Fun with felt: Popstars

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By Jane Bower — consultant in art, drama, dance and literacy

Jane runs practical workshops in schools or at www.offcentre.co.uk

Create your very own fame academy with this dazzling range of felt design activities…

Beginner: Shaker

You will need: sturdy containers with secure flat lids; glue; fabric glue; scissors; felt; sequins (optional); pencils; teaspoons; dried pulses such as lentils, rice, chickpeas or couscous.

What to do

Help the children spoon pulses into their containers. Put the lids on, shake and listen. Talk about the factors influencing the sounds they make, such as the type and amount of pulse, and the size and material of the container. Let the children experiment with different sounds, gluing the lid on tightly when they are happy with their sound.
Tell the children to draw around the ends of their containers onto the felt. Then cut out the shapes and attach with a thin layer of fabric glue. Challenge children to work out how much felt they will need to cover the sides of the container.
Let the children add felt decorations. If using sequins, avoid areas the child will hold as they could be rubbed off.