Foam Water Bottle Holder
With all the outdoor activities that girl scouts do, it’s important to bring along a lot of water to stay hydrated. This is a great craft for a meeting before a camping or hiking trip. Remember to get a variety of foam stickers so the girls’ creativity can run wild with different designs to fit their personalities. The alphabet stickers are important for personalization, but if the girls would rather just use stickers to personalize the bottle holders, you can always write their names on the bottom of the can hug with a permanent marker.
There’s not much mess involved with this project – just the paper backings from the stickers that need to be cleaned up at the end of the meeting.
Materials Needed:
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Ruler
- Ribbon
- Foam can hug, tall
- Foam stickers, alphabet
Directions:
- Cut three 24″ pieces of ribbon. Braid the ribbons together to create the handle.
- On opposite sides of the can hug, punch 2 holes for attaching the handle.
- Thread the braided ribbon through the holes and secure with a knot.
- Remove the paper backing from the foam stickers to decorate the bottle holder as desired.
Safety Tips!
- Always observe the children when using scissors.
Try looking at craft stores for the pre-made can hug. If you cannot find one, use foam sheets and glue to make one. Use a standard 16 oz. water bottle to judge the correct size.
Read MoreColored Carnations
This is a perfect craft around any holiday or any time of year. The colors you choose to transform the carnations into can be themed to match holidays, events, ceremonies, or seasons. Darker colors will work best to color the carnations, but any color is worth a try! It’s simple and creative. It’s also a great science experiment for younger girls. This craft can be combined with other crafts, like making a plastic bottle vase or recycled glass vase.
Materials Needed:
- White carnations
- Liquid food coloring
- Flower vases
- Water
Directions:
- Fill vase ¼ of water.
- Add about 15 drops of food coloring to the water in the vase (more if the vase is large and the shade looks too light).
- Trim about 1″ off of the stems at the bottom at an angular cut.
- Put a flower in the vase and let it sit for 24 hours.
Safety Tips!
- Always have an adult cut the flower stems.
- Use non-toxic food coloring.
The best way to go about this, since it does take about 24 hours for the flowers to change color, is to set up the experiment during the meeting and have the girls take them home. Tell them to watch them and ask parents to take photos of the flowers the next day. At the following meeting, the girls can bring their flowers back if they’re still alive or bring in the photos to share their results.
This is a great craft when working on science badges or as a prelude to a scientific outing. The process of the water moving up the stem into the petals is known as cohesion. The process gets its name because water is considered a very cohesive or sticky substance, which means that water pulled up through the stem takes on a magnetic-like effect, pulling the water up. The tubes in the plant (also known as capillaries) are very small and thin.
Read MoreRecycled Glass Vase
Last week’s vase project was really more of a project for older girls, but this vase can be made by young girls and older girls as well. It emphasizes the importance of recycling as it uses clean, re-purposed bottles. Seek out unique and interesting shaped glass bottles, and involve the girls in collecting these glass bottles. Make sure to let the parents know what you’ll be using the glass bottles for; they will need to have the labels removed with the inside and outside both thoroughly cleaned. Collect some glass bottles to bring as extras for any girls that are unable to collect bottles on their own.
Materials Needed:
- Empty glass bottles (or a regular glass jar or vase will work)
- Tissue paper
- Scissors
- Mod Podge (or 2 tbsp. white glue mixed with 2 tbsp. water)
- Paint brushes
Directions:
- Cut out shapes of your choice from the tissue paper. Cut out several of each shape. Feel free to trace out shapes with pencil before hand.
- Paint on the Mod Podge (or glue solution) onto a small section of the bottle. Stick on a tissue paper shape. Paint more Mod Podge or glue solution over the top of the tissue and add another layer. Continue until the shape is as opaque as you would like. Don’t worry about getting one layer exactly on top of another layer. It looks fine if they are a little off.
- Continue adding tissue shapes all over the bottle or jar. When you are done, paint a coat of Mod Podge over the whole thing.
- Let dry. The Mod Podge will dry clear.
Safety Tips!
- Use scissors with blades sized appropriately to the age of the girls you’re w0rking with.
- Ensure that girls are not getting the glue or Mod Podge in their mouths.
Be aware that the adhesive you’re using is water soluable, so you should use these primarily with fake flowers or have adults take great care in washing the insides ONLY if used with real flowers.
Quick Shopping for This Project
- Fiskars Creative Works Comfort Grip 7″ Scissors
- Mod Podge Lustre Finish
- Tissue 20X26 30PK-Assorted Prints
- Assorted Kids Brush Tub
- Elmer’s Washable School Glue – 4oz
Plastic Bottle Vase
I admit, this is a new project that I haven’t tried myself but it looks awesome. I went Googlin’ for a vase creation project to go with next week’s craft project – in my own defense, I remember making some vases in my youth with various materials and supplies and was trying to refresh my memory about materials.
Due to the level of skill involved with making this vase, this craft is best suited for older Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and even Ambassador scouts.
Materials Needed:
- A 20 oz. plastic bottle
- Scissors
Directions:
- Mark and cut the smooth middle portion of the bottle to give an even edge approx 7.5 to 8cm (3″) above where you want the fluted rim to be.
- Measure and make straight, evenly spaced cuts all the way around the bottle. Cut the segments in half and then cut each of those in half to make even, thin strips.
- Carefully press and fold all the strips outward to make a level edge all the way around.
- Press the bottle upside down on a flat surface to ensure an even edge.
- Weave the tip of a strip over the next one and under the next two. Fold and crease it so that the tip is at the place shown here by the arrow.
- Fold and crease the next one the same way, but weave this one over two and under one.
- Fold the third strip and weave the same as the first one.
- Continue around in this pattern until the last three and tuck each one under the next until woven in completely.
Safety Tips!
- Use craft scissors sharp enough to cut through the lightweight plastic but not too sharp that the girls can’t handle them safely.
- Be sure to supervise carefully as the cuts on the plastic might be rough.
This looks like a beautiful project for girls that are slightly older and can do a better job with scissors. Younger girls should probably stick to easier vase projects, which will come soon!
Quick Shopping for This Project
Dipped Candles
I remember making dip candles for as long as I can remember. Whether at a summer troop meeting or most often at camp, dip candles were a welcome craft that I loved. It’s a remarkably easy process that even the younger girls can do with some supervision. All materials are available at your local craft store and are relatively inexpensive. You can even substitute the wax with old broken crayons, though they do have a distinct smell to them.
Remember that many times these candles are not intended for practical use – the girls put a lot of time into dipping them in the different colors to make creative layers and shapes. These are best kept on a shelf and dusted off once in a while as a camp keepsake!
Materials Needed:
- ½ lb. paraffin wax, plain
- Old wooden spoon (don’t plan on using it with food again)
- metal coffee cans (one for each color you plan to make)
- a pot full of water large enough to hold the coffee cans (you’re making a double boiler, here)
- A heat source – this can be your stove, a camp stove, or portable burners.
- wicks, your choice of length (1″ of wick makes about a 1″ candle)
- coloring chips (you can use color chips or liquids bought at your craft store or use old crayons with the papers removed)
Directions:
- Most of the time the plain paraffin wax comes in blocks, so chop it up into smaller pieces (about 1″) for faster, easier melting.
- Fill the pot with water and heat on medium to a gentle boil.
- Place the wax into the coffee can and carefully insert it into the water.
- Stir the wax until it is completely melted. If you have a thermometer, the temperature should be 160°F.
- Turn the heat down; keep the water warm enough to keep the wax melted and about the same temperature.
- Add the coloring a little at a time until you’ve reached the shade of the color you want. You want the melted wax to be a shade darker than your final result because it will lighten up a little when it’s dry.
- Repeat steps 1-6 simultaneously if you want to prepare different colors.
- While an adult has been preparing steps 1-6, the younger girls can be cutting their wicks to the desired lenghts. There are metal discs you can buy in the candle aisle at the craft store to start the candles on, or you can just tie a small knot into the bottom end of the candle.
- Be sure to leave an extra inch on the wick for extra finger space to hold while dipping. The excess can be cut off once the candle cools.
- To start the candle, dip the wick in the wax for a few seconds to build it up around the knot.
- Continue dipping the wick into the wax until you’ve built up your desired candle. Leave at least 30 seconds in between dips for the wax to begin drying, or else you’ll end up dipping for a long time and just remelting the same layer.
- Once your candle is done but still warm, an adult can take a sharp knife and cut off the bottom to create a level sitting surface for the candle. Another technique is to set the candle on a flat surface and mold the still warm wax slightly to form a base.
- Set the candles aside to dry and set for a few hours. If this activity is done at camp, it’s best to let the girls have them later in the afternoon or the next day. If done at a troop meeting, you can either give the warm candles to the parents who pick them up to continue drying or pack them up carefully and give the finished candles to the girls at the next troop meeting.
Safety Tips!
- Never leave the girls unattended with the hot wax or sharp knife.
- Never leave the hot wax alone.
- Do not heat the wax above 275°F.
- Never let wax come in contact with flames. If you develop a wax fire, treat it as you would a grease fire. Do not throw water on it. Use a fire extinguisher (type ABC) or if it is contained in a pan, cover with a lid, extinguish any heat source and leave the lid in place until the area has cooled.
- Always use the double boiler water method to reduce the risk of wax fires.
- Remember to replenish the water in the pot as it evaporates keeping the wax melted.
- Do not pour the wax down the drain; it will block them.
Remember that the wax can be reused for candles at another time – that’s the beauty of using old coffee cans instead of pots for the double boiler. Just let the wax cool and dry inside and set them aside where children can’t get to them. The next time you’re ready for candle making, use an old chisel or ice pick and chop up the wax in the can for easier remelting.
Another great method that I learned once at camp is making ice candles, but we’ll leave that for another time 🙂
Quick Shopping for This Project
Salute Your Leaders! Leader’s Day is Today!
Today is Girl Scout Leader’s day, started to honor all the volunteers who work as leaders and mentors in partnership with girls. Girls, their families, and communities should find a special way to thank their adult Girl Scout volunteers.
Traditionally speaking, you could thank your leader or other volunteers with a gift presented from the girls. The GS Shop has a lot of nice jewelry and trinket boxes with the Girl Scouts logo.
A better idea that’s less expensive and more personal would be a scrapbook. Get together and have all the girls write letters or draw pictures (depending on age level) of what Girl Scouts means to them and what their leaders mean to them. Present this to the leaders and other volunteers involved with the troop and I’m sure it will touch them and honor them in a much more meaningful and personal way than a crystal trinket box ever will.
If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to such a labor intensive project, you can also put together a really nice collection of photographs from outings, ceremonies, and regular meetings. You can create custom photo books, greeting cards, calenders, key chains, and more at PhotoWorks.com.
