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Picture frames are all-occasion gifts, of course, but people eventually get tired of receiving them if they are too conventional, ordinary, and boring. The Indian chicken picture frame jazzes up the gift idea by combining a picture frame with a stuffed toy. It will be such a hit among children, and will also be perfect as a giveaway during parties and baby showers, as well as a prize or promotional item.

The materials will cost P655, from which you may be able to produce about 8 to 9 Indian chicken picture frames. Depending on your target market, you can sell this Indian chicken picture frame for P50 to P100 apiece.

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS AND TOOLS:
Materials:

• 1 yard Yellow nylez cloth, P95 a yard
• 1 yard each Hard felt (red, orange, dark blue, and light blue), P95 a yard
• 1 sheet Plastic sheet or acetate cut into 3” x 2.5”, P5 a piece
• 2 pcs Velcro, P20 a yard
• 1 pair black beads, P10 a strand
• 1 bunch Washable fiber, P130 a kg
• 1 scoop Sand (packed in plastic), P15 a kg

Tools:

• Pair of scissors
• Pen for marking
• Glue gun with stick, or needle with thread

You can buy the materials at textile stores in Divisoria, Manila, or in your city, and the tools from any bookstore or craftstore.

PROCEDURE

Step 1. You can enlarge the patterns printed here onto an A4 bond paper size or download them from www.businessmaker-academy.com.

Step 2. Cut the patterns and trace them onto the cloth. Use the yellow nylex cloth for the chicken body and the red hard felt for the tail, crown or comb, wings, beak, and frame. Cut the cloth following the patterns.

When cutting the cloth for the body parts, leave an allowance of a half inch, to an inch from the edge. You should have seven pieces for the chicken – body, comb, tail, wings, beak, and the frame – and around 12 pieces for the Indian hat.

Use the orange hard felt for the hat; the red, dark blue and light blue hard felt for the feathers of the Indian hat; and the dark blue for the accents. The diamond-, moon-, and flower-shaped patterns are used as accents on the hat.

For the Indian hat, you should make four pieces of pattern C, six pieces of pattern D, and several pieces of the diamond, moon-, and flower-shaped patterns.

Step 3. Once you’ve readied the cloth, heat the glue gun. Get the pieces corresponding to the body and the comb. Fold the body in half and mark the fold.

Step 4. Put the comb in between the fold; the largest lobe portion should face the fold.

Now get the tail and place it opposite to the vertex or tip of the folded cloth. Then glue the comb and the tail to the body.

Once you have attached the two pieces together, glue the edge of the body. Put glue on the trace or mark, then fold the cloth and press. Make sure that there is no hole and that the edge is glued well.

(Jhoanna Gan-So of Businessmaker Academy says that sewing the pieces together is preferably especially if you are mass-producing the product. However, using the glue gun instead of sewing will make the product reasonably sturdy.)

Step 6. Turn the body over.

Stuff it with enough washable fiber according to your preferred firmness.

Now get the sand packed in plastic and put it inside the body. It should be placed on top of the fiber because this portion will be the bottom part of your Indian Chicken. The sand serves as the weight to stabilize the Indian chicken.

Step 7. Seal the bottom part by folding a centimeter of the cloth inward. Then stick the edges together by putting glue on it. Make sure it is sealed well. Stick the surfaces together while the glue is hot; this will ensure that the parts are glued well.

Step 8. Paste the wings on both sides, and the eyes and the beak on the upper portion. Place the wings about two inches away from the comb, and the eyes about an inch away.

To attach the beak, fold it in half and then glue the folded portion just below the eyes.

Step 9. Get the frame and the plastic cover or acetate. Glue the acetate to the frame, then attach it to the chicken body. It should be on the front of the chicken. When gluing the picture frame, make sure to leave the top portion open so you can insert the photo there. Set the frame aside.

Step 10. Let’s move on to the Indian hat. Get all the cloth pieces for making the hat and align the feathers on top of the hat in an upright position. Pattern B or feather no. 1 should be placed in the middle; place next to it the two pieces that correspond to pattern C or feather no. 2 on each side. Then place tow pieces of pattern D or feather no. 3 next to feather no. 2. Once you have aligned them in this order, glue the feathers one after the other. Also glue the other remaining two pieces of pattern D or feather no. 3 a centimeter away from the edge of the hat, but make sure it is placed downward or in the opposite direction.

Step 11. Put the Velcro on each end of the hat.

Then get the accents and alternately place them on the front side of the hat. Now dress up the chicken with the Indian hat. You can also make other kinds of hats, like a chef’s hat or a toque, or make a rabbit or bee instead of chicken. What is fun and interesting about this piece is that you can change its hat – something that kids would love to do.

Where to train:
BUSINESSMAKER ACADEMY
1503A West Tower. Philippines Stock Exchange Center
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Telephones: (02) 687.4445; (02) 687.3416
Fax: (02) 678.4645
Email: sales@businessmaker-academy.com
Website: www.businessmaker-academy.com