Falling for Fall: Corn Husk Dolls & Leaf Coasters
Collecting leaves in the fall, a shared pass time of many W. Va. residents becauase of the leaf collection assignments for science classes around the state which result in a general knowledge of the trees around the Mountain State. Carry on the leaf tradition with these cozy coasters made by preserving leaves between two sheets of glass.
Materials:
- Panels of 1/4" thick glass about 3" x 3". Two per coaster. (Photo frames can be used with glass cutters)
- The most vibrant leaves
-Hot glue
Procedure:
1) Start with the leaves and re-shape them so that they will fit on the panel of glass.
2) Once the leaves are arranged on the coaster, use droplets of hot glue to secure the leaf to the bottom glass panel.
3) Use the hot glue and press the two panels together tightly. Paste hot glue around the edges to seal the complete project.
(Optional: use metal tape around the outside.)
This idea can also be applied to photo frames. By pressing leaves on a solid background, create beautiful, and expensive looking, framed photos to hang around the house.
Husking the corn in the fall often brings grandchildren close to their grandparents. What seems fun as a child is sometimes a chore as an adult, and all the leftover husks make such a mess. Luckily there is a fun way to reuse corn husks in a fall theme decorative way.
Materials:
-Corn husks
-Hemp string
-Paint Markers with a fine tip and also a fat tip
-Hot glue or rubber glue
Procedure:
1) Start with about three large corn husks folded in half.
2) Tie a length of hemp around the ‘neck’ of the doll just above the bend of the husks. Pull the noose tight enough to make the head pop round. (Tip: for added roundness and firmness, use a large bead to give the head structure.)
3) Take two of the hanging husks, fold them up to the length of arms. Remember, hands often fall right below the waist.
4) Tie small lengths of hemp around the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder, making all the joints prominent.
5) Fold up the remaining four husks into legs. Tie small lengths of hemp at the ankles, the knees and the hips.
6) Use leftover pieces of corn husks to cut and create clothes for the scarecrow. (Tip: Scarecrows often wear Bib Overalls and straw hats, so using these as a theme is popular.)
7) Paint the scarecrow face and add any final touches necessary.
To make larger scarecrows, use more corn husks. Use adhesive to secure longer strands of husk together. Good luck on trying to make one that is life-size!
Materials:
- Panels of 1/4" thick glass about 3" x 3". Two per coaster. (Photo frames can be used with glass cutters)
- The most vibrant leaves
-Hot glue
Procedure:
1) Start with the leaves and re-shape them so that they will fit on the panel of glass.
2) Once the leaves are arranged on the coaster, use droplets of hot glue to secure the leaf to the bottom glass panel.
3) Use the hot glue and press the two panels together tightly. Paste hot glue around the edges to seal the complete project.
(Optional: use metal tape around the outside.)
This idea can also be applied to photo frames. By pressing leaves on a solid background, create beautiful, and expensive looking, framed photos to hang around the house.
Husking the corn in the fall often brings grandchildren close to their grandparents. What seems fun as a child is sometimes a chore as an adult, and all the leftover husks make such a mess. Luckily there is a fun way to reuse corn husks in a fall theme decorative way.
Materials:
-Corn husks
-Hemp string
-Paint Markers with a fine tip and also a fat tip
-Hot glue or rubber glue
Procedure:
1) Start with about three large corn husks folded in half.
2) Tie a length of hemp around the ‘neck’ of the doll just above the bend of the husks. Pull the noose tight enough to make the head pop round. (Tip: for added roundness and firmness, use a large bead to give the head structure.)
3) Take two of the hanging husks, fold them up to the length of arms. Remember, hands often fall right below the waist.
4) Tie small lengths of hemp around the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder, making all the joints prominent.
5) Fold up the remaining four husks into legs. Tie small lengths of hemp at the ankles, the knees and the hips.
6) Use leftover pieces of corn husks to cut and create clothes for the scarecrow. (Tip: Scarecrows often wear Bib Overalls and straw hats, so using these as a theme is popular.)
7) Paint the scarecrow face and add any final touches necessary.
To make larger scarecrows, use more corn husks. Use adhesive to secure longer strands of husk together. Good luck on trying to make one that is life-size!
Spice up fall baking
by Robyn Bird
The leaves fall from the trees, littering the ground with fall colors and signaling that fun is just around the corner. Every year in October, festivities ensue before the unbearable cold of winter commits the general populace to the indoors for five long months. October is all about picking ripe apples and pumpkins, haunted Halloween mazes and houses, and mostly, eating too many sweets then vomiting crazy colors. All of these things and more make October one of the most exciting months of the year. A huge holiday, like Halloween, needs a huge dessert, and with this pumpkin sized cake, the whole family will be eating until November.
Pumpkin Cake
What you will need:
- 4 boxes of any type of cake
- At least a single bundt cake pan (using two will allow both halves of the cake to be baked at once)
-Food Coloring
- Enough White icing to cover a small pumpkin
Procedure:
1. Preheat your oven to 3500.
2. Begin by mixing the batter in a large mixing bowl, using two boxes per bundt pan.
3. Grease the bundt cake pan(s).
4. Divide the batter into the two pans and bake each for 45 minutes to an hour. (The cake must pass the toothpick test).
5. After the cake has been completely baked, allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
7. Then place one of the cakes so that the flat side is facing up. Use a generous amount of icing (any flavor will do for this step) to cover the flat side of the cake.
8. Take the other half of the cake and put the two bottoms together, resulting in a pumpkin shaped cake.
9. Mix the white icing with the food coloring to make it orange and cover the outside of the cake.
Decorating the cake is the best part. Gather candy corn, black licorice, or any candy to decorate it like a jack-o'-lantern. For an added bonus, form a stem from rice crispy treats dyed green with food coloring.
The leaves fall from the trees, littering the ground with fall colors and signaling that fun is just around the corner. Every year in October, festivities ensue before the unbearable cold of winter commits the general populace to the indoors for five long months. October is all about picking ripe apples and pumpkins, haunted Halloween mazes and houses, and mostly, eating too many sweets then vomiting crazy colors. All of these things and more make October one of the most exciting months of the year. A huge holiday, like Halloween, needs a huge dessert, and with this pumpkin sized cake, the whole family will be eating until November.
Pumpkin Cake
What you will need:
- 4 boxes of any type of cake
- At least a single bundt cake pan (using two will allow both halves of the cake to be baked at once)
-Food Coloring
- Enough White icing to cover a small pumpkin
Procedure:
1. Preheat your oven to 3500.
2. Begin by mixing the batter in a large mixing bowl, using two boxes per bundt pan.
3. Grease the bundt cake pan(s).
4. Divide the batter into the two pans and bake each for 45 minutes to an hour. (The cake must pass the toothpick test).
5. After the cake has been completely baked, allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
7. Then place one of the cakes so that the flat side is facing up. Use a generous amount of icing (any flavor will do for this step) to cover the flat side of the cake.
8. Take the other half of the cake and put the two bottoms together, resulting in a pumpkin shaped cake.
9. Mix the white icing with the food coloring to make it orange and cover the outside of the cake.
Decorating the cake is the best part. Gather candy corn, black licorice, or any candy to decorate it like a jack-o'-lantern. For an added bonus, form a stem from rice crispy treats dyed green with food coloring.
Going Green(house)
by Robyn Bird
So long, summer, you will be missed.
With the last day of summer coming up next week, some students may be worried about their summer plants, but with this really easy-to-assemble greenhouse, not only can seedlings be started early in the spring, but fall plants will continue to yield into late October!
Materials:
(All the materials necessary for this project can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot.)
- 3/4' PVC piping, essentially the following lengths:
So long, summer, you will be missed.
With the last day of summer coming up next week, some students may be worried about their summer plants, but with this really easy-to-assemble greenhouse, not only can seedlings be started early in the spring, but fall plants will continue to yield into late October!
Materials:
(All the materials necessary for this project can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot.)
- 3/4' PVC piping, essentially the following lengths:
Several T-fittings sized for the PVC piping
- 5 45 degree fittings
- 8 three way fittings (elbows)
- Duct Tape
- Plastic Sheeting
Remember that when buying materials for a project such as this, extras are always a plus. PVC piping is cheap so getting extras will not cost much and since adjustments may need to be made while assembling, having that extra pieces will be a blessing.
Procedure:
1) Start by surveying the area available for the greenhouse. The ground must be flat and in direct sunlight.
(Remember: The sun is at its strongest between 10-2.)
2) Lay out both of the 8 ft. and 6 ft. poles forming the shape of your base.
3) Slide five T-fittings on each of the 8 ft. poles and cap the ends with side elbows.
4) Take one 6 ft. pole slide five T-fittings then connect to the elbow fittings on the two 8 ft. poles. (This will be the back wall of greenhouse.)
5) With the other 6 ft. pole slide on four T-fittings and connect to the other end of the 8 ft. poles. (This will be the front door of the greenhouse.)
6) The base of the greenhouse is now complete. Connect the small pieces of PVC into alternating T-fittings then stick them in the ground to give the whole structure stability.
7) Now, with the base secured into the earth, the ceiling can begin to be built. Grab one of the remaining 8 ft. poles and slide on six T-fittings and cap the ends with two elbow fittings. Set it aside.
8) Take five of the 5 ft. poles and insert into the T-fittings on one of the 8 ft. poles at the base. On the corners, slide four T-fittings and cap the tops.
9) Do the same thing for the other side wall.
10) Use all but one of the remaining 8 ft. pole. Insert them into the T-fittings and elbows that were just put on the corners. Duct tape where the piping forms intersections.
- 5 45 degree fittings
- 8 three way fittings (elbows)
- Duct Tape
- Plastic Sheeting
Remember that when buying materials for a project such as this, extras are always a plus. PVC piping is cheap so getting extras will not cost much and since adjustments may need to be made while assembling, having that extra pieces will be a blessing.
Procedure:
1) Start by surveying the area available for the greenhouse. The ground must be flat and in direct sunlight.
(Remember: The sun is at its strongest between 10-2.)
2) Lay out both of the 8 ft. and 6 ft. poles forming the shape of your base.
3) Slide five T-fittings on each of the 8 ft. poles and cap the ends with side elbows.
4) Take one 6 ft. pole slide five T-fittings then connect to the elbow fittings on the two 8 ft. poles. (This will be the back wall of greenhouse.)
5) With the other 6 ft. pole slide on four T-fittings and connect to the other end of the 8 ft. poles. (This will be the front door of the greenhouse.)
6) The base of the greenhouse is now complete. Connect the small pieces of PVC into alternating T-fittings then stick them in the ground to give the whole structure stability.
7) Now, with the base secured into the earth, the ceiling can begin to be built. Grab one of the remaining 8 ft. poles and slide on six T-fittings and cap the ends with two elbow fittings. Set it aside.
8) Take five of the 5 ft. poles and insert into the T-fittings on one of the 8 ft. poles at the base. On the corners, slide four T-fittings and cap the tops.
9) Do the same thing for the other side wall.
10) Use all but one of the remaining 8 ft. pole. Insert them into the T-fittings and elbows that were just put on the corners. Duct tape where the piping forms intersections.
Now the back and front walls can be assembled.
11) Bring the two side walls up and connect them at the back wall using the one of the remaining 6 ft. poles.
The whole structure should stand erect now.
12) Take the remaining 6 ft. poles and slide in the fittings remaining on the back wall. Again duct tape the intersections of the piping.
13) Take the other 6 ft. pole and slide on one T-fitting, insert into place on the front wall.
14) Using the two remaining 6.5 ft. poles, slide on two t-fittings and build the entire front wall and duct taping them to the ceiling pole.
15) Use the two 1.5 ft. poles insert in the t-fittings on the front door and also the 2 ft. pole on the top of the door. Duct tape the structure to reinforce the joints.
Now the whole structure is complete except for the ceiling.
16) Begin by taking the last 8 ft. pole and connecting on the very top of the 7 ft. pole on the back wall and the 2 ft. pole on the front door.
17) Take all of the 2.5 ft. poles and connect them two by two by a 45 degree fitting. Connect each of these onto the rest of the structure using the remaining t-fittings on the ceiling poles. Make sure that the joints of these poles is on top of the very top 8 ft. pole. Use duct tape to secure the remaining connections.
18) Now the whole thing needs to be covered in plastic. Take the sheets of plastic and use duct tape to create air-tight connections. Wrap the whole structure like a present. Either use rocks or stakes to seal the very bottom of the plastic.
Make sure to cut a doorway in the front of the structure.
Be sure the doorway does not allow too much air inside. Using layers of plastic will ensure a thicker door and also insulation.
11) Bring the two side walls up and connect them at the back wall using the one of the remaining 6 ft. poles.
The whole structure should stand erect now.
12) Take the remaining 6 ft. poles and slide in the fittings remaining on the back wall. Again duct tape the intersections of the piping.
13) Take the other 6 ft. pole and slide on one T-fitting, insert into place on the front wall.
14) Using the two remaining 6.5 ft. poles, slide on two t-fittings and build the entire front wall and duct taping them to the ceiling pole.
15) Use the two 1.5 ft. poles insert in the t-fittings on the front door and also the 2 ft. pole on the top of the door. Duct tape the structure to reinforce the joints.
Now the whole structure is complete except for the ceiling.
16) Begin by taking the last 8 ft. pole and connecting on the very top of the 7 ft. pole on the back wall and the 2 ft. pole on the front door.
17) Take all of the 2.5 ft. poles and connect them two by two by a 45 degree fitting. Connect each of these onto the rest of the structure using the remaining t-fittings on the ceiling poles. Make sure that the joints of these poles is on top of the very top 8 ft. pole. Use duct tape to secure the remaining connections.
18) Now the whole thing needs to be covered in plastic. Take the sheets of plastic and use duct tape to create air-tight connections. Wrap the whole structure like a present. Either use rocks or stakes to seal the very bottom of the plastic.
Make sure to cut a doorway in the front of the structure.
Be sure the doorway does not allow too much air inside. Using layers of plastic will ensure a thicker door and also insulation.