Of Acorns Paper
and Wire
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While waiting for the outdoor
signs and wonders of winter’s coming, inside we have been making other
preparations for the season upon us. The craft project that grew most
naturally from our surroundings came about when we were hiking one day, and the
kids discovered dried seed pods and seed caps littering the ground under a
Eucalyptus tree.
seed collecting in
November
They came home with full pockets
and big plans to use the seed pods to make little people, like a set of three
we already had, souvenirs from a friend’s trip to
Besides the Eucalyptus pods, we
needed acorn caps, and found plenty in our neighborhood. After looking
over our original set, which consists of a tiny king, queen, and knight, I
found the other supplies at a craft store and in my own stash to complete
similar figures –colored felts, unfinished wooden beads, and varicolored
yarn. Here are some pictures of the first attempts:
the originals with
extra knights, squires, and a lady
Each of my kids painted and
assembled a little figure with some glue and detail help from me, and while
they worked planned the hordes of knights yet to come. That first blast
of creative energy was put on hold until a later date, and our acorn crew found
its way to a shelf for the meantime.
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Flash-forward
to Thanksgiving and my cousin Margie. Margie took one look at our little acorn
friends and said, “That would be a great way to make a Nativity Scene!”
Put Margie’s enthusiasm together with a crafting Saturday afternoon at my house
before Christmas, and you get these:
Margie
Margie's
kings from the
Margie
paints a star
T across
the table
acorn baby in a
walnut manger
Margie's
second Nativity
Kelly's
Mary, in blue, and another king
The best thing about this project
was that the found materials inspired us, suggesting by their very shapes what
they might become. Each small figure was different from the others, and
full of spirit. By the end of the afternoon, the crowd of acorn folk made
quite a gathering! As the creative juices got flowing, so did that
certain Christmas feeling, and with it good fun, and so Margie and I agreed to
make a habit of these cousins’ crafting sessions.
peeking through
the crowd
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