Mother’s Day Crafts

By D. A. Woodliff

Nature Notes

To make some nature notepaper to give as a Mother’s Day present, you will need: a variety of weeds, small flowers, grasses, and leaves; an old magazine; white glue; scissors; wax paper; plain, folded notepaper with matching envelopes; a small brush; facial tissues; a large brown sack; an iron; and a ribbon.

1. Carefully place the plants between the pages of the magazine. Put books on top of the magazine for added weight. Press the weeds and flowers for several days until they are dried.

2. After the plants have been pressed, mix 1 teaspoon of white glue with 3 teaspoons of water.

3. Cut pieces of wax paper the same size as the unfolded notepaper. You will need one piece of wax paper for each piece of notepaper.

4. With a small brush, brush the glue mixture over each piece of the wax paper. Arrange flowers and weeds on one half of the glued paper.

5. Place a single thickness of facial tissue over the flowers. The tissue should overlap the edges of the wax paper. Dip the brush into the glue mixture and gently wet the tissue, being careful not to tear it. The tissue will crinkle up a bit. Set aside until the glue is completely dry.

6. When the glue is dry, place the plants tissue-side down on a paper bag, and press the wax-paper side with a warm—not hot—iron.

7. Trim off any tissue that is hanging over the edge of the wax paper. Fold it in half and slip the folded notepaper inside the wax paper, and glue between the two layers.

8. Repeat steps 4–7 for each piece of notepaper. Place notepaper with envelopes and tie with a ribbon.

Wind Sock

To make a wind sock, you will need: masking tape 3/4″ (2 cm) wide, a 9″ x 12″ (23 cm x 30.5 cm) piece of light-colored construction paper, a ruler, crayons or markers, glue, a paper punch, 3 pieces of ribbon 1/4″ (6 mm) wide and 12″ (30.5 cm) long, 1 piece of ribbon 1/4″ (6 mm) wide and 24″ (61 cm) long, 5 crepe paper streamers 2″ x 24″ (5 cm x 61 cm), a stapler, and a 1″ x 12″ (2.5 cm x 30.5 cm) piece of construction paper.

1. Put a strip of masking tape along the 12″ (30.5 cm) side of the construction paper, then color a design on the rest of the paper, leaving an uncolored 1″ (2.5 cm) strip at the bottom and top. Fold back 1″ (2.5 cm) of the top (where the masking tape is). Roll the paper into a cylinder with the design on the outside. Glue the edges together, and hold them until they are dry.

2. Punch three holes at equal distances around the top of the cylinder where it is reinforced by the masking tape. Tie one 12″ (30.5 cm) ribbon to each of the holes. Tie the other ends of the three ribbons together, then tie the 24″ (61 cm) ribbon where the knot is (see illustration).

3. Staple the ends of the streamers evenly around the base of the cylinder. Glue the remaining piece of construction paper around the base of the cylinder to cover the ends of the streamers and the staples.

4. When the glue is dry, hang the wind sock by the 24″ (61 cm) ribbon where a gentle breeze will catch it and make the streamers flutter.