Snail Soup Decoy

Got a nosy sibling poking around in your room? You can make your own safe with the Snail Soup Decoy. This super cool Snail Soup Decoy is a sneaky way to store all your secret treasures, and it doubles as a unique kids' room decorating idea. Ask Mom or Dad to help you with your Snail Soup Decoy, and then have a blast drawing the deceptive soup label. This cool craft idea is sure to keep your treasures safe from snoopers...unless they have a taste for Snail Soup!

This fabulous tutorial is an excerpt from MADE BY DAD

Materials:

• Empty Tin Can (15.5 oz)
• Pencil
• Small Corrugated Cardboard Box
• Craft Knife and Cutting Mat
• Old Spoon
• Hacksaw
• Plastic Bowl
• PVA Glue
• Poster Paint (yellow, green, and orange)
• Paintbrush
• Drafting Compass
• White Lightweight Cardstock
• Paper Glue
• Clear Tape
• Silver Spray Paint
• Black Permanent Marker
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Felt-tip Markers

Instructions:

1. Collect the empty can and lid. Trace the lid onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out. The cardboard disc must fit snugly against the inside lip of the can.

2. Use the hacksaw to cut off two thirds of the spoon's handle.

3. Use the craft knife to cut a small hole in the cardboard circle—just big enough to fit the rough end of the spoon handle. It must be a tight fit!

4. In the plastic bowl, mix 1oz of PVA glue with a little bit of the green and yellow poster paint until it reaches the desired color (for the snail goo).

5. Create piece of “snail” from the plasticene and scatter them on the cardboard lid.

6. Pour the paint mixture over the lid, until it reaches the top of the rim. Let it dry for a few days. Brush on additional PVA paint mixture if needed.

7. Use the compass to mark and cut two cardboard discs each with a diameter of 4mm smaller than the diameter of the inside lip of the can.

8.Mark and cut a rectangle from cardstock whose dimensions equal the inside height of the can minus 2mm and the circumference of the cardboard disc plus 6mm.

9. Glue around the edge of the discs, and wrap the rectangle around them, creating a cylinder.

10. Secure the seam with tape.

11. Remove the goo lid by pulling on the spoon. Mark and cut a hole in the cylinder top, adjacent to the seam, to fit the spoon handle.

12. Glue a strip of scrap paper over the tape seam, then spray the cylinder silver. When dry, use the permanent marker to draw a safe door on the side. Glue it onto the cylinder, avoiding positioning the door over the seam.

13. Use the craft knife to cut around the safe door, except the hinge, and cut a 12mm diameter semicircle finger slot. Then cut a silver of the paper from along the hinge to prevent puckering.

14. Open the door and carefully score the inside hinge.

15. Cut four cardstock tabs and glue them to the door, and inside the top and bottom of the door frame.

16. Glue the paper “goo” lid onto the top of the cylinder.

17. Draw a snail soup label, trim it as needed, color it in, and glue it around the outside of the can. Let dry and then slip the can over the “safe.” Your valuables are well hidden within an impenetrable fortress.