How can I build sea lilies or similar from cheap material?!

[Libraraptor]

I´d appreciate your help! Thanks in advance!

In April, I will be taking my first tender steps as a museum educator. Because we are living on Devonian rock here, I´d like the kids to handicraft small sea lilies to take home for their desk or window sill.

Who of you has ideas from which cheap material such sea lilies could be build and which simple steps are needed.

I´ll be thankful for any idea, approach or hint!

[DinoToyForum]

Pipe cleaners for the stalk and arms, plasticene for the holdfast. I devised an activity like this once (I'll dig out some photos) for a terrestrial Jurassic scene and these materials are your friends, plus the kids will love them.

Here are cycads, monkey puzzle, and horsetail models. Something similar for crinoids would work.


New job, or volunteering?

[stargatedalek]

That's going to depend on what fossils specifically you're trying to match.

A lot of the common fossil species have these thick segments on them, what about small styrofoam balls with two different thicknesses of wire or pipe cleaner? Thicker for the stalk and thinner for the "fronds".

*edit* Or pipe cleaner for the stalk and feathers for the fronds.



For something with a much easier setup that's easy to make in big numbers (though likely more work to get for the first time) you could look for plant and flower origami or papercraft and find one with a shape that matches, then make some patterned sheets so it looks right.

[Protopatch]

Yeah, what about using cure pipes cleaner for the crown and flat beads + soft metal wire/sewing thread for the stalk ?

[DinoToyForum]

Yeah, what about using cure pipes cleaner for the crown and flat beads + soft metal wire/sewing thread for the stalk ?

Beads threaded onto a pipe cleaner for the stalk is a great idea.

[Protopatch]

Yeah, what about using cure pipes cleaner for the crown and flat beads + soft metal wire/sewing thread for the stalk ?

Beads threaded onto a pipe cleaner for the stalk is a great idea.

I meant beads threaded onto a metal wire or thread ! Sorry, it wasn't clear...

[SBell]

I once turned the fronds backwards on plastic palm treest, heated the trunks to bend more, then painted the whole things. It was quick and dirty (didn't account for the calyx) but did the job.

A photo is here: http://www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com/silurian.htm

[DinoToyForum]

You're right @CharlieNovember, normal wire for the stalk would be stronger and better.

[DinoToyForum]

I once turned the fronds backwards on plastic palm treest, heated the trunks to bend more, then painted the whole things. It was quick and dirty (didn't account for the calyx) but did the job.

A photo is here: http://www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com/silurian.htm

Neat!

[DinoToyForum]

I wonder if you could use an upside down cocktail umbrella for the calyx? I'm thinking cheap and cheerful, off the shelf.

[Protopatch]

What about using candy necklaces for the stem :

It's highly likely that the sea lilies will not hold up through time but it might be fun for children to make an eatable version

[Libraraptor]

Pipe cleaners for the stalk and arms, plasticene for the holdfast. I devised an activity like this once (I'll dig out some photos) for a terrestrial Jurassic scene and these materials are your friends, plus the kids will love them.

Here are cycads, monkey puzzle, and horsetail models. Something similar for crinoids would work.


New job, or volunteering?

Thanks to all of you to this point!

No no, just a side job. I wish I could make a living with palaeontology, but that´s simply out of my reach. It always depends on the region you live in, doesn´t it? In this respect, my region is wasteland, as far as it comes to main jobs in palaeontology

[Faelrin]

This makes me want to get back into sculpting to create some flora, and certain aquatic fauna. There's definitely a shortage of crinoids on the market, so making some might be a fun experiment, as well as prehistoric plants. Unfortunately I'm not in the right environment to be able to do that, and probably for some time.

[Libraraptor]

This is my best solution so far. The interesting thing is that the material the crinoids are glued on is fossiliferous Devonian sediment stone in which the sea lilies can be found.

[DinoToyForum]

Hey, not bad! 

[Libraraptor]

It depicts the basic structure of a sea lily well, I think.

[Halichoeres]

You can glue a few to a stick for that giant Agathoxylon/Pentacrinites fossil!

[Libraraptor]

This is what I will come up with tomorrow. A mini-diorama depicting the seabed my reason was 380 or so million years ago. I added a shell, a trilobite to cut out and even a little information sign. A little rough around the edges, but still a lovely idea - what do you think?

[Crackington]

Just shown this to my daughter and we agree it's a great little display. Love the label in German which I understand mostly. Wunderbar!

[Libraraptor]

Just shown this to my daughter and we agree it's a great little display. Love the label in German which I understand mostly. Wunderbar!

What a lovely feedback, thank you!   Yeah, I think it's important to let the kids make something themselves they can take home and tell their parents about. After my museum educational offer, the children are now the experts, anyway.
Fixing the pipe cleaner stem at the Devonian sediment stone was fiddling work. Only very strong glue could finally achieve it   Even I heard some frustration here and there, at the end everyone was proud of their little "window sill or desk - product".

Thank you all for your tips, ideas and feedback