Spinning a good yarn

What I like best about crafts with the children is talking while we create. I find we chat about all sorts of things that come into their minds as we work away at something. And then of course there's all the fun of creating!

G-man, our oldest boy, went to a summer workshop at our community museum. The theme was traveling around the world through crafts and games. His favourite craft was making Guatemalan worry dolls, which they made by wrapping wool around wooden clothes pins for ease. He brought home one and his brothers of course were fascinated and his baby sister absolutely taken with this little person. We have started making more while baby girl naps, a few for each boy, and a bunch for their sister's gift for her second birthday October 4th. It's been fun (okay, truthfully the first session was a bit painful because everyone was tired and quickly became fussy because it's fiddly work). But we made a few more and it was really enjoyable and a great way to use up bits of leftover yarn.

Simply break popsicle sticks in half for the arms. We taped them around the top of a clothes peg for ease. Then wind yarn around for a top and either pants or a skirt bottom. G-man got fancy and used a green ribbon because he figures his baby sister will like it, but it was tricky to get it on tightly. Draw on faces and hair and voila!

Danno's favourite "guy" - as we have guys more than we have dolls you see - is dressed to match his favourite orange soccer top and grey shorts. It's cute but also strangely made me think of voodoo dolls. Happily something my boys know nothing about since the last thing I need is more ways for them to bug each other!