Wondering how to keep busy the children that are home for the holiday break? While last week’s column on the biology of acorns is fresh in your mind—and maybe if the kids can be kept busy collecting them—here is an idea on what they can do with all those acorns.
Making an acorn wreath
Gather materials:
• Acorns, pine cones, evergreen boughs and berries collected from a nature walk. Autumn leaves of red or yellow add splash of color along with the berries.
• Wreath frame or form. Frames of wire for the more advanced do-it-yourselfers; Styrofoam or straw forms if youngsters are making the wreath as foam and straw forms are most kid-friendly.
• Thin-mill wire that is easily bent.
• Wire cutters — don’t let the kids use scissors as the metal will be ruined.
• Gorilla Glue (clear)
• Ribbon bow
Assembly:
• Lay out all the materials on newspaper to collect the bits that will fall off the acorns, branches, and single berries.
• If using branches for a background, cut into smaller segments to match the size of the frame.
• Fasten the branches onto the frame using wire or insert the segments into the foam and wrap wire around them so they don’t flop out. Help the child place them equally around the foam. Largest segments are usually at the bottom of a wreath.
• Repeat adding evergreen filling to achieve the look desired.
• A simple way to affix nuts and berries to the wreath, without purchasing a glue gun or hot wax, is to use Gorilla Glue. The child (and adults!) will need supervision when using this glue as it will glue together any and everything— watch fingers!
• Pine cones make great fillers, as they take up space. They also can be glued to the wreath using Gorilla Glue.
• Leaves also make good fillers and accents A finishing touch will be to attach a colorful bow or ribbon to the wreath. The wreath can be a centerpiece or hung on a door or mirror.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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