ART & CRAFT: SOLSTICE ORNAMENTS
Sun, come back! In the darkest days of winter, we can brighten our homes with a few little extra suns, made out of skewer sticks and coloured string. Any bright coloured string will do – embroidery floss, silk cord, or yarn.
Age: Approximately four and up; younger children might struggle with the necessary hand dexterity. Choose a thicker string (bulky yarn or cord) for younger children. Embroidery floss or coloured thread will require a lot more patience.
What you’ll need: skewer sticks, string, scissors. Optional: hot glue gun to secure the ends and knots – especially useful for thicker cords. For a more natural look, you can also use thin sticks collected outside instead of the skewers.
Instructions:
Tie the skewer string into a star. If desired, you can secure the joint with a dab of hot glue, but don’t worry – the ‘star’ will become quite sturdy once wrapped. Tie on the string, or glue one end; the former is more suitable for thinner thread, whilst the latter is better for thick cord.
Begin looping wrapping the string around the frame, always looping around the stick in the same direction. Keep the string taut and try to wrap as close as possible to the previous row.
When changing colour, tie the strings together with a mirrored double knot (also called the ambulatory or reef knot). Try to place all knots on one side of the ornament (I chose the bumpy side of the silk cord ornament, and the smooth side of the embroidery thread ornament as the “right” side).
When finished, tie the string twice around the last sticks and trim the sticks to size; make sure they’re still sticking out at least a centimeter from the end of the string.
Enjoy your little suns! Hope they brighten your home.
