By Sheila Daniels
This month’s I.D.E.A. Store craft project is a thaumatrope. Don’t ask me how to say it, I just know that it’s cool. I saw it the other night on The Mentalist and thought it would be a fun project for Halloween and the kiddies. Thaumatropes were popular Victorian optical illusion toys.
Step 1: Cut two circles of the same size out of paper. Mine are about 2 1/2 inches. This one is using some patterned paper, but I also used plain card stock and book pages. If you use thin paper you are going to want to make a cardboard circle to go in the center. This one is from a cereal box. Cut you can re-use just about any type of thick paper.
Step 2: Decorate one side of both circles as the front and back of the thaumatrope. I used spooky images and stickers. I made them using all sorts of scrap supplies, stamps, printed images, stickers, and book pages.
Step 3: Add adhesive tape or glue stick to the inside of one circle.
Step 4: Place a strip of thick string about a foot long in the center of the circle with adhesive.
Step 5: Then add the other circle on top making a sandwich with the circles. Just remember to flip the images so that one is upside down. That way when you spin it you will see the illusion correctly.
Spin your thaumatrope and have some spooky fun!
Sheila Daniels is a homeschooling mom and crafter and volunteer/devotee of The I.D.E.A. Store living in Iroquois County. You can find her at sheila@cheekymagpie.com or on her blog, Cheeky Magpie.
All photos courtesy of Sheila Daniels