Upcycled Teddy-Bear-To-Owl Jar

Some of you are going to read this post and think, "Katie, you have too much time on your hands."
You might be right, but don't worry, school is about to start and that will be the end of time as I know it (at least as I have known it during this first summer in over ten years that I called my own shots and didn't have to go to work everyday...ahh..).

This project all started with an abandoned jar in the shape of a teddy bear.  It once held animal crackers, and lived in my recycling for about a month.  (This particular teddy bear is of the Target Brand Kingdom, Market Pantry Species, if you were curious.)

One day, it fell on my foot, and I looked at him twice.  Sort of Corduroy-esk.  Only this bear would have no place in my classroom.  We are much too cool for bears, you see. We are into owls. There are owls everywhere, but those pictures will have to wait for another post.

So I pulled out some paper to match the color scheme of my classroom, and sat down to experiment.  If all else failed, Teddy could go back in the recycling.  Fortunately for him, it all worked out, even if he is dressed up as an owl now.

 First, to cover up the face.  I cut out some orange triangles for a beak and layered some concentric circles to make the eyes.

 Hold that, the eyes needed to be bigger.  This is much more owl-ish.

By the way, I was using Alene's Tacky glue.  Works wonders.  I am sure that hot glue would have also worked, but I am down to only one glue stick, and I need to save it for emergencies.  (Just kidding, I am just being lazy and avoiding  the money loss that comes with a trip to a craft store.)

Next for some feathers to cover up the stickers on Teddy's tummy and back.  I used a circle punch to punch out about 30 1" circles for both back and front.  Then I layered them ombre style.

 Next for the wings, I cut out two tear drop shapes.

 Using more scraps, I cut out some rows of scallops and glued them layer over layer.

I didn't worry about the length, because after covering the front, I flipped over to the back and cut around the original shape...

 ...leaving this! (sorry about the wet glue showing through.  It did dry clear.)

 I glued the wings onto the sides where Teddy's stubby arms had been.

 Next to cover up that heinous red lid. Of course, I could have decorated the owl to match the red lid, but red is just not my color.  So, trace the lid on a larger sheet of paper, and then cut out a circle about 3 or 4 inches wider than that diameter.  Then cut sunburst style pieces from the edge to the original tracing of the lid.

 Glue the top of the lid to the paper, then run glue on the outside and inside rim of the lid.  Fold over every other piece of the sunburst, firmly adhering to the glue on outside and inside.

 Run more glue on both outside and inside, and fold in the rest of the sunburst pieces in the same way.

 Cut a circle slightly smaller than the lid to slide in and cover/hold the ends.

 Ta-da!  Obviously the lid doesn't screw on or off anymore, but it sits snugly on the top, and looks so much better than the red.

 He looks ok without the lid too.  Finally, I cut two tall triangles for "ears."  I just glued them right over the teddy bear ears, so they stick out a little more that I would like, but what can you do?

And here is out teddy friend in disguise! He is so glad to not be in a recycling truck on his way to being melted down that he doesn't seem to mind his new get-up.

Now...what to use him for...I can see prizes inside for good behavior, or a prayer jar, or journal writing topics...lots of possibilities!