Midsummer Memento Wreath

by Christine Dvornik

Age: Preschool and up
Time: An hour or more
Type of activity: Arts and Crafts

Make summer souvenirs into a household decoration!

Materials needed:
· Heavy cardboard
· Large- and medium-sized bowls or pots (to trace your wreath)
· Paintbrush
· Glue
· Summer treasures (flowers, leaves, sand, small pebbles, seashells...)
· Yarn or string
· Scissors
· Markers, crayons, and other decorative items (optional)

What to do:

Step One: Trace the circle for your wreath by drawing around the large pot or bowl on the cardboard.

Step Two: Cut out the circle. Then, using the smaller pot, trace another circle inside the one you just made.

Step Three: Carefully cut around the smaller circle you just drew. Now you have the pattern for your wreath.

Step Four: If you'd like, color or paint the wreath before you add your summer mementos.

Step Five: Using the scissors, poke a small hole in the top of the wreath.

Step Six: Thread several inches of the string or yarn through the hole, tie the ends in a knot, and slide the string so the knot is hidden behind the wreath. This is the "hanger."

Step Seven: Using the paintbrush, cover the wreath completely with glue.

Step Eight: Dust a layer of sand over the glue so that the entire wreath is covered.

Step Nine: Let the wreath dry for about 10 minutes and then gently shake off any sand that hasn't stuck to the glue.

Step Ten: Decide where you want to place your summer mementos and glue each of them to the wreath (make sure one memento covers the hole at the top.)

Step Eleven: Let the wreath dry and hang it up to remember your summer fun.