Camp Craft Interlude

Since it's summer camp time (and not planning for the year time) I'm going to post some Girl Scout camp related blogs over the rest of the summer.  My goal is to post something every Monday for as long as I can keep it up, so cross your fingers for me.

My co-leader and I both volunteered at Girl Scout Day Camps this summer.   I worked with rising first and second graders and created a Biffy Sniffer project for them to make (though I would recommend rising second grade and up in the future).  My co-leader worked with rising fifth and sixth graders and we created a Duct Tape bag Project for them (though my rising second grader was able to do a decent job with that as well.)

Fairy (and Butterfly) Biffy Sniffers

The story behind these Biffy Sniffers started with an idea from my Aides (Teen Staff) and ballooned out of control when my OCD took over.  For those of you who are new to Girl Scout Camping a Biffy is a latrine (Bathroom In the Woods For You).  A Biffy Sniffer, as I learned, is nice smelling object that the girls make to sniff in the latrine to cover it's smell (it gets pretty unpleasant as the week goes on).  

During our planning session in May my Teen Staff came up with many of our unit activities (Girl Led and all that) and the Biffy Sniffers were put on the schedule.  I knew nothing of them but I was in charge of all pre-camp buying so once I was home I did some research and found some cute ideas.  My units name was the "Fairies" so my imagination ran wild and came up with these.  

The butterflies were created as a simpler option and I will say for the age group I was working with the girls who made those had more success.  They were all able to make a fairy or butterfly, but the younger girls needed more help with ripping the duct tape and making the heads.   The girls really loved the project but it was high clean up.  I think I would recommend it as a Brownie or Junior project.

My sample Biffy Sniffers

Supplies

I got the majority of these supplies at the dollar store.  The only expensive part of the project is the fancy duct tape, though you don't use much of it.  I recommend shopping around and not spending more than $3 for 10 yards for the fancy stuff.  The bright colored should be cheaper and you should be able to get blue, white, black and red really cheap in the hardware section.

1.  Cheap 6 pack of sweet drink like Kool-Aid Bursts
2.  Cotton balls
3.  Cheap scented oil
4.  Array of duct tape
5.  Nail
6.  Masking tape
7. Sharpies
8.  Googly eyes
9.  Pipe-cleaners

10.  Scissors
11.  Card stock (or foam) butterfly wings
12.  Scotch tape
13.  Self-adhesive jewels
14. Yarn

Scented oil from the dollar store.

Steps

1.  Clean out drink containers for body.

We worked on the "Using Resources Wisely" Petal with the younger girls so we gave them half frozen Kool-Aid Bursts on the first day and had them wash them out to make the bodies.  You should be able to get the Burst or some equally good imitation for 6/$1.  I froze them overnight then let them melt all day at camp.  Hint: Make sure your cooler isn't too good or the girls won't be able to drink them.  I opened my cooler up about 2 hours before drinking them.  

Cleaned out bottles.  They are easier to work with if you cut off the top.

2.  Soak (just to wet) cotton balls with the scented oil.  The girls were able to do this themselves after it was demonstrated.

3.  Add three wet cotton balls to the container.

Cotton balls inside

4.  Cover the bottle with duct tape.  The rising 2nd graders were able to do this entirely by themselves, even if it was a bit wrinkled.

5.  For the Fairy: Add one pattern of duct tape to the top and another for the bottom, then cap the bottle with another cotton ball and cover it with masking tape.

Cotton ball head

Draw on a face and glue then scotch tape on hair (the glue takes too long to dry and the girls will get frustrated).

6.  For the Butterfly:  Cover the bottle with one color tape, then fold a pipe-cleaner to form antennae and insert the folded part into the top of the bottle.  Then draw on face and glue on eyes.

Butterfly pre-face

7.  Using a nail to punch two holes on either side of the base to let out the smell.  You or a Teen helper should do this step.

Nail punched in to make a air vent.

8.  Meanwhile, the girls can decorate their wings with markers and jewels.

My butterflies were cut with my Cricut, but a simpler version could be done free hand.

9.  Glue (for permanence) then scotch tape (for immediate stability) the wings to the back of the bottle.

10.  Ta-da!  Finished Creation:

My Fairy (with ugly green shirt)

My butterfly

Butterfly made by a rising first grader

Bee created by my AIT (Aide in Training)

Duct Tape Bag

My co-leader decided she wanted to make duct  tape Personal First Aid Kit as part of a Junior badge.  It was her idea to use the quart-sized ziplock bags and braid the strap.  She brought me the supplies, then drank her coffee and chatted as she left me to put it all together.  (I think she's quite proud of how she got me to do all the actual crafting for her).

While she used the bags as Personal First Aid Kits, you can make them for any purpose.  I personally like them as SWAP bags.

The SWAP bag I made and used myself.

Supplies

1.  Quart-sized zip-lock bag
2.  Array of duct tape
3.  Scissor
4.  Scotch tape

Steps

1. Starting with plastic bag, wrap it with strips of duct tape.

2.   Make sure to line the strip on top with the edge so it doesn't stick together (or carefully fold it over both edges).

3.  Seal the bottom with another strip of duct tape.

4.  Decorate as you wish with other duct tape patterns.

This cross represents First Aid

5.  For the handle lay out long strips of duct tape and fold inward by thirds to make a sealed tape ribbon.  Repeat twice more with two different tapes.

6.  Tape three strips together with scotch tape.

7.  Braid. Seal with Scotch tape on other end.  

8.  Draw a shape on duct tape and cut it out.

9.  Use tape shape to attach strap on left front, then repeat on back.

10. Finish!

Finished First Aid Bag

My seven year old thought the bag was cool and wanted to make one herself.  She made this one (below) entirely on her own.  The only part she struggled with was cutting the duct tape shape.   She gave up, found the orange flower you see in the picture among her craft supplies and used a glue gun (that was out for another project we were working on) to attach the straps.   The glue gun was her idea and she used it herself.  She now uses the bag to carry her journal around.  It makes a nice watertight seal.  She's very proud of it.