Centerpieces

by Barb Stephens, Pack 114, Mid-America Council

Wild West

Covered Wagons

Paint checkbook boxes (or cover in construction paper). Cut wheels of heavy cardboard, draw on spokes and glue to sides of wagon. Insert a 4” - 5” dowel in front for wagon tongue. Add a half sheet of construction paper for the cover. Decorate cover.

Circus

Mini Balloon Bouquet

Paint (and optionally decorate) ping pong balls. Glue each to the top of a straw. Tie curling ribbon streamers under ping pong ball if desired. Place inside decorated soup can.

Circus Stars

Blow up small balloons (5-6” diameter). Cut off the top 2” of a large plastic cup for the base. Tape the balloon, neck down, in the base. Make different animal/character heads by adding yam hair, wiggly eyes, paper ears, noses, smiles, or magic marker accents. (Some ideas: elephants, bears, ringmasters, lions, clowns, seals, etc.)

Circus Train

Use empty Kleenex boxes (the kind with oval cut out are best) for various circus train cars. You can paint them or cover them with construction paper or leave them as is. Glue brightly colored cardboard wheels to the four comers. Draw and color various paper animals to put into each box. Add paper “bars” to keep the animals in. Don‘t forget to make the giraffe box open to the top!

Native American

Totem Poles

Cut in half and decorate a paper towel tube. Add construction paper pieces for wings, etc.

Teepees

Tie 3-4 coffee stirrers near the top to make teepee stand. You may want to hot-glue the stirrers in place on a piece of heavy paper that can later be trimmed away. Cover with l/2 of a soft round tortilla shell. Can cut out a triangle shaped doorway. ‘Decorate with fabric paint.

Trophy Skins

Cut notches in four small dowels (tinker-toy type & length are good). Be sure the notches on each dowel are on the same side. Lay dowels out in a rectangle shape. pressing notched ends together. Tie/lash each juncture so the comers are solid. Cut out a piece of leather/suede in an animal shape and punch small holes along outside edge. Loosely lace through the holes and around the dowels with cord. When finished lacing, tighten the cord to make a secure hanging. Decorate the skin if desired. Prop up two against each other for centerpieces.

Grand Old Flag

Flags

Paint a soup can (in stripes, and/or stars). Fill with crepe paper “fill.” Corkscrew (wrap around pencil) the top third of some red, white, and blue pipe-cleaners. Can do the same with patriotic wire garland. Inset-t corkscrews and some small US flags in each can.

Yarn & Nail Flag

Cut and sand a paper-sized piece of plywood. Pound I /2” brads on the left and right sides of the wood for the stripes (1-3 nails per stripe (I 3 stripes) or as many as can fit on your plywood. Be sure the nails for the top stripes are placed more toward the center of the board - on the right side of the “field.” Pound l/2” brads on the top and bottom of the “field” (stars) area too. Now string yam left to right around the nails for the stripes. Change yam colors to match the actual flag. String blue yam top to bottom in the field area. Add some sticky stars to the field. Attach a sturdy cardboard or wooden easel for the back.