nature inspired crafts

8/3/2019 Nature Inspired Crafts

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Acorn NecklacesCapped acornsTacky glue

Fuzzy yarn and woolPermanent markerScissorsStringGather capped acorns and carefully remove the caps. To make hair, put one largedrop of tacky glue on the top of each acorn and press wisps of fuzzy yarn and wool roving into it. After applying a second drop onto the wisps, put the caps back on and hold them on for one minute.Use a permanent marker to draw faces. Trim the hair, then make "chains" by tying string around the cap stem and securing it with a drop of glue.

Leaf Mobilecolorful fall leavesheavy book for pressingclear contact papertree branchthread

First, collect colorful fallen leaves. Press them between the pages of a heavy book for a day or two to flatten them. For each leaf, cut two squares of clear contactpaper an inch or two wider than your leaf. Peel the backing off of one piece andlay it sticky-side up. Place the leaf in the center, then peel the backing off thesecond piece and carefully place it on top. Punch a hole for hanging.

Trim the edges of the contact paper, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Hang the leavesfrom a tree branch with thread. Place the branch in a heavy vase or suspend itfrom a curtain rod.

Nutty Boats Walnut shellLeaf TwigClay

For each, you'll need an intact half of a walnut shell. Thread a leaf onto a twig fora mast and a sail. Secure the mast to the inside of the shell with a small ball of clay.Tips:To open a walnut without breaking the shell, hold it steady on a cutting board,insert the tip of a flathead screwdriver or a butter knife into the flat end of theseam, and carefully pry the halves apart.



Leaf printing activity: collect leaves, coat with fabric paint, press onto shirt orother fabric, blot off excess paint, enjoy.

Scented Pine Cones Assorted pine cones; a mixture of types and sizes adds texture and interest - you

will need enough to make a sizable heap in a pie dish¼ cup pickling spice¼ cup cinnamon powder¼ cup whole cloves or 1/8 cup ground clovesspray adhesiveplastic shopping bagonion bag

Mix pickling spice, powdered cinnamon and cloves. If desired, sprinkle withessential oils (some suggestions: sandlewood, patchouli, orange, cinnamon, balsam) and mix thoroughly. Set aside. Put the pine cones into a large plasticshopping bag and spread them out so they form a single layer at the bottom of the bag. See photo at right.

Aim the spray adhesive directly onto the pine cones, but stand away from the bagto avoid breathing in any overspray. Quickly close the bag with your hands andshake it thoroughly to turn the pine cones over. Open the bag, allowing the pinecones to settle in a single layer at the bottom, and re-spray with glue. Empty thepickling spice mix over the pine cones, close the bag again with your hands andshake thoroughly to distribute. Empty the pine cones into a pie dish, orsomething similar, and allow to dry.

Place the pine cones in a recycled onion bag or sieve. Shake and stir the pine

cones to dislodge any spices that aren't sticking to the glue. If you're using themesh bag to enclose the pine cones for gift-giving, tie the bag closed then enclosein a clear plastic bag tied with ribbon. Decorate or wrap as desired.

To display the scented pine cones in a basket, empty the pine cones into the basket, decorate the basket with a wire-edged ribbon, and enclose everything incellophane wrap tied with ribbon.

Waxed LeavesParaffin wax2 clean cans, one smaller than the other

NewspaperColorful leaves Waxed paper

Place a piece of paraffin wax in the smaller can, and place the smaller can insidethe larger one. Add warm water to both cans, filling them to about a half-inch below the rim of the small can. When melted, the wax will float on top of the



water. Simmer the water over medium heat until the wax has melted. To avoidspatters, don't let the water and wax come to a full boil.

Use pot holders to remove the cans from the stove and put them on thenewspaper. Hold a leaf by its stem, carefully dip it into the wax, then lay it on

waxed paper to harden.

Glue-Batik BannerCotton muslin fabric or an old bed sheet, washed and driedPlastic wrap or waxed paper Washable glue Wide paintbrushes Acrylic paintsPaper plate or Styrofoam tray Plastic tub, bowl, or sink IronStick Yarn

Rip the fabric to the size you want. Tearing the fabric leaves a natural-lookingedge that won't fray. Lay the fabric on a surface covered with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Draw your design on the fabric with glue. Trace the outlines of maple leaves, then add lines inside the shapes for veins. Let the glue dry undisturbed for about 24 hours.

Use a wide brush and water to wet the entire piece of fabric. Add small puddles of acrylic paint to a plate or tray and mix each one with a bit of water to thin it.Beginning with the leaves, brush the diluted paints onto the fabric, allowing the

colors to flow together as in a watercolor painting. Paint the background usingthe same technique. Let the fabric dry, about 2 hours.

Soak the fabric for 20 to 30 minutes in a tub, bowl, or sink filled with warm water. Gently rub away the glue, then rinse the fabric thoroughly and allow it todry. Iron it flat, if desired.

Lay the fabric facedown and place the stick across the top edge. Fold the fabricover the stick and glue down the edge to form a sleeve. Tie braided yarn to theends of the stick for hanging.

Bark-Rubbing TreesThin white paperColored paper Wax crayonsScissorsGlue



Take crayons and paper with you and find a tree with textured bark. Hold a sheetof paper against the tree trunk and keeping the paper still scribble over the paperto make a bark rubbing. It may be easier to use the side of a crayon.Repeat on different types of tree, using different colors. Back at home, cut therubbings into the shapes of winter trees, with trunks and bare branches. Glue

trees onto colored paper. Overlap the different trees for an interesting effect.

Leaf poundings We found this idea in an old Girl scout leaders book and have seen it many, many times on the web.First, you’ll need napkins made from cotton or linen, a few fall leaves picked freshfrom the tree, some clear packing tape and a pencil. Simply place a leaf in onecorner of the napkin, tape it down and have the child draw on top of the leaf,pressing as firmly as possible to stain the fabric, being sure to press on every spot.Then remove the leaf and tape, press the fabric, and it’s ready for dinner.These prints will fade some over time and with washing.

Another way to do this craft is to place waxed paper on a sturdy table. On top of the waxed paper place some fresh leaves and flowers. Place your bandana on top.Use a rubber mallet to pound (gently) on the bandana overtop of the areas wherethere are leaves and flowers until the color from the leaves or flowers comethrough the material. Continue this way with other leaves and flowers until theentire bandanna is covered. The bandanas will be washable, but don't use Cloroxor a strong detergent when washing them.

Leaf VotiveLeaves and foliageGlass votive holder or jar

White tissue paper White craft glue WaterPaintbrushTea light candles

Collect small leaves and other foliage from outside. Be sure there’s still some lifein the leaves, they shouldn’t be too dry or crumbly. Once selected, lay leaves in asingle layer and place a large book on top to flatten them. Leave for an hour ortwo.

Spread a layer of white craft glue on the outside of the votive holder. Stick theleaves to the glue and press into place. Let dry. Mix equal parts of water and white craft glue to create a decoupage paste. Tear tissue paper into squares aboutone to two inches in size.

Use a paintbrush to glue the tissue paper over the leaves using the decoupagemixture. Overlap the tissue paper and make sure all of the glass is covered. Carry



over the lip of the votive holder as well and be sure that the tissue paper isdecoupaged against the inside of the glass. Allow the jars to dry overnight.Place a tea light candle inside each votive holder.

Leaf Rubbing

We gathered some leaves, put them under paper and rubbed them with crayons. We liked the result we achieved when we rubbed each one with several colors. Itmade them look more like real leaves with the variations in the color & addedmore depth. We cut out the leaf rubbings and hung them from another stringstretched across the window.

Snow Dough1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt1 Tbsp. oil1 cup water2 tsp. cream of tartarglitter1 Tbsp. white paintPeppermint essential oilIf you'd like, omit the paint and glitter, and just make a huge batch and colordifferent colors and scent with different essential oils. For example, lavender forpurple dough, strawberry for pink, etc.

Mix everything except glitter

and essential oil in a pan overlow heat. Stir constantly untildough thickens and pulls away from the side of the pan, or untilit looks like batch of mashedpotatoes.Knead in glitter and essentialoil. We used a cookie cutter tocut out snowflakes, but youcould use stamps or justfreeform cut them.

Snow Painting in a BlizzardToday, we are having blizzardand we can't wait for the windto die down so we can gooutside and play! We are

planning to do a little snow painting.



Start by picking out different colors of kool-aid. We made them with half the water and none of the sugar. We filled clean squeeze bottles with the kool-aid. Weadded some food coloring to the weaker shades.Later we realized sugar free might have worked better, since it comes withsweetener in it. The kids of course ended up eating the colorful snow which was a

little on the sour side without the sugar.

Ice Votivestwo buckets, one smaller then the otherSome greens

Fill the biggest bucket half full with water. Place the smaller bucket inside it andplace some rocks or something heavy to keep it in place. Add more water, the water level should be to the top. Add your branches to the sides of the bucket.

Use some tape to keep the small bucket in the middle of the big one. Now set the whole thing outside to freeze. Once its frozen, remove the small bucket first andthen the large one. Place a votive candle inside.

Snow Votive Holders A small glass jar White school glueTable salt

Collect your jar(s), wash, and remove any labels. Paint the school glue in an evenand a little-more-than-thin coat on the outer surface of the jar.

Sprinkle the table salt onto the glue. Allow it to dry and place votive candle

inside.

Inside SnowstormCircle labels 1-inchdental floss

Attach the dental floss to the adhesive side of a label. Place a second label overthe top of the first, sandwiching the dental floss between the two.Randomly space your labels along the length of dental floss to give your finishedsnowstorm a natural look. Hang finished strands in front of windows using smallpieces of masking tape affixed to the tops of the window frames

Snowflake CraftBaggiePaperFabric paintGlitter



Cut a snowflake out of paper. You can also cut one out of a magazine or print outa graphic from your computer. Make sure the snowflake can fit in the baggie.Put your snowflake inside the baggie. Trace the outline of your snowflake on theoutside of the baggie using the Fabric paint. Sprinkle with glitter. Set aside to dry.

Once the paint is dry, you can peel your paint snowflake off the baggie. Thesemake great window clings.

Birds in a NestUse the side of the cardboard dipped in brown paint to create the branches of thetree. A potato cut in a half circle, dipped in paint, can be used to print the bird's body. Then we simply used our finger to create the heads of the birds. By usingthe end of a small piece of cardboard, we created a triangle bird tail. After thetails, we added the eyes, beaks, and feet with a small paintbrush. Using pineneedles, leaves, craft feathers, and some twine we created a nest. You could also

use raffia, straw, grasses, or anything that you can find! We put a bunch of glueand arranged the materials to create the nest!

Making Paint Out Of Flowers Simply lay the grass or flower on your paper and crush it with a rock. You canthen cut out some great spring shapes to hang in a mobile.

Bookshelf TerrariumCover the bottom of a jar with gravel, and add 1/4 inch of ground charcoal. Mix 2parts potting soil, 2 parts peat, and 1 part builder's sand; add to jar. Dig smallholes for plants, such as sweet flag or Chinese elm. Spray completely with water

before putting on lid. The terrarium should retain moisture, so rewatering won't be necessary, but check the soil periodically to be safe,

Naturally Dyed Eggs.

For red dye: Take 1 to 2 beets (about 3/4 pound) and roughly chop it. Combineit with 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt in a saucepan.Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquidfor dyeing.

For yellow dye: Heat 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon saltin a saucepan. Add 6 tablespoon ground turmeric and stir well. Simmer for just afew minutes until the turmeric dissolves.

For blue dye: Take 1 large red cabbage (about 1 pound) and shred it. Combinein a saucepan with 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt.Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid fordyeing.



To dye the eggs: Simply soak them in the liquids until they are the desiredcolors. At first, the colors will be quite pale, though beautiful. To achieve a truly rich blue, the egg needs to soak for a few hours.

Try a little experimenting using two dyes on the same egg: yellow and blue to

make green, red and yellow to make orange.

Onion Skin Eggs

Unlike traditional egg-dyeing, these eggs are not pre-boiled beforecoloring. Rather, the cooking and dyeing process happens all at once.

You'll need the skins of at least 8 to 10 onions for every dozen eggs. (The onionsthemselves should then be used sooner than later.)

In addition to the onion skins, which will color the eggs nicely by themselves, youcan also collect leaves, flower petals, leafy herbs, uncooked rice, etc. to leaveimpressions against the outside of the eggs.

You'll also need cloth to wrap the eggs with: for a couple dozen eggs, say a yard ortwo of inexpensive muslin or other white fabric. Cut it into large squares and build your egg on top. To tie the eggs, lightly colored yarn or kitchen twine works well. Make sure to wrap yours up distinctively so that it will be easily recognizable once they all head into the pot.

Boil for 10 to 12 minutes to set the colors and cook the eggs. Then unwrap themand see how they turned out!

Plantable Paper

Junk mail paper3″ embroidery hoopStaplerFloral tape or duct tapeMesh screenPaperBlenderBowlPressed flowers, zinnia, lavender and basil

SeedsFabricSponge

Cut the screen just larger than the embroidery hoop and staple it to the outside.Secure the screen and cover the staples with waterproof floral tape or duct tape.Tear the paper into small pieces and add it to the blender until it’s about half-full Add warm water until the blender is 2/3 full and blend until the paper is



completely processed with no lumps. Dip the screen into the pulp and, holding itlevel, scoop pulp on top of the frame.

While you are holding it on the frame, allow it to drip and sprinkle on somepressed flowers and seeds. In one quick motion, flip the paper onto the fabric

and before removing the frame, press with a sponge to remove excess water. Once you have removed the frame, you can press again to remove more water.

Allow the paper to dry on the fabric for a few hours, then carefully peel it up andmove it to a dry surface, then let it dry overnight. If you put the paper out in thesun, it will dry quickly. I think these would be pretty with rubber stamp imprints,punched hole designs, or stamped letters

Carp Windsock 12- by 15 1/2-inch Tyvek envelope often used for overnight shipping Acrylic paintPaintbrushTacky glue3-inch-wide plastic cupClothespinsEmbroidery needleStringDowel

Freehand draw a fish shape on envelope an cut the envelope open and lay it flat, blank side up, on a table. Paint a fish design on both pieces; one should be amirror image of the other. Leave an unpainted border of at least an inch on theedge near the mouth. Glue the two pieces together, right-sides out, along the two

long seams; leave the tail and mouth seams open. Let the glue dry.

Cut an inch-wide ring from the top of the plastic cup and slip it into the fish'smouth. Fold the top inch of the Tyvek over the ring and glue it in place. Useclothespins to clamp the Tyvek in place as the glue dries. Double-thread anembroidery needle with about five feet of string. Poke the needle through oneside of the mouth, across the inside, and out the other side. Cut the needle freeand knot the two ends of the string for the hanging loop. Wrap or tie the string toa dowel or a flagpole, and let it swim in the breeze.



Bee House Mason bees are gentle, they don't swarm, and they rarely sting, making them aconsiderate guest in your garden. They lay eggs in the spring, so be sure to get yourhouse out early.Ruler and pencilHandsaw or power saw 8-foot-long 1 by 10 board of pine, spruce, orfir (not pressure-treated)TapeHammer

24 to 36 (1-1/2-inch) wire or finishing nailsPower drill with a 5/16-inch (8 mm) brad-point bit at least 8 inches longSandpaperPicture-hanging kit rated to hold 8 poundsor more

Measure, mark, and saw off section 1 fromthe board, as shown in the diagram. Use itas a template to mark and saw the fivematching pieces.

Stack the six pieces and temporarily wrapthem with tape. Place the taped stack vertically on the remaining board and mark the base. Saw along the line. The remaining board is the roof.

Use the hammer and nails to attach the base and roof to each of the six pieces. Make sure the back of the roof is flush withthe house's back. Remove the tape.

Mark holes every 1-1/2 inches on the front of the vertical pieces, then drill a hole3 to 8 inches deep at each mark, avoiding nails. (The bees lay female eggs in the backs of the holes, male eggs closer to the front.) It's easier to drill the shallowerholes on the outer boards. Smooth the openings with the sandpaper. Knock thesawdust from the holes.



Using the picture-hanging kit, mount the house facing south or southeast on a wall, fence, pole, or other support. Look for telltale mud walls inside the holesover time. Next spring, full-grown bees should emerge.

A Fossil Print

1 cup Flour1/2 cup Cold Coffee1 cup Coffee Grounds (used)1/2 cup saltTwigs Leaves Shells Tiny bones

First, go outside and search for treasures to make into Fossils. Good things to useare twigs, leaves, shells, tiny bones, hard-shelled, dead, bugs.

Next, measure all ingredients and put into a bowl. Stir well. If the mixture seemsa little too moist (it should resemble a dlough consistency), add a little moreflour. Knead until smooth. Work the dough into smooth balls and then flatten ona piece of waxed paper. Press objects into the clay, using one or more of thecollected items. Remind kids to share.

Allow all fossils to dry thoroughly before removing from the waxed paper.

Spore PrintsMushroom caps White unlined index cardsBlack paperDrinking glass or bowlHair spray or acrylic fixative

Find a mushroom in the wild, or get some from the store. (Be careful whenhandling wild mushrooms -- don't eat them!) You will have to find some with thecaps open. Look underneath the cap. The gills inside are lined with structuresthat make and release spores by the millions. Each spore can grow into a new fungus.

Cover half of an index card with black paper. Pop out the stem from themushroom cap and place the cap on the card so that half is on the black paperand half on the white. Cover with a glass or bowl and let the cap sit overnight.

The next day remove the glass and the mushroom cap. You should see a print of the mushroom spores. Pale spores will show up on the black paper, while darkerones will show on the white. Spray the print with hair spray or acrylic fixative tokeep it from smearing.

Grass PrintsGrasses of various kinds (include seed heads)Paper



Wax paper Water-based paintsPaintbrushCloth (optional)

Lay your grasses out on a table and choose those you like the best. Arrange thegrasses you like on paper. Try making interesting contrasts between lacy seedheads and thick grass blades. Lay the grass on wax paper.

Load a brush with paint and dab the paint on the grass until it is thinly but fully coated on one side. Lift the painted grass from the wax paper and lay it, paint sidedown, on the paper you want to print. another sheet of wax paper on top andpress gently so that the grass makes good contact with the paper.

Remove the wax paper and grass. Watercolor paint works on white paper, whiletempera looks nice on colored paper. Use fabric paint on cloth to make grass-printed T-shirts and bandannas

Plaster FishFishModeling clay Plaster of ParisMixing container for plasterSpoon Acrylic paintsPaintbrushSpray acrylicHot glue or cement (optional)

Clean your fish and leave the head on. Lay it out flat in a pan. Set it in a freezerovernight and let it freeze. The next day, remove the fish from the freezer. Rollout a slab of modeling clay a little bigger and a little thicker than your fish. Pressthe fish firmly into the clay. Gently pull it out and see if you like the mold you'vemade. If there are air bubbles or imperfections, knead the clay, roll it out, and try again.

When you've got a mold you like, put the fish back in the freezer. Mix someplaster in a container until it is about as thick as heavy cream. Pour the plasterslowly into the mold. Try to avoid making air bubbles. Let the plaster dry several

hours, then remove it from the mold. Let the plaster dry completely overnight before attempting to remove any clinging bits of modeling clay.

Once your plaster fish dries, decorate it with acrylic paints. Use the frozen fish asa color model to ensure that your plaster fish looks as real as possible. After thepaint dries, spray it with clear acrylic coating. If you like, use hot glue (with adulthelp) or contact cement to mount your plaster fish to a wall plaque.



Toad ShelterBroken ceramic flower pot or bowlMosses and soft leavesPlenty of moisture

Use a broken pot or bowl turned with the curved side up as a toad shelter. Linethe ground beneath the pot with moist moss and leaves. Make sure you put thepots near an area where there is plenty of water. Then wait for the toads to arrive.They'll eat lots of bugs and give you plenty to look at.

Sun PrintsFirst you lay out your items on the paper in the shade. We then covered them with plexiglass to hold the pieces in place and moved them into the sunshine.However, the plexiglass seemed to block some of the sunlight getting through tothe paper (you can tell by how the paper is changing color), so we took it off andexposed the papers a little longer. After a few minutes, you develop the papers ina tray of water and then let them dry. They will continue to darken over a coupleof days.

Backyard Bird FeederClean 1-liter soda bottleCraft knife2 wooden spoonssmall eye screw Length of twine for hangingStart by drawing a 1/2-inch asterisk onthe side of a clean 1-liter soda bottle,about 4 inches from the bottom. Rotatethe bottle 90 degrees and draw anotherasterisk 2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite each asterisk,as shown. Use a craft knife to slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circles (aparent's job). Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and thenthrough the opposite asterisk, as shown.

Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang itfrom a tree

Oriole Food

1 part sugar/6 parts water



Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/3 cup of sugar to2 cups of water. Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Although commercial oriole food is usually orange colored, do not add foodcoloring, honey, or artificial sweetener to this homemade oriole food recipe.

You will need to clean your feeder every few days, with hot water and a mild(10%) bleach solution to inhibit mold. Rinse thoroughly before refilling with water syrup

Bottle Hummingbird Feeder

small, clean plastic soda or water bottle with capsmall, clean deli containerhammer and a large nail Awl, ice pick or other instrument to cut plasticRed enamel paintsmall paintbrush20 - 40 inch piece of thin bendable wire

Hammer the nail into the center of the cap to make a small hole. Remove the nail.Make a large hole in the center of the deli container. The hole should fit snuggly around the mouth of the bottle. Make four small holes in the deli container forfeeding stationsTurn the lid over and make sure there are no sharp edges that the hummingbirdsmay cut their tongues on. Decorate the bottle and container with the red enamelpaint. Wrap the wire around the body of the bottle. Twist the tail end of the wiretogether so you have a loop

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

1 part sugar/4 parts water

Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/4 cup of sugar to1 cup of water. Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, whichhas no nutritional value.

You will need to clean your feeder about once a week. According to the National Audubon Society, this should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar tofour parts water. If the feeder is dirty, try adding a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean. Follow the vinegar wash by rinsing threetimes with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.

Log Suet Feeder



Drill, with a 1-1/4 inch drill bit, a log of wood roughly 18 inches long and about 10inches around, holes right through the log to make suet food ports down thelength of the log. First, clamp the log in a vise or woodworking bench to keep itimmobile while you drill. Fit the drill bit securely onto the drill and begin the firsthole a couple of inches from the top.

Once the first hole is drilled completely through, rotate the log in the vise about90 degrees and begin drilling the second hole a few inches below the first one.This hole will tunnel underneath the one above it, pointing in a differentdirection. Repeat the process, so the third hole points the same way as the firstone, and the fourth hole points the same way as the second hole.

If desired, you could add handy perches by drilling much smaller holes directly below each food port, then inserting strong twigs or dowels. Drill the perch holesabout 1-1/2 inches deep, then insert a four or five inch twig or dowel, dipping theend of the perch in wood glue prior to insertion. Tap the other end of each perchlightly with a hammer to secure.

Finally, add a hook to the top of the log, pack the food ports with suet and hang itup. Birch log suet feeders look nice if the logs are old enough to have thecharacteristic white birch bark, but maple or oak logs with the bark intact offerthe birds a rougher surface on which to cling. Firewood piles are often a greatsource of small logs that could also be used for this nature project.

Buildable Bird http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/crafts/BirdOrnament.pdf

Make Way forDucklings! After reading and watching books, video, DVDs andmusical recordingsabout ducks withone mother duck leading smaller baby ducks around.

Make ducklings onelarge and the restsmall. How many ducklings does yourmother duck have? Where are they going? Try tellingone of the stories



using your ducks. Copy an outline like this one fromhttp://www.supercoloring.com.

Fingerplay: Two Little Birds (Traditional)

Two little birds, (Two thumbs up)Sitting on a hill.One named Jack, (One thumb up)One named Jill. (Other thumb up)Fly away Jack, (One thumb behind you)Fly away Jill. (Other thumb behind you)Come back Jack, (One thumb up)Come back Jill. (Other thumb up)Two little birds, (Two thumbs up)Sitting on a wall.One named Peter, (One thumb up)One named Paul. (Other thumb up)Fly away Peter, (One thumb behind you)Fly away Paul. (Other thumb behind you)Come back Peter, (One thumb up)Come back Paul. (Other thumb up)

Bird WatchingPut bird puppets, stuffed bird toys, or pictures of birds around the room. Use apair of binoculars to look for birds. Curl your fingers up to your eyes to makepretend binoculars or make a pair from paper tubes.

Staple two tubes together. They should be placed side by side and stapled along

the length of their touching sides. Color the tubes, if you like.Punch two holes in the viewing end of the binoculars. Thread the yarn throughthe holes. Leave enough extra that the binoculars may easily be slipped over theneck for safekeeping

As you find birds, look for them in a fieldguide. Say the name of the bird, says the colorof the bird, or countthem

Floating SwansMake swans fromconstruction paper,using this floating swanas a pattern and cork tofloat in a large shallow



pan or plastic container filled with water.

Cut a slit across the cork. Insert the swan into the slit so that it stands up. Allow the children to float the swans in the container filled with water.

Clay wind ChimeI am always looking for craft projects that celebrate the outdoors. I know,a ceramic wind chime isn't the most accessible project for most of you, but I wanted to share this idea, I found on the web, because I'm quite sure that it caninspire you to create something wonderfulif you give it a bit of thought! Plus, Ithought you'd like to see my garbage cankiln.This project was made by my kids simply

using leaves from my friend Patty-Cake'sfig tree. The leaves were pressedinto rolled out clay we had harvested froma river bank in Southern IL and then theshapes were cut out with a knife, and firedin the kiln. You could do this project withair-drying clay, but the shapes won't"chime" when they bump one another. So why not add something like glass, metalspoons or jingle bells to the mobile that would chime.

This is my backyard kiln. We fire the kilnon a dirt surface away from any combustible materials. We drilled holes at 6"intervals in the sides and lid of a small galvanized garbage can. For fuel we usedried horse dung mixed with sawdust. You can more about various primitivefiring methods (http://art.sdsu.edu/ceramicsweb/articles/primitive.html). We load the kiln and light it as early in the morning as possible. We put a layer of half dried horse poo and half sawdust on the bottom of the can to a depth of about 10 inches. Then add one or more pieces and cover with more fuel. Wecontinue this process until the pieces are all in and covered with about 10 moreinches of fuel. Light the fuel in several places around the top of the can. Then

place the lid very loosely over the top.The fuel should smolder allowing wisps of smoke to rise from the kiln. Check your kiln at the end of day. What you should find is your projects nestled in a bedof gray ashes. If it hasn't totally burnt down, be sure that you have some means of protecting the kiln overnight. Next day, unload the pots.This type of kiln is easy and cheap to build and can accommodate anything that will fit in it. It is also called a raku kiln. Good luck and have fun, Tuggers, I can't wait to see how your projects come out.



Using embroidery hoops and metal cookie cutters, a variety of bolts and washers,serving forks, pieces from broken wind chimes and anything else that makes asound when they bang together, create your own chime. You can use fishing lineto tie the pieces on or pieces of colored string.

nature inspired crafts

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