SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Construction paper (red, white and blue)
• Printer (optional)
• Scissors
• String or yarn (red, white or blue)
• A stapler, tape, or glue

Rainsticks are ceremonial musical instruments used to invoke the rain spirits. They are made by people who live in the deserts of northern Chile. In Chile, rainsticks are traditionally made from dead cactus tubes with hundreds of cactus spines hammered into the tube. Tiny lava pebbles cascade gently through the tube, sounding much like rain.

This rainstick is definitely not traditional. It is made from a cardboard tube (instead of the dried cactus) and aluminum foil (in place of cactus spines).

Supplies needed:

Method 2 of 3: With Trash Bags

1

Take ten trash bags and layer them on top of one another. Trash bags don't come in all colors, but generally an accent color can be found, like yellow, black, or white. This method works great for squads that need impromptu sets as the material matches that of many professional poms.

• Place them on a flat surface. You'll be using scissors, so you may want to avoid shaggy carpet or a nice hardwood floor.

2

Cut off the drawstring at the top. Any edge that doesn't match the rest of the trash bag needs to be gotten rid of.

• Once all the rough edges or areas are cut off, fold the bags in half, width-wise. That is, fold them so they're half as long.
• Cut off the folded edge. This gives you a pile of 40 pieces of trash bag. Keep the bags lined up.

3

Make slits on both sides toward the center. Leave about 3" (7.5 cm) in the middle, uncut. That's where your handle will go. Do this on both sides -- this is a double-sided pom pom.

• If you want thinner strips, cut more slits. If you want thicker strips, cut fewer. Again, make sure to keep your pile aligned.

4

Gather the uncut center and wrap it with tape. Electrical or duct works best -- any sturdy tape will do. Wrap it around a few times to get it secure.

• Electrical tape may be a bit narrow and duct may be a bit wide, depending on your measurements. If either is the case, adjust the tape (by cutting it or adding more) so that it covers the entire uncut center.

5

Fluff and crinkle the ends. The more you fluff and crinkle, the more voluminous your pom pom will be. Grab small sections and scrunch them up; don't crinkle the whole end in one handful.

• If you'd like a bigger pom pom, start over but with more trash bags. But don't write off the possibility that you didn't fluff enough -- your pom pom should double in size.

See more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxL1fO2eZhs 

        DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Safety Pin and Seed Bead American Flag

Contributed by Leanne Guenther
 

Materials:

• 10 small silver or gold colored safety pins (size #0)
• 1 larger silver or gold colored safety pins (size #2)
• red, white and blue seed beads
• metal nail file or flat screwdriver
   
• Optional:  needle nosed pliers
   

Instructions:

• take one of the small safety pins and thread on the beads from column one of the pattern below (5 blue, 1 white, 1 red, 1 white, 1 red).
   
• repeat with the second, third, fourth and fifth safety pins.
   
• with the sixth thru tenth safety pins, start with red and alternate 9 beads red/white.
   

• Optional:  Pinch the opening of the safety pins with the needle nose pliers so they won't pop open.
   
• Use a nail file or flat screwdriver to stretch open the loop of the large safety pin
   

• This is the toughest part of the craft -- once you've done these crafts a couple of times, it gets easier.
   
• Step back and think about this for a second -- this step makes a lot  more sense if you keep in mind that you need the pin part of the large safety pin free to pin onto your hat or shirt -- you have to get the small safety pins onto the other side of the large safety pin.
   
• Slide the ends (little circles) of the small safety pins onto the large safety pin -- keep sliding all the way around the loop so it's on the other side (non pin side) of the large safety pin.
   
• Squeeze the loop back closed with pliers.
   

• Here are some additional suggestions from viewers:
    
  "I just took the circle end of the pin with the beads on it and twisted around circle end of the main pin.  After the first 1 or 2 it is easier than messing with pliers and you don't have to worry about them staying closed.  Also, using different styles and sizes of beads gives the flag a 3D effect.  Using the same large pins for everything is a different yet nice project."
  Thanks Fawn.
   
  "I bought the size 3 safety pins and used E beads. 3 blue, 1 white, 1 red, 1 white, 1 red worked well, 5 rows of that, then 5 rows of alternating red white (starting with red).  I also found that a staple opener opened the spring part of the pin very well."
  Thanks Tina