Webelos craftsman - four useful items requirement?

[83Eagle]

Item four of the Webelos craftsman badge is to create four useful items using materials other than wood. They should be challenging items involving several operations.

 

Well, a few leather items come to mind and maybe a clay ashtray...er, bowl...but that's about all I got. Anyone got a bunch of other ideas that are actually "useful?"

[Scoutfish]

We used 12" X 16" Synboard ( a PVC board - not any wood) and bottle caps to make shoe scrappers.

 

We made drink coasters out of clay.

 

And we took those plastic corrugated real estate signs and cut them up and made divided letter trays and plant starter trays.

[moosetracker]

Magnets?.. Maybe using some small metal objects & some paint you could make some cute plant decor (I thought I could find one or two on the internet), all I could find was a metal ant that if you were creative you could invision making similar bugs with bolts, nuts & screws http://jxart.en.alibaba.com/search/product?IndexArea=product_en&SearchText=garden planter decorations&fl=y&d_pid=342237898&d_type=sp

Personally I like mine kind high up on a thin wire wire stuck in the dirt, cute bug (ladybug, butterfly, grasshopper) thing hovering..

 

I did find some christmas ornaments made from nuts & bolts.

 

http://www.favecrafts.com/Ornaments/Nuts-and-Bolts-Christmas-Ornaments-from-Inspired-at-Home#

 

Candles? Fire starters? Bird houses out of Gords?

 

(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[shortridge]

Tin candleholders

 

Paper origami gift boxes

 

Rope buttons

[ScoutNut]

Macrame flower pot holders with clay flower pots. They also get to practice knots with this!

 

Braided cloth scrap hot pads.

 

Lashing sticks together to make "camp gadgets" (stools, dishpan holder, etc). More knot practice.

 

Cement garden steeping stones.

 

Those PVC marshmallow shooters they will get as popcorn incentives.

 

 

 

 

 

[83Eagle]

Brilliant! The "air powered marshmallow target launcher" (can we say "shooter") is just what the doctor ordered. Son wants to build it NOW and has very un-scoutlike objectives for said launcher in mind involving his sister. (Not to worry, she's a black belt...)

 

Keep the ideas coming...

[Stosh]

Camp stoves made out of tin cans.

 

Charcoal lighters made out #10 tin can.

 

Shebang shelter made out of recycled nylon from old tents.

 

Divining rods made out of clothes hangers.

 

Bird houses made out of sheet metal.

 

As mentioned, macarame plant hangers are great for learning knots.

 

Home evacuation rope ladders with PVC steps.

 

Water skier tow ropes made with nylon rope and PVC pipes.

 

Campfire tripods made of 1/2" pipe and chain. Make it into an oven with chickenwire chimenies and aluminum foil.

 

Safe swim markers made of old gallon milk jugs and nylon rope with two brick anchors.

 

Reflection ovens with clothes hangers and sheet metal.

 

Make loom out of PVC and screws and use to make woven hotpads for mom.

 

Braiding material can be use to make key chain fobs, lanyards, etc.

 

Paper egg cartons, sawdust and parafin wax to make fire-starters.

 

PVC neckerchief slides

 

Metal bar with holes in it, bolt jar covers to it and have the plastic jars collect small odds and ends in shop, kitchen, etc. hang by screwing to beam, inside cupboard, etc.

 

Cut out cutting boards using plexiglass instead of wood. Add hooks for key holder and hang on wall instead. Use wood burner to etch labels on in the plexiglass.

 

Picture frames out of plexiglass (two sheets bolted together at corners) Glue a stand on the back to hold upright or add wire on back to hang on wall.

 

And for the serious scouter! 4" PVC 2' long with a cap on one end and a screw cap on the other half full of cat litter makes a very functioning backpack toilet.

 

Stosh

 

[kari_cardi]

If you know someone who sews it is easy to make pillowcases, drawstring bags, camping pillows or brag vests. Good skills to know as well.

[Tampa Turtle]

I would say to prep for scouts:

 

1-Hiking Stick (drill holes, frap cord the whole deal)

2-Stuff Sacks (basically a pillow case)

3-"Camping Pillow" small pillow made of ripstop cover or old poly shirt with polyfill inside/

4-Stool

[ScoutNut]

Great for the car camping that Webelos do - bucket camp stools.

 

Use the large white plastic buckets with covers. Decorate bucket, make a padded seat and attach it to the cover.

 

Contact your local home improvement store (Home Depot, Lowes) for information on their free make and take days.

 

Craft stores like Michael's also have in store activities. Some are free, some require a fee or a purchase.

[infoscouter]

Trivets made from rope:

http://www.designsponge.com/2009/06/diy-wednesdays-knot-trivet.html

 

http://www.diylife.com/2011/05/31/random-recast-rope-day-1/

[kari_cardi]

Those survival bracelets made of paracord would be awesome, too.

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Survival-Bracelet/

[shortridge]

Stosh - What exactly does the campfire tripod do / how does it work? I'm just not able to picture that in my mind.

[Stosh]

3 - 1/2" x 4'-5' steel poles. Drill hole through on one end. run a long bolt through adding a lightweight chain(s) that hangs down the middle after the three legs are spread. Use a variety of different hooks and fasten pots to hang over the fire. If one is creative they can add three chains and fasten on the hooks a circular grill suspended over the fire. If that is not enough. hang a turkey on the hook add 3 circular tubes made of chicken wire (about 3"-4" diameter, 4' long and wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil adding charcoal down the chicken wire tubes to keep the fire going for the allotted time to bake what you're cooking. I saw a troop do a 42# turkey once. It was too big for a standard kitchen oven, but the boys did a nice job of cooking it up for a lot of guests.

 

One can find light-weight versions of this at a lot of the sporting goods stores, but they don't hold up to the abuse of use doled out by the boys.

 

A project like this can "inspire" the Webelos boys to look forward to using it when they get into Boy Scouts.

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Eliza]

Basketry -- from one of the BSA kits

Beading -- marginally useful, but ties in with Native American study

Weaving -- this can be really calming and sort of addictive

Soap or candles from a kit

Fleece throw with one of the giant 4-5" Webelos patches sewn on (look on internet for no-sew throw)

Handsewn books/booklets -- many you tube videos on this

 

and love those survival bracelets!