I made up kits for two projects for my out-of-town grandchildren, The Ghoulish Golfer for Joseph, and Ha! Ha! You Can't Catch Me! for Laura.
I mailed everything early in October to insure that they would have time to work on them with their and their parents' busy schedules.
Here is the letter I enclosed:
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Dear Joseph and Laura,
Here are some projects for Halloween. I will give instructions for both of you in this letter, since you told me you would help Laura with hers, all right, Joseph?
First of all, you will need to get a few items from the tools and supplies I have given you in the past. Here’s what you need:
- Your Enjoy placemats or a large piece of wax paper for each of you so that you won’t mess up the kitchen table (or whatever surface you will be using).
- Your small wire cutters
- Two paint brushes – one for paint, one for glue
- A pencil
- Small scissors
- Also, you will need a plastic or styrofoam cup filled about halfway with water for brush cleaning
- And a second one with clean water for general clean-up
The rest of the items you need will be in the bag.
After you both have your work surfaces ready, eat the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups so that you will have lots of creative energy!
In your bag, Joseph, you will find some supplies that both you and Laura will be using. For example, below are the cups you can use for paint or glue or for sprinkling grass, if you think you need them, and some small pieces of paper towel to use for cleaning your hands and work area.
And you will find a baggie with paint and glue.
I will describe your project first, Joseph, and then Laura’s, but you can do many of the steps together. For example, you can each paint the bases at the same time so that they can dry while you work on other things.
So, here is your project, Joseph:
Just because a fellow has lost a little weight, doesn't mean he doesn't still enjoy a good game of golf.
You will notice your golfing skeleton has pretty big feet which allow him to stand. I have cut through the plastic so that he can be bent at the joints more easily. In general, though, he is already somewhat posed. You probably know more about a proper golf stance than I do, so you and Dad might decide if he looks better another way. Once you decide, draw lightly around his feet so that you will not put too much grass there, then set him aside.
Use the brown paint to paint the entire base. Then use your brush to coat the top of the base with glue.
Now sprinkle on the grass, patting it into the glue until you think it looks okay, leaving the area where his feet will go mostly bare.
Notice that his hands are going to need some manipulation to get them to hold the golf club properly. So, stand him in the place you marked earlier and then figure out how the golf club will be placed on the ground. (Sorry for the poor quality photos; I was in a big rush and the lighting was wrong.)
You can use glue on the bottom of the club and glue where his hands will go, but I think you will need to wire his hands together to make them hold right. Kind of experiment first to see how it looks before you add the glue. The wire is small enough that I don't think it will even be noticeable. Use your wire cutters to cut off any excess.
I have included some Super Glue, if you think you need it. Be sure that you decide how you want things to go, then ask Mom or Dad to add the drop of glue for you. I don't want you to glue yourself together!
Once you have the golfer in place, you might need to add a bit more grass around his feet, so it will look like his feet are kind of sinking down into it. If you do, just use your toothpick to add a bit of glue, then sprinkle the grass into it.
I included three possibilities for golf balls; you can decide which works best. One is flattened on one side. Once you have decided then put a spot of glue next to the golf club and add the golf ball.
And look out Tiger Woods!
The first thing you need to do, Laura, is paint your base with the orange paint, then set it aside to dry.
Next you will make your pillow. These are the things you need, plus glue. Joseph will help you if you need help.
Use your toothpick to add a strip of glue down both sides and across the ends of the fabric. You want it to be mostly along the orange line and a little bit out into the black. Use a pretty good amount, but not so much it is too runny. If you need to, use one of the paper towels to clean your fingers before you go any further.
Then you fold it over the cotton so that it looks like this.
Press the sides together with your fingers. If it looks like you don't have enough glue, use your toothpick to add more. Then use one of the clips to clamp the sides together.
Then use the other clip to hold the other side together. Put your pillow aside to dry.
Put some glue on the bottom of the mouse and set him in the chair so that he is looking down like this.
Next set the chair on your base so that it is in the center and place your kitties in front of the chair so that they are looking at the mouse.
When you are satisfied, put some glue on the bottom rockers of your chair and press down firmly. Then add glue to the bottom of your kitties and glue them in place.
Remove the clips from your pillow. If there are spots where it isn't glued well, add a bit with your toothpick and press together again. If it looks a bit crooked, use your scissors to trim the edges so that it looks nice. (If you don't feel comfortable doing this, Joseph can help you.) Put some glue on the bottom edge of your pillow and lean it against the back of the chair behind the mouse.
Now step back and admire your Halloween scene as the mouse teases the kitties, "Ha Ha! You can't catch me!"
,,,,,
Okay! Remember how important it is to wash your brushes and clean up your mess when you have finished? If you have extra supplies left, you can put them in your supplies and materials cart for another time.
When you have finished your clean up, reward yourself by eating a KitKat Bar.
Hope you both have fun making your Halloween scenes. Please ask Mom or Dad to take pictures for me when they can.
Love,
Nana
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NOTES:
Unfortunately, both their parents are working and very busy, so I don't have pictures of the kids as they worked on these simple little projects this time, but I hope they had fun doing them.
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