Crafts on a Budget

Recycled crafts

Recycled crafts are fun and satisfying. They are a great example of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” goal toward which we should all be working. Use your imagination when you look at the things you throw out and you will come up with some great ideas. A noteto help your crafts be a success: always make a sample or have your den chief make onebefore the meeting. Also remember, safety first. Some crafts that are appropriate for aWebelos may not be safe for a Tiger. Here are some that we have used.Container for Scout StuffThis is an easy and handy way to keep the neckerchief, pins, patches, belt and hat alltogether. Take an empty oatmeal box, baby formula can, or (Boy Scout popcorn tin!) orsimilar container. Cover it by either gluing on some paper or painting it. Then decorate.Use paper, cut out pictures from magazines (especially scouting magazines),markers/crayons, beads, felt, or whatever you like. I like it when the boys make self-portraits. It looks neat when they put their hats on top!Treasure Boxes(These are great gifts for mom, grandma, etc. They can also be a good thank you gift fora volunteer in your den or pack)Take used, clean, plastic boxes from facial cleansing wipes boxes. There are a number ofbrands. Decorate the boxes with foam shapes, paints, seashells or whatever and you havea box for the boy’s favorite lady to keep her things safe.VasesTake a clean, empty jar or something similar. Decorate it with colorful yarn. Starting atthe top put a thin layer of glue on the jar and carefully wind the yarn around, completelycovering the glass. Let it dry. Put a few fresh flowers in it to brighten up someonespecial’s day.Small First Aid KitsThis is perfect for the Webelos working on his Readyman badge.Take a clean Altoids tin. Paint the cover white and let it dry. With red tape, or a redpermanent marker or paint make a cross on the cover. Inside the tin put what first aiditems can fit: some adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, 35cents for an emergency phonecall, a small piece of paper with necessary emergency phone numbers, a safety pin, asmall pair of tweezers, etc. If you have time it is nice to laminate a small card for eachboy explaining simple first aid procedures.Signal mirrorDid you know that those free computer CDs you get in the mail or can pick up in thestore make great signal mirrors? Give one to each boy and let him paint the other side;or he can glue a piece of paper to the other side and write out some survival tips on it.(For example, “If lost, hug a tree!” (Stay in the same spot until help comes).

Milk Carton Bird FeederTake a milk carton and cut out the sides, leaving the corners to hold it together. Paint thefeeder with natural colors using non-toxic paints. When the paint is dry spray with aclear, weatherproof finish (an adult should do this rather than the boys). Attach a hangerand the feeder is ready for hanging with birdseed inside the bottom of it! Tell the boys tohang it near trees and where it can be seen from a window so they can watch the birdsenjoy their creation!Pine Cone Bird FeederTake a Pine Cone (larger ones work best) and tie a piece of string or yarn to the top (to beused to hang the feeder when finished). Smear peanut butter all around the sides of thepine cone. Roll the pine cone in bird seed to cover the peanut butter. Hang it up outside,in a tree, where the birds can enjoy it and you can enjoy watching them!Hand BadmintonTake an old sock and stuff the toe with material scrapes (could be old tee shirts, etc.). Ifit is a large sock you can fold some of the extra material back into the toe of the sock.Cut a small circle out of cardboard and place three holes in it. Poke the end of a featherinto each of the three holes and tape it down. Rest the cardboard, tape side toward thetoe, on the stuffing in the sock. The feathers should be sticking out of the opening. Placea rubber band around the top to hold the cardboard into the sock. Have fun batting it toeach other with your hands!Baby Food Jar Sand SculpturesBuy tempera paint in the powder form and salt. For every box of salt add about 3-4Tablespoons of dry tempera paint. Adjust the amount according to how dark you wantthe colors to be. Carefully pour desired colors into a clean, dry baby food jar. When thejar is almost full, tap the jar on the table to settle the “sand” in the jar. Continue to fill and tap until the jar is full and no longer settles. Place the lid on the jar. It can bedisplayed lid side either up or down. If the lid will be up paint it.Baby Food Jar Candle holderTake a clean baby food jar and glue small, cut or torn pieces of tissue paper to theoutside. Use appropriate colors for the season. Tie a ribbon or other decorative cordaround the top rim of the jar (being sure it will not hang over or fall into the opening).When dry, place a tea candle in the bottom of the jar. The light of the candle will shinethrough the paper.HUICHOL Yarn ArtThe Huichol people of Northwest Mexico create designs from colorful yarn to tell storiesabout their history and religion. A yarn painting can be made by gluing yarn on scraps ofcardboard.

Materials needed: Scraps of cardboard- any size or shape as desired, Yarn- manycolors, Glue.

1. On a piece of cardboard, squeeze out a bead of glue into any design you wish. Youcan make birds, people, fish, the sun, flowers, etc,2. Take the end of a long length of yarn and begin pressing it onto the glue. Use apopsicle stick to help press the yarn in place.3. Switch colors and fill p the whole surface of the cardboard with yarn. Include thebackground of your designs. Let it dry.4. Glue or tape a small piece of yarn to the back of the cardboard to hang your yarn art.

Fire Breathing Dragon PuppetsMany Asian peoples use a lunar calendar and celebrate the Lunar New Year or ChineseNew Year. Huge dragon puppets are used in parades to drive away bad spirits. Thedragon is a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the New Year. Make your owndragon puppet to bring you good luck. If you blow through the end you can make yourdragon “breath fire”.Materials needed: Cardboard tube- 4-1/2” (toilet paper or a paper towel tube cut in half), Colored paper to decorate the tube, White crafts glue, Crafts stick (popsicle stick),Cotton balls, Buttons or googley eyes, Thin strips of crepe paper- cut at least twice thelength of the tube, Tape1. Place several strips of crepe paper side by side so they tough. Cut a piece of tapethat’s longer the width of all the crepe paper strips. Lay the tape across the strips. Stick the tape with the crepe paper near the bottom edge of the cardboard tube.2. Push the crepe paper strips through the cup so they stick out the other end.3. Cover the tube with colored paper in bright colors.4. For the eyes, glue one button or googley eye on each cotton ball.Glue the eyes to the tube. You can add horns or teeth made from paper. With adult help,cut a slit in the bottom of the tube, (the end opposite the crepe paper strips). Gently pushthe crafts stick in the slit. You may want to secure the stick with tape.5. To make the dragon breath fire, hold the tube up to your mouth and blow through theend near the stick. The crepe paper will shoot out of the end, like “fire” (a picture of some samples is at the end of this chapter).

Native American Power ShieldsPlains Indians made rawhide shields decorated with symbols they believed would protectthem during battles. You can make a shield with your own power symbols for protectionor to express your individuality.Materials needed: 7-9” circle cut from manila folders or tag board, Yarn or string,Markers, Hole punch, Beads and feathers.1. Punch holes around the paper circle’s edge about 1” apart.2. Use markers to decorate the paper shield with Native American designs.3. Tape one end of the yarn, and poke it into the top hole and pull through. Leave about3” at the end for the loop at the top for hanging.4. Go in and out of the holes, bringing the taped end of the yarn back to the top hole. Tiethis to the other end to make a loop.5. Cut another 1 or three pieces of yarn and loop them through the bottom holes and eventhe ends.6. Pass 3 or 4 beads up the yarn and slip a feather into the beads. You might want to adda bead of glue to secure the feather. Knot both ends of the yarn to keep the beads andfeathers from slipping off.7. Hang on the wall.

Shaker/DrumsMany cultures including African and South American peoples use drums and shakers tomake music for dances, ceremonies, to tell stories and for entertainment. You can make asimple shaker/drum from Pringle’s containers.Materials needed: Pringle’s containers with lid, Colored paper- plain or patterned,Markers, yarn, feathers, etc. for decorating the shaker, Dried beans, seeds, popcorn orpebbles.1. Use an empty Pringle’s container with lid.2. Cover the container with colored paper and decorate as desired. You can decorate itwith plain paper and draw on African designs or other designs or use patterned paper andyour imagination to create your own designs.3. Put in a mixture of popcorn, dried beans or small pebbles. Experiment with differentquantities and mixtures for the desired sound.4. Put on the lid and use as a shaker or drum on the lid to create your own rhythms.Native American Picture StoriesFrom a simple brown paper bag, you can make your own “leather skin” and use picture symbols to write your own story.Materials needed: Brown paper bag, Markers, Pictures of Native American symbols(some sample pictures are at the end of this chapter).1. Tear a piece of brown paper bag to the desired size.2. Crumple it and unfold it several times, until the paper becomes soft like cloth.3. Smooth out the paper so you can write on it.

4. Using Native American picture symbols write a story. Use different colored markersto draw the symbols. You can write about yourself of make up your own story.5. Share your stories with others or create a display of different stories by differentcreators

Tie Slide holderTake a piece of 1 x 4 wood and cut to desired length (Maybe 1 foot or so). You cansometimes find scrap wood that is still nice. I have used the finished wood found aspacking in boxes for bookcases. If needed sand and if desired paint the wood. Glueclothespins onto the wood leaving some room between them. If desired hammer threenails into the top of the wood to hold larger or carved slides. Hammer a nail into thesides and tie one end of a piece of twine to each one from which to hang it.

Tie Slides

Tie Slides serve all sorts of purposes in Scouting. They are fun both to make andto wear. Making them can be used as activities towards achievements or activity badges.They can be given as recognition or prizes. For example give a little “sponge slide” to the scout who was the most helpful at cleaning up after the blue and gold or at camp.They can be worn to reflect the season or the theme of the month. Boys can really becreative with tie slides once they get started! So can you!

Always remember, safety first. At first key rings seem to be a good slide ring,however if a boy gets hit with a ball while wearing such a slide there could be a seriousinjury. When cutting PVC pipe to use as a ring, let it be at least ¾” long. Other possible rings can be made with pieces of garden hose or leather scraps. I have recently found thatthe handle of a gallon milk jug can be cut into ½ inch sections and each section makes afree and handy slide backing. When necessary to put holes in film or medicine bottles, anadult should do it. Using a potholder, hold a nail with a pair of pliers. Place the end ofthe nail over a flame on a gas stove. When hot use the nail end to poke a hole.

Use your imagination and you can come up with great ideas for tie slides. Lookat anything that is miniature with slides in mind. You can find great ideas in Boys Lifeand Scouting magazines, the Cub Scout How to Book, Roundtable Helps, Program Helpsand the Internet. Some sites I found that were useful included:www.htparish.org/pack313/slides.html#film%20can andhttp://perdita./CS.psu.edu/BSA/woggle.htm and http://www.macscouter.com/.

In this section we will focus on tie slides that are inexpensive to make.Very EasyCut a piece of pvc pipe 1 inch long. Sand the edges and stick a favorite sticker on thefront. Or put a sticker on a 1” section of clear vinyl tubing.Dead BugsTake either dead bugs (eeu!) or plastic bugs and glue them to the inside of a clean milkcarton cap. Glue onto a backing.Pinewood Derby CarTake apart a spring type clothespin. Glue the flat sides together. Slice ½” dowel into ¼” slices for wheels, or use flat round beads, or black pony beads. Glue on the“wheels”,

and glue a bead on for thedriver’s head. With a permanent marker add the driver’sfeatures. You can also add hair by gluing on bits of yarn, twine or whatever. Glue onto abacking.First Aid kitTake a white film can. Poke two holes in the back with a hot nail (adult, see note atbeginning of section). Either paint a red cross on the front or make one with plastic redtape. Thread pipe cleaner through the holes in the back and twist the ends together insidethe can. Put into the can various small first aid items such as: adhesive bandages,antiseptic wipes, a small tube of first aid ointment, 2 safety pins, coins for an emergencyphone call.Beach SceneTake a clear, clean, dry small shampoo or lotion bottle from a hotel visit. Fill with a littlebit of sand and two or three tiny seashells. A pipe cleaner can be wrapped around theneck of the container and then formed into a ring. Glue the pipe cleaner in place. Youcan also glue the container to a section of milk jug handle.Emergency RationsThis is one of my son’s favorites. Take a clean, dry shampoo bottle from a hotel trip, or afilm can. On a white sticker draw a red cross and the words “Emergency Rations”. Place the sticker on the front of the bottle. Fill the container with very small candies that willnot melt or get too messy. Nerds and mini-m & ms work well. If the container is clear itis fun because the candies can be seen. A pipe cleaner can be wrapped around the neckof the container and glued in place to be used as a ring.Litter BasketUse 1 oz plastic cup (like you get in liquid medicine packages). Make holes in the backwith a hot nail for a pipe cleaner ring (adult, see note at beginning of section). Using afine tip permanent marker make marks on the cup to resemble a park litter basket. Makealittle paper sign saying ”litter” and glue it to the cup. Fill with small wadded paper scraps and glue them in place. You could also use plastic Jet Dry baskets (fordishwashers) or film cans.PopcornNeed a recognition for the top popcorn salesman?Take a white film can and with a hot nail make two holes in the back for a pipe cleanerring (adult, see note at beginning of section). After putting the pipe cleaner through theholes and securing it inside the can, fill the can with popcorn and glue the popcorn inplace. With a red permanent marker make vertical stripes on the can and write “popcorn” on the front of it.Dehydrated waterOn the front of a film can place a sticker that says: “Dehydrated water, just add water and enjoy.” Glue to a ring.Walnut ShellsEmpty, ½ walnut shells can be made into many different things with a little paint, googlieeyes, etc. Make an Indian face by painting a face on the shell and tying a feather to theback of his head. Make a turtle or ladybug by painting the shells appropriate colors andadding felt feet and a head for the turtle.

“Micro machine” Pinewood Derby award or momentoA small “micro machine” car can be glued onto a piece of leather or a wood cookie and the date of the Pinewood Derby can be written beneath it. Glue this to a piece of PVCpipe.Wolf head(I have not tried this yet but it sounds fascinating.) The sections of a Turkey neck lookjust like a wolf’s head. Take the turkey neck bones after your feast and clean and boil them. Add a red felt tongue and brown pointed felt ears. The eyes could be made fromgreen felt or googlie eyes. The bone is it already hollow behind the “face” so no need for a ring!ClipboardTake a small rectangular piece of plywood, paint stick or laminate (about 1”x2”) and glueit to a pvc pipe ring. On the front put a tiny pad of “post it notes” and hold them in place with a small binder clip.Tooled leatherDon’t throw away those small pieces of leather left over from larger projects! They are perfect for tie slides. Stamp one image on it, or tool a decoration. Punch holes in the sidethrough which to thread thin leather strips or lanyard to make the loop. Or, if you have alarger scrap you can cut holes through the top and bottom and bring the neckerchief downthrough the top and out the bottom hole.Candy moldsThere are many designs to found in candy molds. The Scout shop carries molds withscouting themes. Slides can be made by pouring plaster of paris into these molds andletting them dry. Paint and glue to a ring. You might also try placing the ring into theback of the slide before it has dried.ClayBoys can really be creative if given a bit of clay and told to form something to use as a tieslide. One idea is to form a snake and have it coil around a dowel or something to dry.When dry it will “coil’ around the neckerchief. There are clays that can be baked dry and might be stronger when finished. Paint as desired.Holiday cookiesUsing an ornament cookie recipe make holiday cookies with favorite cookie cutters.Paint and seal. Glue to a ring.Fly swatterCut a popcicle or craft stick in half. Cut a small (1/2”X1/2”) section of white plastic mesh. Take a length of black thread (6”) and ball it into a tangle with your fingers and glue it to the center of the mesh. (The thread will look very much like a squashed fly.When my son brought this home I first thought they did use real flies!). Glue to a pvcpipe ring.Tom-TomUse a 35 mm film can without the lid. Paint or cover with paper and decorate with Indiandesigns. Cut two circles of felt or leatherette and lace to top with plastic lacing. Glue toa ring or punch holes before beginning and use a pipe cleaner for a ring.Insect Display CaseUse a clear plastic pill bottle with a snap on lid. With a hot nail put two holes on one sideof the bottle, about ½” apart. Make a ring from pipe cleaner and insert in the holes.

Twist the pipe cleaner on the inside to secure it. Then, with a hot needle, punch air holesin the lid of the pill bottle. Put in a little sand or grass and a small twig. Now you areready to catch a live specimen to put in your display case. The boys will like this one.Be sure to tell them that the insect should only be kept for the duration of theirouting/meeting, and no more than a day, and then released.Wood or Tree “Cookies”Take a slice of a tree branch (around ¼” thick and 1-3” in diameter) and you have the beginning of any number of interesting slides. If you cut at an angle you will have anoval.*Draw an Indian design on the front using fine permanent markers (some are found in theWolf Handbook).*Glue pressed flowers or interesting leaves to the front.*Glue a design of seeds, dried corn and beans. It helps if you first draw the design on thewood and then glue the seeds, etc. in place.*More difficult but cool, make a mini knot sampler. Using contrasting colored darningthread or light yarn, tie 5 or 6 knots (eg. Square knot, bowline, sheet bend, two hitches,clove hitch, tautline hitch, timber hitch, figure 8, grapevine, etc.). Glue the knots to thefront of the tree cookie. Name plates for the knots can be made by using a laser jetprinter and text in 3 or 4 font. Cut out the name plates and glue below each knot. Add aring to the back.

Have fun!!!