DIY Doll Sized Rockets for 4th of July!

Our dolls are seated on the lawn along with our homemade rockets, waiting for their American 4th
of July picnic to begin. However, many other countries celebrate important holidays and special
 occasions with fireworks just like Americans. If you have a doll collection from a different country,
 you might also like to make pretend fireworks for doll play. 

       Our dolls have decided to have a 4th of July picnic on the lawn today. They can't wait to play with their pretend rockets! 

       You can make doll fireworks just like ours using recycled paper tubes and skewers that are commonly found in supermarkets among the barbecue supplies.

       Be careful, though, not to let young toddlers or baby brothers and sisters play with these sharp ends. I clipped mine off a bit but these are certainly not the kinds of toys for little ones to run around with! They do make cute photo opportunities for the dolls however.

Paper mache rockets in the lawn
 for festive decoration only.

 Craft Supply List:

• cardboard tubes (variety of sizes)
• decorative, patriotic scrapbook papers
• white school glue
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• newsprint
• wooden skewers
• twine
• sheets of foam and card stock for rocket tops
• masking tape
• left or right handed scissors (Match the correct scissors to the dominant hand of your child please.)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut the cardboard tubes into a variety of lengths.
2. Crush the newsprint and use masking tape to attach the ends of the newsprint to each skewer. 
3. Wrap the ends of each skewer with the newsprint, approximately 1 - 2 inches from the end so that the skewers fit snuggly inside each cardboard tube.
4. Drizzle some hot glue inside each tube and stuff more newsprint around each skewer to fill up the hollow insides of each 'rocket' firmly with paper stuffing.
5. Use masking tape to close both the top and bottom of each tube.
6. You can poke a hole using a toothpick or pin to insert a piece of twine to act as a pretend fuse.
7. Wrap each tube with decorative paper and white glue to make the rockets festive looking.
8. Cut circles measuring approximately 1/3 to 1/2 inches larger in diameter than the openings of your tubes.
9. Now  cut a pie shape from each circle. (see photo below)
10. Using a bit of hot glue on the cut opening carefully pull and attach each end to overlap slightly. This will create a pointed-end-caps for your rockets. You can use either foam sheets or card stock to shape these caps.
11. Attach the end-caps to each of your rockets with hot glue.
12. Twist more decorative paper around the skewer end using white glue to add more detail if you'd like.
13. After your pretend rockets have dried, stick them into the lawn and photograph your dolls enjoying their 4th of July picnic.

Far left, Cut the cardboard tubes into a variety of lengths. Center, stuff more newsprint around
each skewer to fill up the hollow insides of each 'rocket' firmly with paper stuffing. Right,
Wrap each tube with decorative paper and white glue to make the rockets festive looking.

Left, Now  cut a pie shape from each circle. Right, Using a bit of hot glue on the cut opening
carefully pull and attach each end to overlap slightly.

Our dolls prepare for their very own 4th of July Celebration.