August Craft
Low Cost Sunflower Wreath

You will need paper plates; a heavier paper, not Styrofoam, in two sizes, a small and a large. Craft paints and brushes, single hole punch, clothes pins, sunflower seeds, and ribbon or twine.

Each participant will need one large plate to hold the clothes pins for painting, and one small plate for the flower. They begin by clipping the pins to the large plates and painting them yellow. Thin the paint a bit with water to make it easier to apply. While the clothes pins are drying, participants paint the bottom of the small plate black. (The bottom of the plate presents a small mound that becomes the sunflower head.) Punch 2 holes near the rim of the small plate and insert a ribbon or twine to act as a hanger. When the pins are dry, clip them around the edge of the small black plate. Glue sunflower seeds to the black center. Direct participants to apply Elmer’s Glue to a small area of the flower head. They can then drop a handful of seeds on the glued area and move them around filling all the white space. Then, add glue to another small area and do the same until the head is covered. If white spaces are visible, simply drop seeds on the area. Let the flower dry very well before lifting.

Scarecrow

(There are directions for a life size scarecrow given in the October Monthly Party Packet.)

What you need: 4×4 cut into 6” lengths, felt, glue, scissors, raffia of different colors, buttons of different colors, men’s work socks, available at used clothing stores, permanent marker. If you have access to a heavy duty stapler, a bent wire makes a cute mouth.

Participants can choose the color they paint the 4×4; orange, yellow, green, brown… They also choose their eyes, buttons or felt, and they can choose a mouth of if the wire is available, and bend it themselves. It’s nice to provide different colored socks as well. The more choices available, the more fun it is for the participants. For the more adventurous, a 4×4 can be painted two different colors; the front and one side orange, and the back and one side yellow. Then make a different face on each of the opposite sides. Glue raffia to the top of the 4×4 so it hangs down two sides (hair). Cut the sock 5-6 “ from the top and stuff it with raffia. Make a tie around the top to secure the raffia and pull it over the top of the 4×4 a hat. Then participants choose their facial features and glue them on. If using wire for a mouth, attach it with 2 staples.

Beaded Indian Corn

Any individual with finger dexterity can participate in this activity. Each participant will require 4 long pipe cleaners and a collection of 160 beads of mixed colors. 

Lay the pipe cleaners side by side. Then grab them in the middle and twist them together. Lay the connected pipe cleaners flat on the table and spread them out like the spokes of a bicycle tire. You will have 8 spokes. 

Next, simply slide the beads onto the pipe cleaners, 20 per spoke. Once each spoke has its 20 beads, bring the ends up together and give them a tight twist. Spread the remaining ends out a bit to look like tassels. Once you have several made, you can run a twine through the base of the “ear” and tie it. Move up the twine a few inches and attach a second ear and then a third. Leave a loop on the end of the twine for hanging the Indian corn from a door. 

These corns can also be made using wire and/or wooden beads. There are a number of options. Use your own creativity to decide.

October

Liquid Starch Ghosts

Gather a bottle of liquid starch, empty toilet paper rolls, paper towels (with no pattern, such as Viva), black craft paint, and iridescent glitter (optional).

Cover the work area with old newspaper. Give each participant one or two toilet paper rolls and have them prepare a “head” by bunching up some paper towels and stuffing the bunch into the top of the roll. Next, provide a flat bowl for the starch and a supply of paper towels. The participant dips one paper towel in the starch and places it over the prepared toilet paper roll. Using care, pull the damp towel out away from the roll and drape it as a ghostly gown. Then leave it to dry. Participants might like to paint them with glitter while they are drying. It may require a couple of days for the ghosts to become completely dry.

You will need some children’s large wooden blocks. Old blocks make wonderful turkeys. You will also need narrow craft sticks, (popsicle sticks), ice cream cup wooden spoons, (these are also craft sticks) wiggle eyes, paint, Elmer’s Glue All, and wire cutters.

December

Participants paint the deer and while it is drying, they can paint the nose. While both pieces dry, artists can make the wreath and choose a ribbon on which to thread the bell.

Made from 4×4 wood and accessories.