Twiggy Name Frame (Summer Craft Kit 2013)

A couple years ago I saw this in the Family Fun Easy Crafts for Kids book. My neighbors were just heading out on a camping trip so I scurried down in my craft room and found some plaques and the rest of the supplies for them to take with them. They told me it was a great camping craft because they had a fun scavenger hunt searching for fun items for their letters (for example a rock or moss for the dot on an i, bark shaped like a c, etc). That is what I like about this craft is that it doesn’t just have to be sticks and a name (although that looks quite cool). Check out my creative Roly Poly’s (4 yr old) Sunshine Frame ~ he always has his own take on things and wanted to make a sunshine instead – he put a piece of moss and then a shiny stone in the middle - looks great, huh!

Although this seems like a simple craft if you are going to do a name and have youngsters this will take a bit of help from you to get the sticks made into letters. For Firefly (my 3 yr old), I broke up the sticks first and laid it out in his name and then took off each letter one at a time. I then put down the glue and he put the stick on the glue. 

One other note – you can buy wooden plaques at a hobby/craft store or you can just cut a board, sand the edges and then drill some holes in the top.     

*This is in the Summer Craft Kit 2013 - click here to see the other crafts in the kit or
here to purchase a kit on my Rocky Mountain Mommas etsy shop!

Enjoy this single stem idea of Twiggy Name Frame for
Seedlings (preschool and elementary age)...

The Stuff

The FUN!

Wooden plaque (drill 2 holes in the top if you want to hang) Paint (we used acrylic so we wore smocks) Paint brush Tub or plate for paint Small twigs Tacky glue Hemp rope or string to hang

1.   Save a tub from recycle or use a plate/bowl/lid to put some paint in. Paint the wooden plaque. You might want kiddo to wear a paint smock/shirt. 2.   Let plaque dry. You might need to do 2 coats of paint. 3.   Kiddos gather small twigs (or other nature materials). 4.   Arrange twigs (may have to break some up) to spell name on plaque. Make sure the 2 holes are at the top of the wooden plaque. *Another option is to paint the name on with another color of paint (or use a marker) and then decorate around it with nature items. 5.   Your kiddo may want to get creative here and use small stones, moss or other materials as well. This will probably take some adult help depending on kid’s age. 6.   Take off twig letters one at a time and add glue. Use a lot of glue! Then put the twigs back on top of the glue. Repeat this for each letter. 7.   Let the glue dry. 8.   Push the hemp rope/string through the holes at the top, tie knots and find a fun place for this to hang!

Now the PICTURES (for the visual learners)...

Gather your supplies - see that would be easy to gather for a camping trip craft!

Paint the wooden plaque

Gather small twigs (and nature items if wanted).
Arrange the twigs.
Take a letter off one at a time, put down glue and put back on the sticks.

Continue taking off twigs one letter at a time, putting down glue and putting back on sticks until finished.
Let dry.

Push hemp rope/string through the holes (drill holes at the top if not predrilled) and tie.
Find a fun place to hang and display!

A random crafting tidbit...

I store my tacky glue upside down in a small baby jar so when I need it the glue is ready to go!
I store my fabric glue this way as well. :)

  Please BRAINSTORM your ideas/suggestions in the COMMENTS below for the Twiggy Name Frame!
Happy Crafting
~Sara