By: Andy Spinks
Beach Memories
Who can resist picking up shells, rocks, and all those shiny colorful goodies that have washed up during a walk along a beach? Once home, though, the treasured memories usually dry out, lose their original luster, or may not make it home at all. With this project, your beachcombing efforts can be kept sparkling and create a long lasting summer memento.
Fill a canning jar with a layer of sand and wedge larger shells or driftwood in this layer of sand, and then add the smaller shells. Fill the jar with seawater, screw the lid on tightly, and wrap in a towel to prevent breakage.
Place the jar in a water filled cooking pot. Heat until the water in the pot boils, then simmer for 15 minutes (this will kill any algae). Carefully remove the jar from the cooking pot (parents only) and cool. Label the jar and enjoy for many years.
Chalk Art
One of summer's perks is that young artists now have the time and the weather to allow them to take advantage of those big canvases for their drawings. Here are some ways these young artists can decorate sidewalks, driveways, and walkways.
Draw a map of the neighborhood area around your home, with roads, houses and parks. Then populate the chalk neighborhood with toy cars and figures.
Trace around a friend's body, and then draw in hair, eyes and clothing.
Outline a large “color by number” dinosaur, favorite zoo animal or cartoon character, and let you friends color in different sections.
Copy a favorite comic strip in the sidewalk squares (a panel in each square), or invent an original strip of your own.
Box Of Treasures
This treasure box, organized around the idea that anything goes, should have ample room for plastic bags of beach findings, photos, coins, drawings, movie ticket stubs or even a small diary.
Find a sturdy cardboard box (one with a lid), which can labeled with the treasure hunters name and the date. As treasures are discovered, place them inside or, glue them onto the outside of the box. To give the box a durable finish, brush on a coat of white glue thinned with water or cover with contact paper.
Catching The Breeze
This project, with its long blow-in-the-breeze tail, will make any craft maker feel like they’ve sprouted wings.
MATERIALS
2 large plastic cups
Clear, flat trash bag
Dowel or stick
2 rubber bands
Masking tape
Hole punch
Scissors
1. Cut the bottoms from both cups. Lay the trash bag flat and roll its sealed, bottom end around the outside of one cup, 1 inch below the cup's rim. Tape in place.
2. Feed the trash bag through the bottom of the second cup, then pull the cup firmly over the first so the rims are aligned.
3. Using the scissors, cut fringes on the tail of the trash bag. Punch two holes through both of the cups (on opposite sides of the cup), just below the rims.
4. Push the dowel or stick through the two holes, wrapping a rubber band around it on each side of the cup to hold it in place.
5. Catch as much breeze as you can!
Andy Spinks is co-owner of The Clay Store -
http://www.theclaystore.com. The Clay Store offers a large selection of
Polymer Clay Supplies and
Polymer Clay Tutorials.
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