Art, Craft and Needlework, October, 2023

[Harriet]

This evening during the chatty part of online prayer meeting, I made a head-dress for Halloween out of fall leaves. I didn't like any of the videos or DIYs I had seen because I didn't want to use hot glue for something that will not last more than a few days, and have to throw away the hairband. I just brainstormed what junk thick papers I had that could be used and how to attach.

I think this paper-bag method would work for a lot of different hairband creativity for kids, plays, or otherwise :

I cut a 1.5-inch strip from the bottom of a still-folded paper grocery bag and from the cut edge I made cuts for half-inch wide fringes (flanges?) down to about the same width as the hairband I was using (it's about a 3/8-inch hairband? something like that). I folded that at the bottom of the flanges, curved it along the top of the band, and secured it with thread wrapped through each of the cuts and taped at the ends. So, it looked kind of like a brown porcupine arc of half-inch paper flanges sticking up on my head, until I got leaves on it. Then I Elmer's-glued leaves onto the front of the standing-up flanges in a pleasing pattern of reds, yellows, greens, also taping a little bit when it looked like it would help.

When the minister got to the prayers, I quit and held the last glued bits together during that time, keeping pressure on it. Diluted Elmer's brushed on will keep the leaves looking this way a while, but I realize this will NOT last much past Halloween. The stiff paper behind does make the leaves stand up instead of flopping. I would rather the grands remember that I made something out of the woods than out of construction paper.