Nature Craft: Making Twig Creations

Fun Kids Crafts - Nature Craft: Making Twig Creations

It's amazing how many things we can find in nature to use in crafts. Pine cones can be used in bird feeders, home-made potpourri and all sorts of other things. Leaves and flowers can be dried or pressed for a variety of uses. Even twigs can be used to make beautiful, rustic crafts.

This twig creations project makes a great gift and costs next to nothing to make. Kids can easily make it with a little help from an adult. The finished product can be used to hold candy, pencils, office supplies or any other small objects. So, this makes it a very suitable fun kids craft.

Supplies

• Used tin can (use a can opener that removes the entire top of the can, leaving no sharp edges)
• Twigs
• Yard clippers
• Glue (a hot glue gun works best, but other kinds may work too)
• Dried leaves and/or flowers
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Wash out the tin can thoroughly. Remove the label and wash the outside as well.
2. Use the yard clippers to clip the twigs to about the same length as the height of the can. You can make them all uniform or vary the lengths slightly for a more rustic look.
3. Glue the twigs around the can vertically. Cover the entire outside. Let dry.
4. Arrange dried flowers and/or leaves on the outside of the can and glue them in place.
5. Tie a ribbon around the can and secure with glue. Let dry.

Preparing the Flowers

Before you use flowers for crafts, they need to be dried. One of the easiest ways to do so is to press them. Simply place them in the middle of a heavy hardcover book and leave them for about two weeks. Or if you don't want to wait that long, buy a flower press. Most can be used in the oven or microwave, making pressing quick and easy. Just be sure to read the directions carefully to avoid damaging the flowers.

If you do not want your flowers to be flat, you'll need to dry them a different way. One way to do this is to hang them upside-down in bundles. Place them in a well-ventilated area, and leave them for ten to fourteen days.

Flowers may also be dried in silica gel, borax or sand. To do this, place the flowers upside-down in a box full of either of these drying agents. Gently sift some of the sand, borax or silica gel onto the flower heads until covered, and leave in a warm, dry place for two weeks.

When the flowers are dry, spray them with hairspray. This will help them retain their color and provide some protection from breakage. Keep the finished craft out of sunlight and away from extreme heat to protect the flowers.

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