Teen Recreational Programming
Arts & Crafts Projects
Page 4 of 4
Here's some specific craft recipes for you to
try.
Tin Punch
This form of metal work has been used for many
centuries to decorate masks, pictures, jewelry and
other forms of 'relief'. A relief is a design that
is raised from the background.
Materials:
Aluminum pie pans or frozen orange juice lids or
metal sheets,
Hammer (with safety goggles, if necessary)
Nails (long,medium thickness-ones that won't bend
if you hit them a lot)
Wood board (for hammering on)
Patterns (draw out on paper)
Paper and Pens
Masking Tape
Directions:
Trace out an outline of the shape you are working
with onto paper. Draw your dotted pattern in the
outline to make sure that it fits. Tape down the
metal to the backing wood board, now tape the
pattern over it. Put on the safety goggles &
hammer a nail with a one-two punch (only enough
force to punch the metal beneath without actually
driving the nail into the wood). Try the punch
method on a test piece of metal first to get a feel
for the force needed. When done, your paper pattern
should be punched out completely - to make sure
that you feel that it is completely done, take a
peek by pulling back the paper slowly. That way you
can either repunch over the pattern or if you feel
comfortable enough - you can take the paper off and
punch right on the metal if you need to repunch any
part. This makes a really nice wall hanging or
punch a hole up in the top and hang with a pretty
ribbon. Wear as a medallion or in the window as a
suncatcher or on your Christmas tree as an
ornament.
Variation: Tin Can Lanterns
Materials:
Tin cans, funnels, hammers, nails, water, access to
freezer, towel, paper bags, pencils, masking tape,
tinsnips, votive candles
Directions:
The tin is easily pierced with a hammer and nail if
you first freeze water in it. Cans without ridges
are easiest to punch. Fill each can with water to
1/4 inch below the rim. Leave the cans in the
freezer for two days so the ice can get very hard.
Cut up paper bags to make patterns that will fit
around the cans. Draw designs on the paper to
follow as you punch the holes. Lay the cans of
frozen water on a towel (to soak up the drips as
the ice melts) Wrap the patterns around the cans
and tape them down. Hammer evenly spaced nail holes
through the lines of the pattern. You don't have to
try to freeze water in the funnels; they're
sturdier. Just use a very sharp nail to punch a
simple design. Leave the funnel tops on or have a
leader cut them off with tin snips. In each punched
can, place a small candle and holder (votive
candles in glass jars work well). Place the funnel,
upside down, on top of the can.
Decorated Switch Plates
Materials:
Switchplates, Mod Podge, paintbrushes, scissors,
calendar thickness pictures, Glu Colors, pen
Directions:
1. Choose a picture and position over
switchplate.
2. Turn over and trace around switchplate, switch
hole and screw holes.
3. Cut out picture, leaving an extra 1/8" around
outline. Cut center hole and screw holes as is.
4. "Paint" plate with Mod Podge in long even
strokes.
5. Center picture and make sure to push air bubbles
out, from the middle out. Wrap edges and trim
carefully.
6. "Paint" picture with long, even strokes of Mod
Podge. Be sure not to leave thick white streaks, a
thin coating will dry clear and glossy.
7. Once dry, Glu Colors can be used to decorate
edges or used by themselves for a bright and "mod"
look.
Flag Pin
This creates a unique pin that looks like a
miniature American flag.
Materials:
18 read beads (R), 5 blue beads (B), 26 white beads
(W), 8 safety pins, a rosetter (looks like pliers
with two rounded ends, available at bead and some
hardware stores)
Directions:
1. Open up one of the pins, using the rosetter
untwist the ringed part (pin #8) and set aside.
2. On pins 1, 2, 3, & 4 put the beads on in
this order - W/R/W/R/W/R/W
3. On pins 5 & 7, B/W/B/R/W/R/W
4. On pin 6, W/B/W/R/W/R/W
5. Pick up the untwisted pin #8 and slide the pins
in numerical order onto it. Make sure that they are
in correct order and using the rosetter, retwist
the ringed part of the pin and wear on your shirt.
As they say... "Bead patriotic!"
Charmed Necklace or Bracelets
Materials:
Nylon coated or plain wire or fishing line, beads,
danglies/charms/large beads, scissors, crimp beads,
clasps, pliers, tape
Directions:
1. Fold over a piece of tape on one end of wire so
beads won't fall off.
2. String beads and danglies.
3. At end, add on crimp bead and a clasp. Put the
end of the wire back through the same crimp bead
and squish/crimp with pliers. Feed the extra wire
back through beads or snip off.
4. Now, with other end of wire, pull off tape, add
crimp bead and other end of clasp. Refeed wire
through crimp bead, squish, refeed wire through
beads or snip and you're all done!
Dip Candles
Materials:
Candle wax, cotton string or store-bought candle
wicks, empty tuna cans, broken crayons
Equipment:
Newspaper, cooking pot, tall tin can (should fit
easily in pot, coffee cans work well) fork,
scissors, cake pan
Directions:
1. Candle dipping can be messy. Spread newspaper
around work area.
2. Set tin can in pot. Fill the pot about half full
of water, place over medium heat.
3. When water begins to boil, add chunks of
paraffin to can until nearly full.
4. For candle dipping, the melted wax must be at
just the right temperature - not too hot or the wax
will slide off the wick, not too cool or the wax
will be too thick for dipping. You'll have to gauge
this by trial and error. In general, turn down the
heat to a low setting once the wax has melted. For
coloring, add two or three crayons to each can.
5. Cut a piece of cotton string or wicking material
at least twice as long as the can is high and weave
the string between the prong of a fork or tie to a
stick. Be sure to tie a knot at the bottom of the
wick.
6. Holding the fork handle, or stick, dip the
dangling wicks into the can until they touch
bottom. Then pull the wicks out and dunk them in a
can of cold water. Be sure to keep the two wicks
separated.
7. Continue to dip in wax and then water, always
letting the wax harden between dippings. After a
few dippings the wick may need to be straightened,
but as the wax builds the candles will become quite
stiff and straight on their own. Keep going until
candles reach desired thickness. It takes many
dippings, sometimes 50 or more, before the candles
are fat.
8. When your candles are complete they will have
the characteristic connecting wick between them
that was typical of all dipped candles in Early
America. Snip the loop with scissors and trim the
wicks to about a half inch long.
Plaster Masks
Materials:
Vaseline, facial tissue, bowl of water, towel, 2"
wide plaster gauze, scissors, brushes, paint,
gesso, enamel fix
Directions:
1. Find a partner
2. Tie back hair and get into a comfortable
position
3. Spread Vaseline over entire face, eyes, chin, up
to hairline.
4. Cut facial tissue into squares and place over
eyes and mouth, forming to shape. Cover mustaches
or beards with tissue. Be sure all hair is covered
with tissue.
5. Now you are ready to apply plaster gauze.
Measure gauze for area of face. Dip gauze in water
and place on face. Spread plaster to fill the gauze
holes.
6. Start with the forehead. Continue across cheek,
chin, eyes, mouth, and nose.
7. Mask can be reinforced by going over all areas
with a second layer.
8. Allow mask to dry approximately 10 minutes. Have
person wiggle their face. Start at hairline and
lift mask off.
9. Mask should dry in 24 hours.
10. Seal mask with gesso.
11. Paint mask.
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