Giant Cardboard Coasters

This is Carol Townsend's version of how to make a Giant Cardboard Martian Coaster set. Giant_Red.jpg

Materials Edit

4 Science Fair-type 48" x 36" cardboard screens.
exacto knife
1.5" wide blue painter's tape
tempera paint in Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White (avaiable in craft stores everywhere)
brushes (I use spong brushes.)
8 sheets of full page stickers
computer/printer
Highlighters in Orange, Light Blue and Purple

Gather all materials in a place you've got plenty of room to spread out.
Cut the cardboard to 36"x36" - the two fold-in sections are each 12" wide, so you only need to remove one of them to get a square.
Prepare the painter's tape for placement on the cardboard by "fuzzing it up" a bit. Take each strip of the tape and put the sticky side against your clothing a couple of times before placement - this will make it come off the cardboard more easily and has less chance of ripping the white cardboard top layer.
Place the painter's tape on the cardboard in the following manner
- one "tape width" around all the edges of the coaster. Line up the edge of the tape with the edge of the coaster.
- two "tape width's" in between the squares. The easiest way I found to "measure" in 12" by using the cut-off section of cardboard. Line up the edges of the cardboard and you'll have a straight line of tape. Place the first tape width on the coaster just to the inside of where the cut-off section is. Move the cut-off section of cardboard and place the second tape width snugged up against the just placed tape. If you've done this right, the second tape width is 9" from the tape around the outer edge of the coaster.
- repeat until you have nine 9" squares
paint

I know this is an unfinished article - I promise to get back to it and finish it up - with pictures - soon, but I've got houseguests who are getting up and wanting breakfast. --Carol Townsend 15:30, 20 Jan 2007 (GMT):)

I know that the coasters are a little bit oversized. 8x scale would indicate the coasters should be 32" square, not 36". I use the 36" scale for two reasons. (1) It's just that much easier to cut the cardboard once - and that one cut is pretty much possible to do without measuring. You just lop off one of the fold-in sides. (2) Having the coasters slightly oversized makes it easier to see the arrows under the pyramids.