Solar System Dress

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Foam Balls: 1 @ 4", 2 @ 2.4", 5 @ 2.9"
• Mod Podge, Satin
• Tissue Paper, White, 2 sheets
• Brushes: Chip, 1", 1, Flat; 3/4", 1/2", #8, #3 round, 1 1/2" Foam
• Palette
• Paint, planets: Apple Barrel, Acrylic, 2 oz. Black, White, Toffee, Bright Yellow, Cloudless, Cobalt, Admiral Blue, Palm Leaf, Antique White, 1 each
• Americana, Acrylic, 2 oz. Tomato Red, Burnt Orange, 1 each
• Paint, Sun: Folk Art, Multi-Surface, Satin Acrylic, 2 oz., Lemon Custard, 1 Metallic, Antique Gold, 1
• EVA Foam sheet, 20" x 40", 5mm, 1 (6" x 6" needed for Saturn ring), 10mm, 1 (sun)
• Scissors
• X-Acto knife, #11 blade, 1
• Cutting Board
• Small hand saw or band saw
• Sandpaper, 150 grit, 1
• Elmer's Glue All
• Contact Cement with brush applicator, 3 oz., 1
• Colored pencil, light color
• Pins

DIRECTIONS:

Solar System:

1. Cut approximately 1/8" off one side of each ball. This will create a flat surface for attaching each planet to a dress.
2. Rip 1" x 1" strips of tissue paper. Use a 1" Chip brush to brush a thin coat of Mod Podge over the round surface of one ball. Immediately lay a piece of tissue paper over the wet Mod Podge. Apply more Mod Podge over the tissue paper tapping gently over the paper with the brush to secure without moving the paper. Overlap pieces of tissue paper to completely coat the ball. Let dry overnight.
3. Print the pattern for the Saturn ring. Trace the pattern on to 5mm sheet foam or cardboard. Cut out ring using scissors. Place the ring around a 2.9" ball and mark where the ring touches the ball. Remove the ring and use an X-Acto knife to cut a groove approximately 1/8" wide along the mark. Apply a small bead of Elmer's Glue All into the groove and replace the ring around the ball, into the groove. Let dry.
4. Use the small assorted brushes to paint each ball to represent the eight planets. Use the 4" ball for Jupiter, 2 @ 2.4" balls for Mercury and Mars, 5 @ 2.9" balls for Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth and Venus.

Sun:

1. Print 1/4 Sun Ray pattern out on cardstock. Cut out the pattern along the ray edges. Use a light color pencil to transfer the ray pattern onto the 10mm EVA foam sheet. To make the full 24" pattern two pieces will need to be glued together. Line up one flat side of pattern along an edge of the foam sheet. Flip the pattern to create half the full ray circle. Repeat on opposite side of the foam sheet. Cut the pattern to the circle line. Transfer the circle pattern onto the EVA foam sheet. Flip the pattern to create a full circle. Cut out transferred patterns using a band saw or an X-Acto knife keeping the edges as vertical as possible.
2. Apply Contact Cement along both straight edges of the ray half circles. Lay both on a flat surface lining up the points on either side. Carefully slide the two sides together starting at one end. Press the joint from either side for a clean seam.
3. Use the pattern to locate the circle on top of the rays. Trace around the outside of the circle onto the ray foam. This line will serve as the mark to apply paint and will still be visible when attaching the circle to the rays.
4. Use a foam brush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to one side and edges of the circle and the edges, back and front (just past the circle line) on the rays. Let dry overnight.
5. Use a foam brush to apply 2-3 thin coats of paint to the same areas that Mod Podge was applied. Yellow to the rays and gold to the circle. Let dry.
6. Place pins every 3-4" around the circle line into the ray foam. These will help guide the circle to the correct location when gluing. Apply Contact Cement to the back of the circle and to the inside of the circle on the rays. Carefully lower the circle down between the pins and press in place.
7. Attach the planets to the dress using glue or a needle and thread.