Crafts for Scouts - New Swaps Site ! - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 07-03-2006, 12:24 AM

Hiking Necklace
Make your next hike a safe -- and fun -- adventure!

You need:

Assorted Pony Beads
Magnifying Glass
Flashlight and Battery
Compass Key Ring (Not Shown)
Whistle
Hole Punch
Instructions:

Untie the knot on the cord that comes with the whistle. Retie it with a double knot down near the whistle to hold it in place. String three beads on each side. String on a flashlight, then more beads. Punch a hole in the magnifying glass and string it on with more beads. Add a compass if desired. tie the ends of the cords together to finish.

http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/hiking_necklace.htm

Duct Tape Sit-Upon
It's waterproof! It's comfortable! It's transportable! It's everything you've ever wanted in a sit-upon.
You need:

30 Yards Duct Tape
Scissors
Pillow Form
Instructions:

Lay a 22" piece of duct tape sticky side up on your work surface. Cut another 16" piece and lay it sticky side up next to the first piece, overlapping about 1/4". Cut additional 22" pieces adding them to your project until you have a 22" square.

Cut a 22" piece of tape and place it right on top of the first row of tape, sticky sides together. Cut more pieces and lay them one by one over the original pieces, completely covering them. When finished, you will have a two sided "sheet" of duct tape.

Make another "sheet" like the first using what ever color combinations you would like. Lining up the two pieces, trim all around to make a neat 18" square.

Join the two "sheets" together by cutting pieces of tape to fold around three sides. Slide in the pillow. And seal up the 4th side with another piece of tape. (Stapling it closed first will make taping up easier.)

To make handles, cut an 18" pieces of duct tape. Fold in half lengthwise so the sticky side is inside. Tape the ends securely to the sit-upon with additional pieces of tape.

http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/tape_sit-upon.htm

See also : http://www.scoutswaps.com/food.html

http://www.scoutswaps.com/camping.html

Jolie Rouge · 07-03-2006, 12:37 AM

SWAPs with Girl Scout Charms

Everyone will be asking. "Where did you get those?" and no one will believe you made these charms yourself

You need: Pattern for Girl Scout Charms and Shrinkles
or Precut Scout Shrink Art
Coiless Safety Pins - 1½" Gold
Jump Rings
4mm Round Beads
Chrystal Faceted Beads
6mm Jingle Bells
5mm Rhinestones
Low Temp Glue Gun
Metallic Gold Paint Pen
Fine Line Permanent Marker
Hole Punch

Instructions: Print Pattern for Girl Scout Charms. http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/gs_charms.htm

Trace charms onto shrink art. Cut them out and punch hole. Shrink according to package directions. Color both side with metallic paint pen. Let dry. Glue on crystal gem stone.

Use as charms and make SWAPs with beads and bells on a coiless safety pin.

http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/swap_gs_charms.htm

[b]Mini SWAP Booklets
If you are handy with a computer, this is a wonderful SWAP. Make a mini booklet that tells all about your troop.
You need:

Computer with imaging software and color printer
Coiless Safety Pin
Number Beads
E-Beads
Card Stock
Stapler
Scissors
Small hole punch
8" of #20 Hemp
Number Beads
Instructions:

These are the 3 sheets we have set up for our troop to make these SWAPS:
the cover http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/swapbook_cover.htm
page 1 http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/swapbook_1.htm
page 2 http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/swapbook_2.htm

Use these pages to set up a template to make your own. We chose to include a photo of our our troop and a map of the area in which we live. You can also have them girls draw or write in the booklets.

Print your pages, page 2 and page 3 are printed back to back. The back of our cover is blank. Cut pages up. Fold and assemble. Staple on the fold. Punch a hole in near the top on the fold.

Tie a small piece of Hemp to the safety pin. String your troop number on cord separated by e beads. String e beads on the cord. Tie off. Trim. Slide pin through the hole punched in your mini book.

http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/swap_books.htm

Scout Hand Swaps
Make swaps that say "I Love Girl Scouting".

You need:
Peach, Tan or Brown Foamie Hands
Pink and Green Craft Foam
Jewelry Craft Pins
Low Temp Glue Gun or Tacky Glue and clothespins.
Heart Gemstones
Scissors

Instructions: Glue down the thumb and pinky of your foamie hands. Use only a tiny amount of glue. A glue gun will be easier but you can use tacky glue and hold in place with clothespins until dry.

Glue the smaller pink heart to the larger green heart. Glue the hand to the pink heart. Glue on heart shaped gem stones. Hot glue on a pin to the back.

http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/gs_hand_swap.htm

Jolie Rouge · 07-03-2006, 12:50 AM

Tips for Making Great SWAPs

Your troop will be proud to have swaps everyone admires. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good SWAP but you should have a nicely finished craft. Here's a few tips to ensure you have great swaps at your next event.

Choosing the Right Project

Consider your girls age and ability when deciding what swaps to make. A lot of cutting and gluing may be too much for Brownies. These bear pins can be made in just a minute with no scissors or glue to frustrate younger girls.

Juniors who like to craft may prefer a more detailed swap. These binoculars are made from painted mini spools and pony beads and may be just right for crafty girls. Others may not have the patience to make a bunch. For those girls, filling bottle caps with beads may be just the right project.

Whatever the project, encourage your girls to take their time and make their swaps neat and presentable.

Use the Right Glue

Make sure your swaps stay together. Don't skimp on the glue. Better quality glue may cost a bit more but all your crafts will come out better and last longer. Swaps take a beating so it is especially important that the glue holds. Forget white school glue but tacky glue will work for paper and foam. Try ultimate craft glue for most other projects. Give your girls toothpicks to apply a small amount of glue and one bottle could last you all year. If using hot glue make sure to use a low temp gun for safety.

For some projects, glue will never hold well. Hard plastics like this mini plastic pot will not last long with a pin glued to it. We poked a hole in the lid to make sure the pin stayed securely in place with a piece of cord.

Use the Right Pin

If you're stringing beads on a pin, make sure you don't use a standard safety pin. Once the shank of the pin is full of beads, it can't be pinned to wear.

Coiless pins come in several sizes. You may need to open the pin out a bit to get the beads around the loop but it's easy to do with a large bead:

1-1/2" pins will hold 3 number beads or pony beads
1-3/4" pins will hold 4 number beads or pony beads
2-1/4" pins will hold 6 number beads or pony beads

Smaller beads may not fit around the loop without breaking so make sure to make a sample first.

For larger, heavier SWAPs you might consider a small clothespin. They will hold more securely and look cute clipped to brim of a swap hat.

Don't Forget the Tags

Make sure to include identifying tags for your SWAPs. If Swapping within your service unit, all that is needed is the troop number and perhaps the girls name and age or level. If swapping with girls outside your area make sure it include your city and town.

Tags can be hand written or made on the computer but use card stock instead of paper so they hold up better. You can glue them to the back of the swap or fold and glue them around the pin.

Make Sure it's Fun!

Most important, don't stress about making swaps. Crafting should be a fun and relaxing experience for you and your girls!

Last modified: 04/23/2006 ©2006 MakingFriends.com, Inc.

http://www.scoutswaps.com/tips.html

SWAP FAQs

What is a swap?

A swap is a small handmade craft, often with a pin, that scouts and others exchange. To find out more about the origins of swaps, click here.

What type of swap should we make?

It's up to you. If you are swapping at an event, it's nice to make swaps that commemorate the event. Going camping? Make camping swaps. Going to council event? Make girl scout swaps.

I'm not very crafty, should I do this with my group?

Sure, it doesn't have to be a complex craft. It can be as simple as filling little bags. Check here for some ideas and read our tips for help.

Where can I swap?

Many organizations such as girls scouts and camp fire USA set up swapping at their events. If yours doesn't, why not set up a program yourself? You can also swap online with us or set up your own swap on our forum.

Can I swap on y own?

Sure, there are lots of internet swaps. Just do a google or yahoo search to find one.

If I have an idea, will you use it online?

Sure, please just be careful not to violate other peoples copyrights and give credit where it is due. Click here to find out how to submit an idea.

Last modified: 04/24/2006
http://www.scoutswaps.com/faqs.html

Jolie Rouge · 07-12-2006, 04:50 PM

Chime Bracelets

Made with shells or lightweight trinkets, these bracelets are fun to wear because they jingle when you move.

Felt
Self-adhesive Velcro fastener
Scissors
Large-eyed needle
Yarn
Shells or charms
Glue

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Cut out a strip of felt that will fit around your child's wrist or ankle with a half-inch overlap. Attach the parts of a self-adhesive Velcro fastener to the shorter ends.

2. With a large-eyed needle, individually thread short lengths of yarn through the felt along the lower edge and knot the tops to keep them from slipping back through.

3. Glue shells or other charms to the strands.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and...&craftid=10052

Circle of Pins

Ever seen a safety pin look so elegant? Because this bracelet takes a little longer to craft, it makes a great project for a rainy afternoon or a sleep-over.

MATERIALS:
Safety pins
Seed beads
Scissors
Elastic thread

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Open each safety pin, slip on seed beads (you can use a single hue or create a multicolor pattern), then close the pin.

2. Cut two 12-inch lengths of elastic thread and loosely tie one set of ends together.

3. Feed the untied end of one thread through the top eyehole of a beaded pin and the untied end of the other thread through the bottom eyehole of the same pin.

4. String on the other pins, turning every other one upside down.

5. Carefully unknot the threads and tie together the ends of the top length, and then the bottom length, to form a slip-on bracelet.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and...&craftid=10015

Jolie Rouge · 03-02-2009, 11:28 AM

Firefly Pony Bead Pattern
Make it with a glow-in-the-dark tail!

You need:
--11 Purple Pony Beads
--16 Light Blue Pony Beads
--2 Black Pony Beads
--12 Glow-in-the Dark Pony Beads
--1 Yard Satin Cord
--1 Lanyard Hook

Instructions:
Fold your cord in half to find the center. Use a half hitch (see detail below) to secure it to lanyard hook. Lace beads using pattern at right as a guide. Finish by tying off with a double knot.

http://www.makingfriends.com/ponybead/ponyfirefly.htm

http://www.makingfriends.com/ponybea...s/P_FIREFL.JPG