Props on a Shoestring by Claire Fayers

 I love using props and costumes in events. It gives the children something to look at besides my aging face, and I can show the children how to improvise stories using props.

With a new book due out in September and very few events happening over the summer, I've been creating. I usually fill my props bag with a random household items and a few book-specific ones bought from the local craft markets. This year, I decided to go big. I also didn't want to spend much money, so I had to use my very shaky crafting skills.

This was actually quite easy. I bought a cheap mdf cut-out of a submarine from Etsy and spray painted it. The propeller broke when I took it out of the packaging, but the book starts with a broken propeller so it felt appropriate. Total cost, around £10.

I cheated and bought a periscope. It's been sitting on the windowsill where the cats watch the birds. I haven't seen them use it yet, but I must remember to clean the hairs off it before taking it off on adventures. 

My biggest project was the space diving helmet. I made this from a paper lampshade, papier mache and cardboard. My next door neighbour is a diver and as luck would have it, he had a replica I could use as a pattern. We had glue at home and I used the free food newspapers from Waitrose. So far it's only cost me the price of a lampshade.

The biggest investment was paint - black undercoat and bronze spray on top. My neighbour cut a face place for me from a sheet of acrylic. The ear and top pieces are ice-cream carton lids, and I added strips for foam draught excluder for the criss-crossing. Total cost for the paint and lampshade came in at around £15.

The finished article, modelled by my husband, who didn't sign up to this when we got married:

That's me all set. By the time you read this, I'll have done my first event at a festival in South Wales. 

I haven't quite worked out how to carry everything, or what I'll do with it all once the events are over. I guess I'll just have to write a sequel so I can use everything again.

Claire Fayers

www.clairefayers.com

Tapper Watson and the Quest for Nemo Machine is out on September 9th.