Today is the second in a series of ideas for a kick off event for your service unit/neighborhood. This post will focus on crafts. We started planning this event over the summer, with only 3 months of planning time. That may seem like a lot, but it’s not!
When we looked at the craft area, we wanted to keep cost out of the mix for our troops that were going to lead these crafts. So we focused on low-cost items, free, or recycled items for the crafts. My co-service unit specialist and I came up with all the different crafts. When we had decided on the crafts, we sent e-mails out asking leaders to start saving different items (glass jars, water bottles, etc.)
At the first service unit meeting of the year, we brought in samples of the crafts and let them select which one they wanted to lead at the event. We had about 15 different crafts to choose from. We ended up with 12 different stations at the event. Below is a list of the different crafts we had at the event.
Tissue Paper Flowers
Tissue Flowers: We liked this one because you can get tissue paper at the dollar store very cheaply. (You’ll see a theme here soon!) We were suggesting that the flowers be small so that you can get a lot of flowers out of a piece of tissue paper. For smaller flowers you don’t need a big “stem” so you could cut the pipe cleaner in half (again purchased at the dollar store). Here’s a couple websites that give you the basic directions to make tissue flowers:
Butterfly Hands: I wish I had a photo of some of the ones that were created! I’ll do my best to describe this. Using construction paper, the girls trace around their closed hands – each hand (2 times for each hand, you should have a total of 4 hands/wings). Cut out and glue onto another sheet of construction paper. I think they drew an oval and cut it out to create the body or they may have just drawn it on the paper. I think they added the antenna with markers and the Butterfly Hands were complete. This activity had a perfect place at our event. They were in a screened porch area that overlooked the butterfly garden! The only problem was when the wind picked up, so did their papers! There are several different websites on the Internet that describe this craft. I found one that was closest to the one we used!
Bookbinding: This was an activity designed for the older girls at the event. It was held in a separate room which was quieter. I heard that the girls enjoyed this project. There several videos on bookbinding on YouTube if you need to see the directions (if you’re challenged like me – I need to see how something is done!). There are also a couple of websites that give you directions for bookbinding.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks – Plastic Canvas & Foam: These were two different areas that offered two different materials to create bookmarks. As leaders we always seem to have an abundance of foam shapes around. This was a great way to get rid of them!
Water Bottle Holder: This was another activity for the older girls because there was some hand sewing involved in the original design. The group that ended up with this activity changed it up a little. The girls that attended this activity loved the finish product! I found a couple of ideas on my Pinterest page that show different ways to make water bottle holders. It just depends on what supplies you have!
Plastic Shaker: This involved the recycled water bottles. The girls added sand and various other items (rocks, beads, etc.) to the bottles to create an instrument with a unique sound. The outside of the bottles could be decorated also with stickers or foam pieces. This one doesn’t require a lot of direction (just use what’s around your craft room!). But I did find a couple of websites with information!
Family Partnership Jars: This is our fund-raising campaign for the families. The idea was to decorate a jar (glass, plastic, whatever) with stickers or foam pieces. The family collected money in the jar throughout the year. At the end of the year, the family turns the money into the troop who sends it into council.
Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelet: There are tons of different ways to make friendship bracelets. For this one we used a circle of cardboard and embroidery floss. They come out really cool! This was a very popular area! I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to Friendship Bracelets! These are the two that use the cardboard to make them.
Face Painting: This was also a very popular area! We probably could have had more troops doing this one!
Troop Pride T-Shirts
Troop Pride Shirts: This was a troop activity. The troop designed a small foam t-shirt to represent them. We then took the t-shirts at they were finished and hung them up, clothesline style in the entrance to the building we were holding our event in. It is a council owned property so we were able to keep it up for several months. We hope it inspired other troops to do an event like ours!
Which craft is your favorite? Which one will you try with your troop?
Yours in Scouting,
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