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Washcloth Firecraker Favor Box |
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| Washcloth Bat |
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| TerryGami, 15 Cloth Toy and Ornament Projects for Crafters, Teachers, and Children |
The book is now available soft cover!
Available in the UK, Canada, Europe and Australia soon.
Welcome to washcloth crafts!
The TerryGami book can be easily used as a teaching tool or workbook. A wide variety of materials can be used to spark the imagination: colorful terrycloth washcloths and rubber bands, yarn, foam board, felt, glass gems, sequins,painted wood pieces and quilt batting if the critter requires stuffing. Be forewarned -- kids love to stuff them.
The children can start with the list of factoids in the book. They can then search for more interesting facts about a critter or holiday icon either on the web, at the library or just from the books and magazines you have at home.
Many subjects come into play with this craft:
*History is involved: The factoid page list how a holiday icon came into being.
*Science is involved: The factoids provide information about an animal's habitat, needs and characteristics.
*Math is involved: Measuring is necessary when making a critter or holiday ornament.
*Language is involved: Children have to read and decipher the instructions.
*Fine motor skills are involved: Children have mold, roll, and shape the washcloths, and, also, sew or glue them.
*Learning new a new skill is involved: Children will be able to create toys for themselves and others with just a few rubber bands or a piece of string and a piece of cloth.
Finding and purchasing supplies can be another avenue to explore for teaching. What materials do we need? Where do we need to go to buy them? Do we already have craft items on hand that can be used? How inexpensively can each critter be made and what price would it sell for at a craft show or on an online store like Etsy?
The TerryGami book can be easily used as a teaching tool or workbook. A wide variety of materials can be used to spark the imagination: colorful terrycloth washcloths and rubber bands, yarn, foam board, felt, glass gems, sequins,painted wood pieces and quilt batting if the critter requires stuffing. Be forewarned -- kids love to stuff them.
The children can start with the list of factoids in the book. They can then search for more interesting facts about a critter or holiday icon either on the web, at the library or just from the books and magazines you have at home.
Many subjects come into play with this craft:
*History is involved: The factoid page list how a holiday icon came into being.
*Science is involved: The factoids provide information about an animal's habitat, needs and characteristics.
*Math is involved: Measuring is necessary when making a critter or holiday ornament.
*Language is involved: Children have to read and decipher the instructions.
*Fine motor skills are involved: Children have mold, roll, and shape the washcloths, and, also, sew or glue them.
*Learning new a new skill is involved: Children will be able to create toys for themselves and others with just a few rubber bands or a piece of string and a piece of cloth.
Finding and purchasing supplies can be another avenue to explore for teaching. What materials do we need? Where do we need to go to buy them? Do we already have craft items on hand that can be used? How inexpensively can each critter be made and what price would it sell for at a craft show or on an online store like Etsy?
Have the children read the TerryGami instructions first and see if they can figure out how to make the critter on their own. It may seem like work to them, but if you make a game of it, they might find it fun to tell you how to make the critter. Teaching them to have enough patience to read through the instructions and figure it out themselves is a lesson in and of itself.
Teach the kids a little bit about terrycloth or the other craft supplies used like ribbon or yarn. From what I can find on the web, terrycloth has at least been around since the middle of the 1800s. The material and weaving technique was invented in France. The French used silk to weave this new, looped fabric, but later, Englishmen made the material, first from worsted (a wool yarn), and then later, from cotton. The Englishman Samuel Holt brought it to the United States, patented the looped weaving technique, and later sold it to a cotton manufacturer. The loops in the fabric make it very water absorbent. This is why washcloths and towels are made from this material.
Teaching them to sew is another lesson. Kids just learning to sew can get great results their first time sewing on terrycloth. If the thread matches the color of the washcloth, the stitches can barely be seen, especially if you instruct them to keep their stitches small. If you want to teach them to sew on buttons, use buttons for the facial features or make the snowman. He requires buttons down the front of his body and small buttons can be used for his facial features.
There are lots of ways to teach with the TerryGami book. However, you may just want to have fun with the kids and not make a chore out of it. There are plenty of projects to have it both ways!
Happy Crafting!
~Terry
