April 5 was National Dandelion Day, the day that we celebrate that magical little weed. My dad would certainly call this celebration an act of betrayal, as he continues his unending war against the little buggers.
He is 1100 miles away and doesn’t have to know. Here in Texas, I like to celebrate anything that blooms.
I have fond memories of picking delicate little bouquets of the colorful little pompom flowers for my mother. I remember crying the first time O picked a bouquet for me what seems like forever ago. I even went out and bought a tiny bud vase to celebrate the occasion. She still fills it for me every chance she gets, even though it is only a matter of hours before they wither and die. The short life kind of makes the celebration a little sweeter, doesn't it?Then there are the hours of laying with my papaw in his backyard blowing the dandelion seeds into the air. My dad would have had a fit, but as everyone knows kids can get away with anything at Papaw’s house. I remember savoring the glory after I rushed head of my brothers to be the first to get to the coveted puff of possibilities.
In celebration of all of those memories, and encourage the next generation, we honor that “dirty little weed,” THE DANDELION. As with any celebration, we must CRAFT! So here goes, something for every age.
Nature Walk
Supplies needed:
- 1 seeded dandelion
- Blue paper
- Green paper
- Glue
(pic)
Tear the green paper to form the grassy hill. Glue it to the blue piece of paper. Now glue the dandelion to the paper, the seeds will scatter. Glue the seeds in place. The glue will dry clear, and just look like they have been blown in the wind. (My pic is still wet, so you can still see the glue streaks.)
Q-tip Dandelion
Supplies needed:
- Q-tips
- Glue
- Blue paper
- Green paper
- Round cotton makeup pad
(pic)
Put a huge glob of glue in the center of the paper. Arrange the Q-tips in a circle. When finished, cover the glue blob with the makeup pad. Cut a stem and leaf from the green paper, and glue it down too. O decided to fluff out the Q-tip tips to give it a softer feeling, and write, “make a wish” across the top. I thought was a super cute addition.
Giant Dandelion
Supplies needed:
- Yellow paper cut into 2.5 inch strips.
- 2 Pieces of green paper
- Tape
- Glue
(pic)
Cut fringes into the yellow strips of paper. I found it easiest to score the paper to .5in and fringe the 2in. (great for practicing measuring and math skills) Glue the unfringed edge, and roll the first strip. Next, roll the second strip around the first, and so on until the strips are all wrapped into 1 huge role. Wrap a piece of green paper around the base to form the collar. This will connect the bloom to the stem. Roll the second piece of green paper into a stem, and slip it into the other end of the green collar. Drip some glue into the collar, and then wrap the tape around the top and bottom of the collar to secure it. Cut out a leaf and glue or tape it to the stem. Then spread out the bud into that well-known golden puff.
Giant Seeded Dandelion
Supplies needed:
- White yarn
- Green pipe cleaners
- Card
- Barbie brush
(pic)
Wrap the white yarn around the card until it is as full as you want, keep in mind that you will lose a few “seeds” when you brush. Slide it off the card, and tie another piece of yarn tightly around the loops. Stick in the pipe cleaner stem into the knot and secure with a twist. Cut the loops to reveal a pompom. Then take a Barbie brush and brush the pompom until it is all fluffy.
