she rips, she strips, she scores

Sometimes, ripping things up is fun. ESPECIALLY if you're caught inside during a summer downpour and nothing sounds fun to do anymore. (Yes, we're having those conversations already - and he won't be out of school until Friday!)

My son was tearing up newspaper into long thin strips and getting excited about paper-mache, (a good goopy/messy activity if there ever was one) and I thought…braids. What a neat texture doing paper-mache with braids would be!

(And it would. But it would take forever to dry.)

After I had a mess o’ braids, I remembered something we’d done at Girl Scout camp with rawhide cords.

Bowls. We made bowls. And Coke can covers. (It pains me to reflect upon how many years ago that was that I both went to Camp Sacajawea and cans were the cool way to drink beverages.)

But really, what are you going to eat from newspaper? But I DID need a new pencil/pen/general desk-cluttering-crap holder, one that wouldn't get knocked off and broken by the kids  kids blaming it on the cat  cat.

So, I started with one braid and coiled it around itself, sewing the edges with thread, mushing it flat with my hand as I shaped it. Once the base was big enough, I kept on sewing the edges of the braid, but now I pulled up with my fingers as I went along, making walls.

See?

I think this was three braids.    

I continued on this way, sometimes putting my fist in the vase and twirling it to stretch it, make sure it all held together, and to look for any loose spots between the braids that I needed to sew.

And here it is!

If I wanted to make this a more permanent basket (one that my kids couldn't demolish with one spill) I could hit this with some spray shellac or even spray starch to make it more durable.

My son had a great time grouping the strips and arranging them so that I had three with an end caught under a paperclip (easier to braid) and my daughter enjoyed watching how quickly this went together - but she tired of just watching, and I wasn't willing to give her lovely self a needle. So after I promised to make some tiny felt baskets out of pink and purple felt for Pony shoes and things, she helped me make strips we could eat.



Marshmallow Pinwheels

1 pkg Jello Gelatin, any flavor

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups marshmallows

Stir gelatin and water together, heat in microwave until gelatin is dissolved, about  1 1/2 minutes. Stir in marshmallows, microwave 1 minute until marshmallows are partially melted, stir with whisk until all melted. Pour mixture into lightly greased (with cooking spray) nine inch square pan. Refrigerate 45 minutes to one hour until set.  Run sharp knife around edges of pan to release gelatin, thump it out on cutting board.  Roll it up tightly and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

(We had four flavors, all different colours.

It's hard to say which project they enjoyed more!)

image from the Jello website

Comments

[Helen]

Great ideas!! I love when you remember something old and make it new again!

[Woman in a window]

The pinwheels look absolutely...disgusting. MY KIDS WILL LOVE THESE! Next week and summer vacation is so afoot!

[tut-tut]

Quite a nice idea . . .