If you have ever been on a fall nature hike with young children then you know that deep pockets come in very handy. I swear my preschooler is part squirrel. She collects anything and everything as though she was preparing for hibernation. Last week when her playgroup visited a local arboretum we left with dozens of nuts, leaves, blades of grass, sticks, flowers… you name it, my daughter had it crammed in her jacket pockets. One of the other moms suggested we create a homemade treasure box to bring along on our next hike to store her precious goods, but that’s fodder for another blog.
In this post I plan to share the craft project we made using the items she gathered during her day in nature. It’s a variation of a standard autumnal acorn wreath. The classic version is something my mom and I made when I was a kid, but in looking for a way to display my daughter’s “treasures” I figured that it would fit the bill. In addition to the acorns, our “Nature Wreath” includes some of the leaves and other items she picked up on our visit to the arboretum.
Obviously, this version isn’t one you are going to want to sell at a craft fair, but if you are looking for a unique way to display your child’s treasures and make him or her proud in the process I highly recommend making this wreath.
NATURE WREATH
Materials:
Acorns
Brightly colored fall leaves
Uniquely shaped twigs
Other seeds, nuts dried flowers, berries or other “natural” decorations your child finds outdoors
Wicker wreath
Hot glue gun
Glue sticks
Newspaper
Directions:
Spread the newspaper on a flat surface.
Lay your wreath down flat.
Heat your glue gun.
Group your “natural” materials in small piles.
Starting in the middle of the wreath, begin gluing the
bottom of the acorn. Place the glued part of the acorn in the middle of the wreath and stand the acorn straight up.
Make one row in a straight line going all the way around the wreath. Repeat the process from top to bottom with the wreath still laying flat.
Finally, decorate the wreath with flowers, twigs, leaves, etc. (you could add a big bow) making sure that you don’t leave any open spaces.
Note: Don’t decorate the back of the wreath otherwise you won’t be able to lay it down flat.
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