Homemade kaleidoscopes are fun, beautiful crafts that allow kids to look through and view a wondrous array of colorful, symmetrical designs. They work by allowing a small amount of light to pass through the end and bounce back and forth between the shiny plastic on the inside, lighting up the colorful beads and showing a magnificent display. As you turn the kaleidoscope around and around, the beads and sequins inside fall around and create new designs.
Instructions
1. Use a marker to draw a 10 cm by 20 cm rectangle on a clear, plastic report cover. Cut it out with scissors, fold into a triangle shape, and tape it so that it stays closed.
2. Slide the plastic triangle into a cardboard paper towel roll. Stand the paper towel roll on one end on top of a 10 cm square of black construction paper. Use a scalpel to cut the square so that it fits over one end of the paper towel roll. Secure with tape and poke a hole in the center of the square.
3. Wrap a 10 cm square of plastic wrap over the opposite end of the paper towel roll. Hold with one hand while gently pushing down into the wrap with the other hand to create a pouch in the plastic wrap. Fill the pouch with colorful beads, rhinestones, and sequins. Top the pouch with a 10 cm square of wax paper and secure with a rubber band. Use scissors to trim away any excess plastic wrap or wax paper that goes beyond the rubber band.
4. Apply a line of glue that runs all the way down the length of the paper towel roll. Wrap a piece of construction paper in the color of your choice around the roll and secure with the glue. Add another line of glue to secure the paper completely.
