Another Idea for Recycling those Old Wire Hangers
Now that the age of hangers has shifted and most people have changed to plastic or wooden hangers, there is a surplus of wire hangers, especially those that come from the dry cleaners, scattered around the house or in the floors of closets. Why not uses those old pieces of useful wire to make a fund craft that your kids will enjoy. Not only will it solve the wire hanger problem, but it will also provide a way to keep your children’s minds stimulated and hands busy with an inexpensive craft. In this example, you will learn how to coach your kids through making and designing their own wire mask.
Kids love to play dress up, and there is nothing more fun than playing with a mask for make-believe. So grab those unwanted wire clothes hangers around the house along with old knee-high nylons, glue, scissors, markers or crayons, and any other decorative items like glitter, yarn, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyeballs, or fabric scraps. Once you have these items assembled, you are ready to move forward with the craft, so call your kids into the playroom or wherever you have assembled the materials and start of with step one.
Using the hook like a handle, bend the triangular shape of the wire clothes hanger into the desired shape of your child’s mask. A diamond is very easy and works great since you need only stretch the hanger out by pulling the hook away from the middle of the bottom wire (kind of like drawing a bow and arrow). If you want to get a little more creative you can form the hanger into an oval, square, or any other shape. For example, some kids might like to make a mask for Valentine’s Day, so you might help them shape the hanger into a heart shape. After the hanger is shaped, the hook of the hanger is now the handle (or holder) for the mask, think of those masquerade style party masks that people hold up to their face.
Next, take a knee-high nylon that you collect for this craft and stretch it over the top of the shaped part of the hanger. This will create a flat figure in the shape of the hanger that you bent. If you kids want the mask to look three dimensional, they can even press their face into the stretchy nylon to make the relief of their face through the mask. After you have made the basic form, it is time for the decorating process. To keep it simply, you can just provide markers or other writing utensils for the kids to draw on the nylon with. If you want to get more involved they can use all of the decorative items listed above or more. You would be surprised how much time decorating their mask can take up. It can really be a fun thing to do.
Keep seeking new ways to use those old items around the house to have fun with your kids and stimulate their creativity. You do not have to spend a fortune on arts and crafts from the major craft venders for your kids to enjoy themselves and learn a few things.
Kids love to play dress up, and there is nothing more fun than playing with a mask for make-believe. So grab those unwanted wire clothes hangers around the house along with old knee-high nylons, glue, scissors, markers or crayons, and any other decorative items like glitter, yarn, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyeballs, or fabric scraps. Once you have these items assembled, you are ready to move forward with the craft, so call your kids into the playroom or wherever you have assembled the materials and start of with step one.
Using the hook like a handle, bend the triangular shape of the wire clothes hanger into the desired shape of your child’s mask. A diamond is very easy and works great since you need only stretch the hanger out by pulling the hook away from the middle of the bottom wire (kind of like drawing a bow and arrow). If you want to get a little more creative you can form the hanger into an oval, square, or any other shape. For example, some kids might like to make a mask for Valentine’s Day, so you might help them shape the hanger into a heart shape. After the hanger is shaped, the hook of the hanger is now the handle (or holder) for the mask, think of those masquerade style party masks that people hold up to their face.
Next, take a knee-high nylon that you collect for this craft and stretch it over the top of the shaped part of the hanger. This will create a flat figure in the shape of the hanger that you bent. If you kids want the mask to look three dimensional, they can even press their face into the stretchy nylon to make the relief of their face through the mask. After you have made the basic form, it is time for the decorating process. To keep it simply, you can just provide markers or other writing utensils for the kids to draw on the nylon with. If you want to get more involved they can use all of the decorative items listed above or more. You would be surprised how much time decorating their mask can take up. It can really be a fun thing to do.
Keep seeking new ways to use those old items around the house to have fun with your kids and stimulate their creativity. You do not have to spend a fortune on arts and crafts from the major craft venders for your kids to enjoy themselves and learn a few things.