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Get hands-on with craft ideas inspired by our collections. Simply download the resources and instructions and get busy! We’d love to see your crafty creations on social media.

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Awesome Bricks at home

Recreate your favourite museum objects and places using the LEGO® or DUPLO® you have at home! Design a minifigure ‘hide and seek’ trail, find out how to build a mini Concorde, or bring your favourite museum object or display to life.

Discover ideas and inspiration.
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Make your own Lewis Chesspiece

The Lewis chess pieces live in the National Museum of Scotland. Colour in a chess piece or make your own stand-up King or Queen using our simple template.    

You will need, paper or stiff card, access to a printer, scissors, felt tip pens and crayons.

Cut out and create
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Make a Jean Muir dress up doll

Follow in the footsteps of Jean Muir, one of Britain’s best known fashion designers. Colour in these dresses, cut them out for our paper doll model to wear and then design your own original outfits!   

You will need paper or stiff card, access to a printer (or draw your own designs), scissors, felt tip pens and crayons.

Cut out and colour
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Make a Recyclesaurus

Make your own upcycled dinosaur from left over cardboard. Choose from one of these simple templates: a terrific T.rex, a stunning Stegosaursus or a dapper Diplodocus.   

You will need cardboard from a box or leftover packaging (needs to be strong enough for your recyclesaurus to stand up), scissors, felt tip pens and crayons and anything else you'd like to use to decorate your recyclesaurus.

Upcycle a dinosaur
Sockpuppet

Make a dragon sock puppet

You can find lots of dragons from around the world in the National Museum of Scotland. We even have a dancing one in our Imagine Gallery! In this video artist Sophie Orton shows how to make your own dragon puppet from things you have at home. What will your dragon be like? Will it be fierce and ferocious or sweet and shy?

Watch the video
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Make a game of Mehen

Instead of snakes and ladders try the ancient Egyptian game of Mehen. Can you get your counters to the snake’s head and back again before your opponent’s lion catches them? Print off or copy the rules of the game, the Mehen Board and counters and lets play!

You will need access to a printer (or you can draw your own version), paper, scissors, felt tip pens or coloured pencils and two game dice.

Boy Writing

Build a story

Many famous authors have written stories about the amazing things found in our museums. Now it's time for you to have a go and write your own story inspired by our museums' collections. 

Simply download our short writing guide, choose an object and let your imagination take over!

You will need access to a computer, paper, pens or pencils and your imagination!

Get creative with your story
Bunting

Make some bunting

Why not make your own bunting by attaching triangles of recycled paper or cloth to a piece of string? You could decorate it with patterns or pictures and display it in your front window.

Bunting instructions
Owl Tin Badge

How to make an owl badge

We’ve teamed up with upcycling experts Ostrero and artist Bryony Knox to create a design for a cool owl badge – made from a fizzy drinks can! Try it out today.

Watch the video
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How to draw a King Penguin

Watch our series of drawing guides as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw the King Penguin from our collection. Try it together with your family.

Watch the video
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How to make a champion's rosette

Summer is usually the season for gala days and rural shows, including our own Heavy Horse Show. Celebrate the champions you know – family, friends or even pets - by making them a personalised rosette!

Watch the video
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How to draw an Egyptian Coffin

Watch our series of drawing guides as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw an Egyptian coffin from our collection. Try it together with your family.

Watch the video
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How to make paper art

Watch our video to learn how to create Mexican-inspired paper art of three animals with close links to Scotland: a stately stag, magical unicorn or red squirrel!

Watch the video
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