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Sky High Circus by Jeanne Draachreider

Filed under Cirque Paper Theatre Kit, Jeanne Draachreider, Tutorials

Note: most of the links on this post no longer work, as we moved to a new Web site in 2018. However, you can see the supply list items from Jeanne’s project that are still available on the new site.


WOW! Design Team Member Jeanne Draachreider’s Sky High Circus is such a wonder (including running lights)! Enjoy all the eye candy here (with bits of intro text from Jeanne’s blog post).

AND, if you're reading this on July 27th or 28th, there’s a related Sky High Circus Giveaway that includes pretty much everything Jeanne used in her artwork!

We’re off to the circus… not just any circus… but the Sky High Circus! The performers climb to unbelievable heights to perform their daring feats. What a sight this is at night when multi-colored lights are flashing not only around the three circus rings, but on the ground as well. There’s also an gigantic multi-colored glowing light that changes colors constantly as a backdrop for the aerial performers. But that’s not all, there are animals galore, and exciting sideshows to visit. Clowns are running around everywhere doing their silly skits and making us laugh.

How did she make this? (!?)

Two large Quaker Oats boxes. I ended up not using the smaller one because the circus had already taken on a life of it’s own and grown by leaps and bounds. I couldn’t even fit everything onto the board! In back you can see the first floating ring jutting out the side. I cut rings from the second oatmeal box (that’s it you see in cut up circles in front) and cut a hole into the sides of the first box to fit the rings into.

I decorated the tower box first, then added bottoms to the floating rings using heavy scrapbook paper. I also prepped the top to the rings but couldn’t put them on till after the lights were added. It was a bit tricky but we got ‘er done. The lights are small and round with a flat head so I used a hole punch (I used my crop-a-dial to go through the heavier cardboard) and pushed them through. Then I carefully attached the tops, then a decorative band around the ring that also had holes precut to fit the lights. Then the assembly was slipped into the tower and fit snugly.

Info on constructing the cannon (before-and-after pics are below):

The cannon is made of some very basic parts. Yep, an empty toilet paper roll. Recycle, recycle!!

I sliced the roll down the center and shortened it a bit too. I fit one end around the wooden ball to get an idea of the size at one end, then skinnied down the top end just a but more, taped in place, then covered with the 4th of July papers.

I painted the spool red and glued the wheels onto each side and decorated them. I poked a hole into the top of the cannon to add a short piece of twine. I rolled paper and stuck it inside the black rubber bead, put a short piece of twine in, and we were ready to shoot an unsuspecting clown across the arena. 🙂

The balancing girl on a ball was even more simple, once I figured it out!

You can see more photos (and a video!) of Jeanne’s Sky High Circus on her blog. And here’s a link to her Supply List.

  
Posted by Leslie, July 26th, 2014

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