Candy Trays

Method: Punch a hole in the centre of the bottle caps. Thread them and place them around the jar top. you may have to add or remove some caps to get the right number to fit exactly around the jar top. Twist the two ends of thewire and push them in between two caps to hide them. Paint the tray using some bright colours. You may use decals to decorate the finished articles.

Key Rack

Method: Cut out a large outline of a Key out of the wood. Paint or shellac the "key". Insert the hooks at appropriate spaces, about 2 cm apart. Cut out small pictures of a car, a house, etc. and paste over the hooks, or stencil in words, such as "Car", "House", "Garage". Give a final coat of shellac.

Shoe Mud Scraper

Method: Nail the caps [upside down] on the board fairly close to each other. Finish the job with a coat of paint.

Pen and Pencil holders

Method: Tie, or glue the wooden peg halves around the tin. Shellac or paint the finished product.

A Nick Nack Holder

Method: Roll pages of the magazine (starting at one corner), into "straws" about the thickness of an ordinary pencil. Secure the ends with a dab of glue. Glue these "Straws" vertically around the can. Trim the ends about level with the top of the can. Shellac the finishd product.

Pet Rocks

Knitting Wool Caddy

Method: Cover the milk cartons with wallpaper. Make a carrying handle out of cord. A ball of knitting wool, and knitting needles, can be carried nicely in the caddy.

Turtle Brooches

Method: Cut out a turtle outline out of the felt scraps. As for size, make it slightly larger than the half walnut shell. Make a paste out of flour and water and a pinch of salt, or dilute some white glue. Soak pieces of tissue in the glue or paste and fill the half shell with the wet stuff. Place on the turtle outline. Attach the safety pin to the othe side, and use as a brooch.

Turtle Woggles

As above but glue the turtle on to a simple neckerchief slide or a scrap piece of leather to form a slide. For Cubs, the felt colour may be the same as their six.

Spatter Painting

Method: Make sure that you have plenty of old newspapers to avoid cleaning up the mess afterwards - preferably do this outdoors. Lay the card stock or construction paper on the newspaper. Lay a stencil on the stock. Dip the toothbrush is the poster paint, and holding it about ten cm above, rub it against a comb, or against a screen. The paint will splatter in random dots. Repeat using different colour paint and differenct stencils on the same card stock. The finished art work could be displayed in the den and later taken home to give to mother.

Paper Weights

Method: Cut pictures to fit properly inside the coasters [facing down]. Cut aluminum foil to fit on top of the picture [the backof it]. Fill with Plaster of Paris. When the p.o.p. has cured, glue a piece of felt on it.

More Paper Weights

Another use of pebbles collected at the beach or on a hike, would be paper weights. These are especially good for some occasions like Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Christmas, etc. Select heavieer pebbles. Supply the kids with glue, paint, pieces of felt, etc. Let their imagination reign. Here are some examples:

PLAY DOUGH

BEADS

Method: Mix together 2 parts salt, 1 part cornstarch, 1 part cold water. Add a few drops of colour, and some perfume. Heat over low heat and stir until thick. Remove from heat and knead the mixture like dough. Shape into beads, making the holes using the knitting needle. Let stand to dry. When completely dry, use as ordinary beads in crafts.

Bongo Drums

Method: Cut out both ends of cans. Cut two circles of inner tube larger than the can openings. Punch about eight holes evenly spaced, about one cm from the edge of the rubber disks. Decorate the outsid of the cans. When dry, stretch the rubbr disks on the ends of the can and using the lacing or cord threaded through the punched holes, finish the drum.

Note: The boys might be interested to paint themselves when they make these drums and have more fun.

Face and Body Paint

Printing by Magic

Method: Fill the bottle with water adding about a tablespoonful or two of turpentine. Shave off some soap about the size of a pencil eraser, and dissolve this in the turpentine water mixture. Select the picture or cartoon that you wish to print. Lay it flat on a hard surface. Mosten it with the mixture [be sure to shake it well before using]. Place a sheet of blank paper on top of the moistened newspaper. Rub vigourously with the back of the spoon. Lift the paper, and voila, the pictue or cartoon is now printed on the paper.

The elusive Ring Puzzle

Materials: String, Scraps of wood, and a ring which may be constructed out of wood. Method:Make the base approximately 10 cm square. Drill four holes near the corners. Cut a slot in a piece of wood that is approximately 10 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm. Affix this post to the centre of the base. Place the ring over the post and pass two pieces of string as per diagram. Tie knots at the four ends of the string making sure that the knots are large enough that they do not pass through the holes. Your task is to remove the ring from the post without cutting the string, or undoing the knots. Sounds complicated but it is easier than you think. Enjoy.

Chippers in a Jar

This is a different sort of "craft". Perhaps I should have included it with the cooking section. The youth can do this in their den as a group, and have a very unique gift for Mother's day, or Christmas. Required: Granulated Sugar, Packed Brown Sugar, Rolled Oats, All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Semi sweet Chocolate Pieces, Peanut Butter Pieces, Measuring cup, supply of Quart/Litre Jars [such as Mason Jars] with a screw top. Materials for each person: 1 Jar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, in which, ½ teaspoonful baking soda has been mixed ½ cup peanut butter pieces

LITTLE JELLY BEANS

Required: Jelly Beans Small muslin bags Ribbon Copies of poem Method: Have the cubs place a Jelly Bean of different colours in the muslin bags, tie with a ribbon, and attach a copy of the poem. It would help if the work is divided like an assembly line, perhaps starting with someone sorting the Jelly Beans into colours.

STRING LANTERNS

Materials needed: ½ cup laundry starch ½ cup cold water 4 cups boiling water Ball of string or strong cord Balloons

Method:Mix the starch with the cold water and carefully add the boiling water, mixing well. Blow the balloons [any shapes] and tie the openings securely. Soak a ball of string in the starch mixture. Then start winding around the balloon. The more string you use the finer the "mesh" you make. Remember to leave some open space near the balloon opening. Let dry for at least 24 hours. Break the balloons and pull them away from the string. What is left is a neat mesh lanern. You may hang several of these to make a mobile, or better still, insert a Christmas Light in each before you hang them up.

WHIRLIGIGS

Materials needed: Potatoes Feathers Method: Give each camper one potato and about six feathers. Stick the feathers in the potato and arrange them to form a circle. Throw the whirligig in the air, potato first, and if the feathers are placed correctly, it should float down while twirling. You may have to rearrange the feathers to get the right effect.

CLAY POT ANGELS

Materials needed: Mini Clay Pots 1" Ball Knobs for Heads Material for Wings [Floral Ribbon, Paper Twist Ribbon, 1" wooden Hearts] Material for Hair [Spanish Moss, Curly Hair, Doll Hair] Acrylic Paint [e.g. Ceramcoat]: Santa's Flesh, Bouquet, Crimson, Black Extra Fine Black Marker [e.g. Pigma] Glue Gun and Glue Sticks, Tacky Glue, Small Paint Brush, Small Stencil Brush or Deerfoot stippler, Floral Wire, Stylus

NEWSPAPER LOGS These are fairly easy to make. Unless you are collecting newspapers for a fund raiser, this is a very good way to make use of the old newspapers. Materials: Old newspapers, minus the glossy or coloured advertisement pages Wire or Twist ties Method: 1. Take a 1-inch stack of newspaper and alternate the folded sides of each section. 2. Roll the stack up tightly, and tie with wire or twist tie in one or two places. 3. Thoroughly wet the rolled newspaper log by soaking it in water or spraying it with a hose, and then let dry. Note: Drying will take a long time [several days]. [These logs may be used in the fireplace along with regular wood logs - they don't burn as long and as well as the wood logs. For something different, try the next craft.] COLOURED FLAMES Once you get the hang of making newspaper logs, you may wish to make some that give a coloured flame. Instead of using plain water when soaking the logs use a solution of a different salts. - Barium salt such as Barium Nitrate gives an Apple Green flame - Calcium salt such as Calcium Chloride gives an Orange flame - Copper salt such as Copper Nitrate gives an Emerald Green flame - Lithium salt such as Lithium Chloride gives a Purple flame - Sodium salt such as Sodium Chloride gives a Yellow flame - Strontium salt such as Strontium Nitrate gives a Red flame You may wish to mark the log with its colour, so you know what colour to expect when you use it. To learn more about Coloured flames, check your Chemistry books. Note that most of these salts are not edible, so thoroughly wash your hands when handling them with care. STRETCHED FRAMES Materials: Canvas, cotton, or other strong cloth Frames, or wood to make them Acrylic or other water based paint Tools such as hammer and staple gun Odds and ends for decoration Method: Make the frames [unless you get them ready made] and stretch the canvas making sure it folds over the edge and staple it all around. Paint it with a base colour, e.g. white, and when dry the youth can use their imagination to put their own design. Give them some paint [e.g. finger paint], and watch the resulst. Here two of our great grandchildren made us a Valentine Card. Another Idea would be to collect small items such as Pine cones, Nuts, Twigs, Leaves, Beads, and other decorative items. Spray paint these with Gold colour paint, or other colours. Arrange them on the stretched meterial [such as Velvet] and when you have the desired effect, attach them to the material with a hot glue gun, or with twisted wires. Basic Finger Paint Materials: 1 part cornstarch 8 parts water dry tempera paint Method 1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan 2. Boil until mixture thickens 3. Allow to cool, then pour in a sealable container Poster Paint Materials: Flour Water Powdered tempera paint Liquid starch or liquid detergent Method: 1 - Put ¼ cup flour into saucepan. 2 - Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is smooth. 3 - Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. 4 - Cool. 5 - Put ¼ cup flour paste into small jars or plastic containers. 6 - Add tempera paint and water for each color. Note - For opaque finish add liquid starch. For glossy finish add liquid detergent. Paper Mache Also known as Papier Mache or Cartapesta This easily made craft material together with imagination and patience lends itself to making a variety of projects. Various books and articles are available for ideas. Note that this craft takes several days to complete so use it at camp Basically you will need newspapers torn - not cut - into strips, and a paste. There are various pastes and one should try different ones until one gets a paste he or she is satisfied with. Just use the recipe that works best for you and what you are making! In any case get ready to be messy, so cover the working area with plenty of newspapers and use equipment that can be easily washed. Various recipes for the paste: 1 - Materials: 1 cup water, ¼ cup flour, 5 cups lightly boiling water Method: a. Mix the flour into 1 cup water until the mixture is thin and runny. b. Stir this mixture into the lightly boiling water. c. Gently boil and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. d. Cool before using. 2 - Use a simple mixture of flour and water. Mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a consistancy like thick glue. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to get out all the bumps. Add a few tablespoons of salt to help prevent mold! 3 - Similar to the above recipe - Put 4 cups of water into a large pot. Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, mix together 1 cup of flour with 2 cups of water, stir well to get out as many bumps as possible. Once the water is boiling, carefully add your flour and water mixture. Simmer this mixture for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of salt to help prevent mold. Allow to cool before you try to use it! 3 - You can use regular glue mixed with a bit of water. Mix using about 1 part water with 2 parts glue. 4 - Use wallpaper paste. Follow the directions from the manufacturer to mix this paste. Some ideas for forms: balloons, bottles, lightbulbs, bowls, clay forms, etc. General Instructions: 1. Tear newspaper into strips. 2. Dip one piece of newspaper at a time into prepared paper mache paste. 3. Hold the strip over the paste bowl and run it through your fingers to squeeze off excess paste. 4. Stick the strip over the form you want to paper mache, and smooth it down with your fingers. 5. Completely cover your creation with layers of strips. They should all be over-lapping. After one layer is applied, let it dry about 24 hours. 6. After 24 hours [when quite dry] repeat with another layer of strips and let dry another 24 hours. 7. Repeat this process until you get the desired effect, but you should use at least three layers. 8. Paint, decorate and proudly display your creation! Try having the kids use their imagination and you will be surprised at the results. e.g. Have the kids bring burnt out light bulbs. Cover the lightbulb with several layers of paper mache and when thoroughtly dry, tap to break the bulb. Decorate and use as a maraca. Cover balloons, leving an opening through which the balloon is visible. When dry decorate it, and paint a face on the visible balloon. Voila - an astronaut. On a plank of wood, form Clay into a rough shape of their face. Cover with papier mache, and build a mask on it. Decorate Pulp Papier Mache [For fine details or fine projects] Materials: Newspaper, Water, Salt, Glue Method: Tear the newspaper into tiny pieces and put them in a large bowl. Add just enough warm to hot water to completely cover the newspaper. Let soap overnight. Once your newspaper has soaked for several hours, get your hands into it! Play with it, mix it, and squeeze it through your fingers until it looks like oatmeal! Try to get as many lumps out as possible. If necessary, add a bit more water and let it soak a little more. Once you have it as smooth as possible, add a few tablespoons of salt to help retard mold. Mix it again with your hands. Once mixed thoroughly, squeeze out any excess water and add a few tablespoons of glue. Now you are ready to use your paper mache pulp! If you don't want to wait overnight, you can add your newspaper to boiling water and let it boil until the newspaper falls apart. You have to watch this carefully and possibly add extra water if necessary. You can also try letting your newspaper and hot water mixture sit for a few hours and then put it in a blender or food processor. Don't forget to add the glue and salt once your mixture is smooth! Store your pulp in an air tight baggie or bowl in the refrigerator for a very long time! Screen Printing Here is a short video on screen printing: This is a craft - a screen print - that was done during a meeting, a maple leaf on the neckerchiefs. Flubber Materials: Lot One: 1 cup white glue, 3/4 cup warm water, green food coloring Lot Two: 2 tsp. Borax, ½ cup warm water Method: Mix Lot One together in one bowl Mix Lot Two together in a second bowl. How To Make It 1. After both mixtures have been well-mixed, mix both together in one large bowl. Do not stir. 2. Just reach in and pull out the glob of "flubber." Knead glob for a few minutes. 3. Store in air-tight container. Goofy Putty Materials: Elmer's White Glue (Do NOT substitute) 1 tb Borax Food Colouring 1 c Water Empty plastic soda bottle with cap Zipper-lock bag (quart size) Method: 1. Making The Borax Water: Borax is a type of powder soap that is available in most grocery stores. Add 1 tablespoon Borax powder to 1 cup of Water. Stir until most of the powder dissolves. Store the Borax Water in a jar or bottle, and label the container "BORAX & WATER MIXTURE". One cup of Borax water will make many batches of Goofy Putty. 2. Preparing The Glue: Measure 1 tablespoon of Elmer's Glue into a zipper-lock bag. Add 1 teaspoon of plain water to the bag and mix. The additional water makes the glue flow better. Add a drop of food colouring to spice it up. 3. Making Goofy Putty: Add 1 tablespoon of Borax Water to the bag of watered-down glue. Seal the bag and squeeze for 2 minutes in order to thoroughly mix the liquids. Notice that the liquids are starting to form a putty-like substance. Remove the putty from the bag and continue to squeeze. Glass Glue Materials: 2 pkgs unflavoured gelatin 2 Tbsp cold water 3 Tbsp skimmed milk Method: 1. Empty unflavoured gelatin into cold water. Stir and set aside to soften. 2. Heat skimmed milk to a boil and pour over gelatin. Stir thoroughly until dissolved. 3. Apply to objects with a brush while the glue is still warm. Notes: This glue is waterproof and can be used for almost anything, but does not store well so is really only good for the day you make it. Seashell Wind Chimes There are many things you can make with seashells. For this craft idea you'll need at least eight pretty specimens. They should all be fairly small, but they needn't all look alike! The Seashell wind chime will make a lovely sound when the wind blows through it. What You Need: at least 8 seashells, 1 plastic coffee-can lid; knitting yarn scraps; liquid white glue; sharp pencil or paper punch. What to do: 1. Glue each shell to the end of a short piece of yarn. Use liquid white glue. 2. Let dry overnight. 3. Punch eight holes equally spaced on the top of a plastic coffee-can lid. Use a sharp pencil or a paper punch. 4. Hold the lid with the rim facing up. Push the eight pieces of yarn through the eight holes of the underside of the lid. 5. Tie the end of each piece of yarn in a figure of eight or any large knot. Make sure the knot is bigger than the hole so the yarn will not slip through. 6. Punch two more holes on opposite edges of the lid. 7. Push one end of a large piece of yarn from the top of the lid through one hole. It should come out on the underside of the chime. 8. Tie a large knot. 9. Push the other end of the yarn through the other hole and knot it. 10. Hang the chime on the branch of a tree or in your window or have your parets hag it from the ceiling near a window where it will catch the breeze. Loom Weaving for the younger ones If you are looking for a simple Loom to start the younger ones interested in Loom weaving, here is the solution. I refer to work by Noreen Crone-Findlay who gave me permission to link to her blog. Cardboard Loom for Weaving Some Ideas for Woggles Realistic looking Elephants are cut from scraps of leather or inner tube. These can be made at camp and the campers can decorate them as they wish [Note the button eyes, the red felt eys, and the plastic tusks] These are rough patterns to be made of stiff cardboard so the kids can trace them and cut out of leather or inner-tubes. Two slots are cut in the one on the left for inserting the tabs on the one on the right. The two pieces are held together with glue. Decorating the "elephant" is fun and is left to the imagination of the kids. Have a supply of buttons, empty plastic containers, felt dots [cut from scraps of felt with a paper punch], and scissors. Bones from a turkey neck dried well can be decorated into a dog's head, further decorated with a "newspaper" in its mouth. Then they can be glued to scraps of leather to make a woggle. Knot buffs can make woggles by tying a fancy knot such as this one. I trust that you will like This Website, so please, Recommend-It (tm) to a Friend or Colleague! Scoutopaedia © Index of Scoutopaedia© Thoughts and Prayers Scouters' Five Campfire Openings Campfire Closings Campfire Yells Songs Indian Lore Skits and Stunts Games Campfire Blanket Camp Notes Positions held Awards and More Various Links Webrings Guestbook Puzzles More Puzzles Cooking Notes