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BY HEATHER M. ROSS
W here does the tooth fairy live? Is it under the pillow? Is it in
the woods? Why not in your house? This Oral Health Month,
it’s time to bring the tooth fairy home. By the time your child
is 12, they will have lost all 20 of their baby teeth, with their perma-
nent 32 here to stay. As your child gets older, it’s important to talk to
them about taking good care of their permanent teeth, and the per-
fect time to talk is while you’re both doing a fun, tooth-themed craft.

YOU’LL NEED:
A TOOTHBRUSH
SOME FLOSS
WHITE CARDSTOCK
PAPER SCISSORS
TAPE PENCIL
GLUE PIPE CLEANERS
COLORED PENCILS
STEP 1: DRAW THE TOOTH
STEP 2: SNIP SNIP!
Cut the tooth shape out along the line you drew. Erase any pencil
marks left or flip the white paper over so you have a clean surface
to work with.

STEP 3: MAKING THE WINDOW
To make the window of your house, grab a pipe cleaner and bend it
into a circle shape about 1 inch in diameter. Twist the edge of the pipe
cleaner and fold it to make an “X” shape in the circle.

STEP 4: THE DOOR
Grab another pipe cleaner and fold it into an arch shape. Place the
arch against the bottom edge of the tooth shape. Tuck the ends of the
pipe cleaner under the edge until your door is the right height.

STEP 5: GLUE
Lightly apply glue to the side of the pipe cleaner that will be touch-
ing the paper for the door frame and the window piece. Gently press
12 Washington FAMILY JUNE 2023
TOOTH FAIRY: SOVARINA/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
TOOTH GRAPHIC: FILO/DIGITALVISION VECTORS; CRAFT PHOTOS: HEATHER M. ROSS
Draw the shape pictured (right). It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it’s
almost a tooth shape. The shape should be about as big as your hand.

If your child has recently lost a tooth, try drawing from reference!