Christmas: The Cutest Felt Wreath of All

by | Dec 17, 2011 | Artsy Craftsy, Parenting/Family | 8 comments

My daughter has this thing called Market Day at school.

It happens, oh… 4 times a year. The kids in grades 3, 4, and 5 earn Market Day money throughout the year. For Market Day the kids bring in hand-crafted items of unimaginable kind.

I missed the one right before Christmas break because…

Uh…

WellbecauseIamabadmom.OK?!

*head|desk*

Here are some items I spied at the Fall Market Day:

market day projects

  • Scented leaves with magnets
  • handmade satchel (this little girl sewed them herself!)
  • decorative hangers
  • (not pictured) balloon animals
  • (not pictured) pencil holder made out of a toilet paper tube and construction paper… decorated with rice and glitter. Yep.

At Market Day the children get to sell their goods. Which means they get to make more Market Day money AND spend their hard-earned “cash”.

I have a love/hate relationship with Market Day because… it’s work. For the kid… for the family. I didn’t hate Market Day when my son was doing it because I didn’t understand it and I was the worst mom ever and he was the poor little boy no one would buy from because his mother didn’t “get it”…. hithertohencetofore help him “get it”.

I have 3 big regrets with my son. This is one. The other two will come out in his therapy in 10 or so years…

Aaaanywho. Now I DO get it. It is an opportunity for the kids to learn about commerce. Being a business person. The value of quality workmanship.

And my daughter is quite the workman, but we are doing a lot of teaching about QUALITY. She likes to DO, but doing well is not so much her passion. Market Day is a great way to teach kids about the value of currency, pricing, and the value of craftsmanship. And some dickering. Oh, and gambling-ish.

This time, Olivia made this wreath:

felt circle wreath

 

One item. They are allowed bring 15 items to sell. When a child brings only one item… they do what politically correct gamblers call “A RAFFLE”.

Olivia made a sheet where schoolmates could write their names and room numbers and fork over 10 Market Day dollars to do so. The kids had to guess how many felt circles the wreath was made from. The person with the closest guess – wins! I asked Olivia how much she made… “I don’t know. I just know people had to write on the back of the paper!”

BOOM BOOM my little craftster-raffle girl!

felt wreath made of circle
(I live in the PNW. The wreath was finished at night and had to leave when it was still pretty much dark for school the next day… hitherhencetofore the dark picture)

This wreath took 225 felt circles. It could have used more, but we ran out of felt and so… there. It could have used a handful more, but the 4th grade girl who won will never complain.

I learned to make this wreath at a little craft night event thrown by Marie of Make and Takes and Lyndsey of The Stationery Place. They got the “recipe for it here: All Things Simple.

My daughter is 9 and it was a GREAT craft for her. I cut out a 3″ circle in cardboard for her template and those 9 year-old hands cut every felt circle. Not perfectly, but thoughtfully… and it worked out impressively. She pinned every one, and mom stepped in to help fluff and finish as only a mom can do.

It takes a little time, but as far as crafts go, it is easy time. The cutting. The pinning. If you have kids who like to craft and and busy hands is your child’s love language… I suggest this. No glue. No sugar. Nothing gets done that can’t be undone.

I’m wondering… what things do you do to spend time with YOUR kids? If you dont have kids… what’s your favorite martini? Whetehr or not you have kids – what’s your favorite martini???

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