painting tutorial, she did it all herself.  Crafty and detail oriented.  That’s my girl!

Until next time…
C

Enter your email and grab my free easy craft idea list, designed to help you jump start your creativity, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
No spam ever. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy for more details.

Similiar ideas you'll want to try:

  • 5 Best Places to Find Perfect Stones for Painting
    5 Best Places to Find Perfect Stones for Painting
  • This Cute February Reading Log Makes an Easy Valentine Craft
    This Cute February Reading Log Makes an Easy Valentine Craft
  • Fall Tied Ribbon Wreath with Rustic Accents
    Fall Tied Ribbon Wreath with Rustic Accents
  • Quick Teacher Appreciation Candy Jar Gift
    Quick Teacher Appreciation Candy Jar Gift
  • Firecracker Patriotic Bookmark Printable for Coloring
    Firecracker Patriotic Bookmark Printable for Coloring
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: crafts, Teens Tagged With: acrylic paint

Previous Post: « It’s a Sizzix ScoreBoards Blog Hop!
Next Post: Sizzix ScoreBoards Blog Hop–Rectangle Box »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nikimeiners

    April 23, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    Very impressive!!!

    Reply
  2. chezhui

    April 23, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    See Carla there are families like yours that got the crafty-gene
    and then ones like mine that did not. She’s and you are so talented!

    Mairi

    Reply
  3. Kim

    April 24, 2010 at 10:14 am

    So cute!

    Reply
  4. Wanda Rankins

    April 29, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    I love this idea, my daughter has to do one for her project. What materials did you use to create the ducks? It looks like you used Styrofoam to set the scene of the land and lake.

    Reply
    • Carla Schauer

      May 21, 2015 at 12:56 pm

      Wanda, the ducks are air-dry clay. I helped shape them, and once they were dry she painted with acrylic paint to add some detail. Styrofoam for the land/lake, and artificial plants poked in for the reeds. Have fun creating!

      Reply
  5. Michelle

    May 9, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    How did you make the water look real? What materials were used?

    Reply
    • Carla Schauer

      May 16, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      Hi Michelle, the lake is carved out of the Styrofoam base, then painted with acrylic paint. She used a cheap sponge brush to dab the paint into the styrofoam to get all the white spaces covered. The water doesn’t look “real” like a glassy surface, but a deep blue base color and a slightly lighter blue brushed over a few spots does give it some depth. I hope that helps!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Carla Schauer photo Welcome! I'm Carla, a licensed artist, maker, and creator of quirky art and craft projects. Here, I share DIY crafts and creativity of all kinds, occasional studio updates, and a wee bit of everyday life. New? Start here.
carla schauer on facebook carla schauer on pinterest carla schauer on instagram carla schauer on twittercarla schauer blog rss feed

Shop CSD on Etsy

Get the Creative Jumpstart!

Easy Craft Idea pdf displayed on clipboard, surrounded by gold office supplies

CSDS Favorite Posts

Printable Heart Bookmarks to Color
Travel Scavenger Hunt for Tweens
DIY Softball Hair Bows
Ultimate Guide to Rock Painting
DIY Paracord Water Bottle Holders

Footer

Google
  • About Carla
  • Studio News
  • Work With Me
  • TOU & Privacy
  • All Posts
carla schauer on facebook carla schauer on pinterest carla schauer on instagram carla schauer on twittercarla schauer blog rss feed

art and content © 2009-2021 Carla Schauer · all rights reserved.

If you'd like to share something from my site, please share ONE image and then link back to my post where people can read the full tutorial/content. Please DO NOT alter or copy photos nor copy my work in its entirety to share on your site without my permission. Some posts may contain affiliate links. Carla Schauer Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. See full disclosure.

Copyright © 2021 Carla Schauer Designs on the Foodie Pro Theme

Creative Jumpstart
Enter your email below and get 100 Easy Craft Ideas, designed to help you use up your giant craft stash, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
Spam sucks, we won't send you any. Selling your info is gross. We don't do that either. Unsubscribe anytime, see our privacy policy for more details.
Need a Creative Jumpstart?
Enter your email below and get 100 Easy Craft Ideas, designed to help you use up your giant craft stash, and never have to stare at unused supplies again.
Spam sucks, we don't send it. Unsubscribe anytime, see privacy policy for more details.
Enter your email and grab my free easy craft idea list, designed to help you jump start your creativity, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
No spam ever. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy for more details.