Arts Commons Education invites you to bee engaged this spring and show a little love for our pollinators with this easy-to-do craft. 

Supplies

• Paper – newspaper, computer paper, or rice paper will work
• Masking tape
• Flour
• Water
• Paint brush
• Wire
• Cooked paper mache paste

Step One

Start by making cooked paper mache paste.

Combine:

• 1 cup of flour
• 4 cups of water

Cook at a low temperature until thickened. Let cool. The cooked paper mache can be stored for up to six weeks.

Expert tip! Cooked paste has a better consistency and leaves less flour residue.

Step Two

Draw your bee design from every angle.

• Front
• Top
• Back
• Side
• Underneath

Create the bee’s form using newspaper and masking tape. The wings on the bee are made from wire and paper.

Step Three

Using a paint brush, apply paste and paper to the form.

Apply a second and third layer until you are happy with the covering and shape.

Step Four

When the paper mache is dry, paint yellow and white, with black stripes and veins on the wings.

Our bee is made with rice paper. The rice paper was then coloured with water colour paints and then applied to the form. You can also use white paper in all of the layers and paint after the bee is fully dry.

Step Five

Show us your bee masterpiece! Take a photo, post it to Instagram, and tag us at @yycartsed.