Cool gifts you can make from TWIGS - Brief Article

Ranger Rick, Nov, 2000 by Elizabeth Schleichert, Donna Miller

by Donna Miller and Elizabeth Schleichert

Gather some twigs, a pair of pruning shears, Tacky glue, and scissors. Other things you'll need for each gift are shown in bold letters.

PICTURE FRAME 1. Place a photograph or one of your paintings on a piece of cardboard. Cut the cardboard to fit it. Then glue the picture to the cardboard. 2. Find a thick twig and a thin one. With an adult's help, cut them with pruning shears so they're longer than one side of the picture, as shown. Then cut three more pairs like this for the other sides. 3. Place the pairs of twigs around the picture. Tie each pair together and connect them at the corners with thin wire. 4. Glue the picture onto the back of the twig frame. Let the glue dry. You can also tape the corners to the frame with mailing tape or duct tape. 5. If you want, cover the wire in the frame corners with raffia or ribbon and knot it in back. Then cut a piece of it for a hanging loop. Tape the loop to the back of the picture.

PENCIL HOLDER 1. Glue brown construction paper around a sturdy round can. 2. Cut the twigs so they're just a little taller than the can. 3. Put Tacky glue on part of the outside of the can. Then press some twigs onto the glued part. Slip two rubber bands around the whole thing to hold the twigs in place. Keep adding glue and slipping twigs under the rubber bands all the way around. 4. When the glue is dry, remove the bands. If you like, tie a ribbon around your holder.

NAPKIN RINGS 1. Cut paper towel or toilet paper tubes into rings. 2. Cover the rings with twigs just as you did for the pencil holder.

INITIAL HANG-UP 1. Have an adult help you cut twigs into the lengths you'll need. 2. Tie them together with raffia or ribbon and loop a ribbon through the top.