A UFO and a pompom alien

DIY UFOs & Pompom Aliens

Join the Motley Kids for a journey into space! We’ll make a paper plate UFO and then create pompom aliens to invade with!

 

…crafting offline? Download a PDF of the instructions here

Supplies: 

UFOs

  • Two paper plates (any plates will do but sturdy plates are better)
  • One paper bowl (again, sturdy is better)
  • A clear(ish) plastic cup, bowl, soup container, etc for your cockpit (this should be SMALLER than the bottom of the bowl)
  • Craft glue or low-temp hot glue
  • Paint, markers, stickers, and other bling for your UFO
  • Pompoms and sequins for your cockpit

Pompom Aliens

  • Cardboard for making pompom forms
  • Yarn (acrylic fluffs extra well)
  • Something large and round to trace around (about 3 inches across is good)
  • A round bottle cap to trace around
  • Scissors
  • Chenille Stems (pipe cleaners)
  • Googly Eyes and Alien Decorating Bling
  • Glue (glue guns or glue dots work best)
  • Bling

Steps to Make It

UFOs

  1. Glue your two paper plates together around the rims (the eating part is inside)
  2. Glue a paper bowl to the bottom of one paper plate to make your capsule (the eating part is still inside)
  3. Pick out your favorite alien sequins and pompoms
  4. You can glue some googly eyes on the pompoms if you want 
  5. Put them in your cockpit cup or jar
  6. Glue the bowl side of your UFO onto the jar by turning the UFO over  (do not turn the jar over! Your aliens will escape!) 
  7. Turn your UFO right side up
  8. Decorate your UFO!

Pompom Aliens

  1. Set your round thing on your cardboard and trace a circle. You can use different sizes of round things to make different sizes of aliens!
  2. Cut out your circle
  3. Put your bottle cap in the middle of your circle and trace it
  4. Cut a thin space from the outside of your circle to your inside circle
  5. Cut out your inside circle. This is your Alien Hatching Device (also known as a pompom maker)
  6. Wrap yarn around your Alien Hatching Device until it’s completely covered—this may take a few minutes, so be patient. 
    1. To keep your yarn from sliding, hold the end and wrap over it a few times
    2. Leave a space near the gap so your yarn doesn’t fall off
  7. Use scissors to cut along the edge of the Alien Hatching Device until all of your yarn is sticking out of the sides of the middle circle.
    (It should stay in place if you’ve made your alien Super Fluffy)
  8. Use a spare piece of yarn to tie tightly around the middle of your alien
    (this is an important knot so If you are not a Super Good Tie-er ask your Responsible Adult to help)
  9. Pull your alien free of the Hatching Device
  10. Fluff well!
  11. Trim scraggly bits with scissors if needed
  12. Use a chenille stem (or two or three) to make legs, arms, and antennae
    Wrap them around the middle of the pompom
  13. Add googly eyes or bling!
  14. Prepare to Invade!

Want to craft live with us? Catch our next Craft-a-long on Twitch!

See our streaming schedule here!

a paper plate spaceship and pompom alien