A Mouthful of Color (Ages 7 and up)

Making a colorful bird feeder is one way to brighten the winter landscape.

Supplies:

• 2 feet of thick string
• 1 large needle
• 1 bell
• 1 orange cut into cross-sections. Ask an adult to help cut the orange.
• 1 apple cut into cross-sections. Ask an adult to help cut the apple.
• 1 corn on the cob and cut into 2-3 inch cross-sections. Ask an adult to help drill a hole in the center of the cob.
• 1 fresh cranberries

What To Do:

1. Tie the bell to one end of the string.
2. Attach the needle to the other end of the string and thread the food items onto the string. Leave about three inches of string at the end.

3. Hang your colorful bird feeder outside and let the animals enjoy!

Inspired by Nature (Ages 3-8)

Create art with natural things and enter an imaginary kingdom using props from nature!

Supplies:

• 4 Sticks (two each at 2 and 3 feet long)
• Leaves, rocks, seeds, pine needles, and other nature decorations
• Thin strip of cardboard (cereal box cut to 2.5 inches wide by 20 inches long works well)
• Double-sided tape

• Stapler or sewing string and needle (have an adult help!)

What to Do:

1. Construct a frame with four sticks. A 2ft by 3ft rectangle will work well.
2. Gather the leaves, rocks, seeds and other things that you found to begin creating art.

3. Using these materials create a collage inside the frame.

Once your art is picture frame art is created, begin work on your royal crown! 

1. Make a crown using leaves.
2. Attach extra sticky double sided tape along one side of the strip.
3. Gather your remaining natural materials such as leaves, seeds and pine needles.
4. Lay the strip of cardboard down with the sticky side up.
5. Attach the natural materials to the tape.
6. You can ask a parent to help you use a stapler or more tape to attach the material firmly or you can punch holes in the leaves and weave them on the crown.
7. Make the crown small enough to fit your head and have fun playing in an imaginary realm.

Source: Newsleaf Vol. 42, No. 4

Dyeing Cloth with Black Walnut Hulls (Ages 7 and up)

Note: This activity requires help from adults in each step.  Since the hull, or soft, outside part of the black walnut is a strong dyeing agent, you may want to wear gloves to prevent staining your hands while working. 

Supplies:

• 2 pounds of hulls per t-shirt
• White t-shirts (one per child)
• Water
• Mordant (1 tsp alum, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 gallon water)
• Stove and pot for boiling
• Strainer
• Rubber Gloves
• Hammer
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• lampblack

• turkey or goose feather

What to Do:

Cracking black walnuts

1. To begin, remove the hulls (soft, outer casing) of the nuts with gloves to prevent staining hands.
2. Wrap each walnut in a cloth before cracking to stop flying shell shards.
3. With a hammer and a hard surface, you can get to the tasty nut-meat inside.
4. Gather the walnut hulls and break them into small pieces, and soak in water overnight.
5. Your white cotton shirts will also need to soak overnight in a mordant (recipe above)
6. The next day, simmer hulls and water over medium heat for about an hour, then strain out the hulls and let the “dye bath” cool.
7. Wearing rubber gloves, wring out shirts, and place in dye bath.
8. Cover with water and simmer 10-20 min. (longer time = deeper color)

9. Finally, rinse shirts in hot water until water runs clear, then hang in shady place to dry

Making old-fashioned ink with walnuts

1. Hammer the hulls (soft, outer casing) of the walnuts into tiny pieces.
2. Cover hull pieces with water in a pot and boil until water is deep brown.
3. “Set” the color by adding 1tsp vinegar and 1/4tsp salt while water boils.
4. For a black-colored ink, “lampblack” can be added. Lampblack is the soot created by holding a small dish over a candle flame. Collect this soot and add to the ink.
5. Allow ink to cool and store in a small glass jar.
6. Quill pens can be made by cutting the ends off of large turkey or goose feathers.

Source: Newsleaf Vol. 43, No. 4