Woolly wraps
“Wool & Winter” go together perfectly, like they’re made for each other.
As the winter weather arrives we find comfort snuggling into our woollies… we love to wrap up in woolly jumpers, pull on some thick woolly socks, and head out topped with a woolly scarf and beanie.
Winter is the time when woolly crafts come to the forefront, as there’s something satisfyingly cosy about pulling out the crochet hook or knitting needles and getting creative and warm indoors on a dark cold night. Or at least imagining that we might get around yo doing that one day!
Kids are the same. Working with wool is a nice warming activity for little fingers, and yarn is a good material to weave (pardon the pun!) into lots of crafty fun at the time of year.
To make these little Woolly Wraps I’ve used things I’ve found around the house, mostly scraps of cardboard and yarn. If you’re anything like me you have cardboard boxes that seem to just appear in the house with surprising regularity, and it’s easy to overlook what a terrific free and sturdy resource cardboard is.
By cutting some very simple shapes from corrugated cardboard you can create templates that are fun to wrap with yarn. Try offering them to youngsters along with some woolly scraps to ignite some crafting fun.
If you don’t have a stash of yarns at your house it’s often pretty easy stuff to find, and a little goes a long way. Maybe you have a family member or friend who knits or crochets and is happy to pass on some scraps. I know in my school artroom we are regularly offered ends of balls by generous crafters who’ve finished projects and have leftovers.
Another great place to get your hands on woolly scraps is at your local op shop. Many have a box full of odd balls of yarn, and sometimes you may even find woolly skeins from old tapestry kits that offer small amounts in lots of colours.
Simple cardboard shapes work well for this activity, try things such as birds, fish, hearts and leaves, as they are easier to cut and simpler for little hands to wrap. Once you have the hang of it you can even experiment with letters or numbers.
Draw your shape onto the cardboard, as close to edges as you can to simplify cutting and waste. You’ll need sturdy scissors to cut through corrugated cardboard, and I find the flaps of boxes are the easiest areas to manage.
Once you’ve cut a simple shape or two these can be given to the kids to be be decorated and drawn on with felt pen or pastel. if you are prepared to do this activity in two stages you might even invite offer paint and allow time for the paint to dry.
These little notches are important to stop the wrapped wool sliding off the shapes.
It’s very useful to cut some tiny notches all around the edges of your cardboard shapes. These allow the wool to anchor onto the shape, and stop the wrappings simply sliding off.
Once your shapes are ready it’s time for little fingers to get busy and start wrapping. It’s often easier to offer the yarn in lengths of around 50 cms to avoid getting in a tangle. Anchor the first centimetre into one of the notches, then let them wrap away until the thread is finished, then anchor the last cm into a notch to hold.
Start wrapping… though it’s often best to cut wool to manageable lengths rather than offering the whole ball.
Using a cardboard letter is a great way to help children become familiar with the alphabet.
You can extend this activity in lots of ways. You can add collage on top, attaching pieces with glue or double-sided tape. You could try punching holes into the shapes to allow some threading. Completed shapes look great poked onto a stick to make wands, or hung from thread. You might even move beyond beyond cardboard shapes into objects from nature, wrapping things like sticks and branches.
It can be fun to take this wrapping craft outdoors and incorporate some natural materials.
Take this open-ended activity in any direction that suits your child, allow them to lead and be amazed by their imaginations. Most importantly have fun together x
