Swapping hand crafted items is a fun way to make new friends and exchange ideas. Girlscout swaps allow the scouts to get creative with crafting ideas and exchange their crafts with members of other troops. The items usually have a tag with a bit of information, such as the scout’s troop number, name, and state. This makes it easier for the scouts who have swapped crafts to remember who they are from, and makes them more memorable as keepsakes. This article will discuss two kinds of bugs made from pompoms and safety pins that girlscouts could make for a swap.
Bug Craft Ideas: Bumblebees
Cute pompom bugs can be made for girlscout swaps. Bumblebees are a popular type of pompom animal. Making bees from pompoms is fairly simple. You will need some yellow and black pompoms for the body. Some type of heavy, flexible plastic or transparent fabric can be used for the wings. A large safety pin is used to put everything together. You can also use pipe cleaners to make antennae, and you may want to give them a pair of googly eyes.
First, alternate the yellow and black pompoms, carefully putting the large safety pin through them. Before putting the last pompom (the head) on the pin, you will want to attach some wings. You should cut out some roundish or leaf-shaped transparent fabric or plastic for the wings. Check the remnants bin of your craft store for pieces of vinyl or fabric that are iridescent or that remind you of insect wings. Otherwise, you can use any heavy plastic you can find. Thread this onto your safety pin, then add the last pompom for the head. You can also twist a piece of black pipe cleaner around the pin to make some antennae if you wish. Close the safety pin up. Small googly eyes can be glued onto the last pompom. An additional, smaller safety pin can then be added, so the bee can be pinned on things, and a printed out tag with your information can be attached.
Bug Craft Ideas: Ants
You could make an ant for your girlscout swaps in very much the same way, but using only black pompoms and leaving off the wings. Thread a few black pompoms onto a safety pin. Black pipe cleaners can be twisted around the pin, between the pompoms for the legs and antennae. Cut four pieces of pipe cleaner for each ant. Twist the middle of each around the pin, and bend three of these to make three pairs of legs. Bend them up first on each side, then down for the knee joint, then straight out to make feet. The fourth piece will be the antennae. Twist these upwards. Then yo u can close the pin and glue on some googly eyes. Once you are happy with the look of your ant, you may want to put a small pin onto the bigger pin. This allows it to be pinned onto something without disturbing the pompoms. You can print out a tag on the computer and attach that, as well.