WEBELOS

Craftsman

Circle 10 Council

Suggested Den Activities

Visit furniture factory, lumber mill or lumberyard.

Some local home centers offer special weekend classes for Webelos age children.

Invite someone to give a demonstration on the safe use of tools.

Visit a construction site or find out about helping with a Habitat for Humanity project.

Visit a tannery or leather goods manufacturer.

Invite someone to give a demonstration of leather craft and explain how to use leather tools.

Invite someone to give a demonstration of metal work, using tin snips and a vise.

Have a nail-driving contest.

Build a bridge for pack crossover ceremonies; tie it into the Engineering pin.
Tie in with the Scholar pin and discuss how education helps when doing crafts and working in the technology field.

Working With Leather
Circle 10 Council

Leather crafting is a hobby that many boys may carry into adulthood. It is best to start with simple projects like key chains and coasters and let the boys work their way up to more difficult items such as wallets or belts.
Look in the yellow pages for leather crafting supply stores near you. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Dampen leather with a sponge for ease of tooling, but don’t have it dripping wet.
Have the boys draw a design on paper before starting. They can trace the design onto their piece of leather with an awl.
Let the boys' practice with their tools on scrap leather first.
Leather stains or acrylic paints will give projects added dimension.
Put a wood board under each boy’s leather piece while he is working.

Leather Totem Pole Bookmark

Materials needed:

1 piece leather 2” x 10” leather working tools
heavy scissors sponge for each boy water
Cut fringe up from the bottom of the bookmark; length of fringe should be about 1-1 ½”. Design totem pole symbols on paper, the transfer the design to the leather with carbon paper, a scratch awl, or by simply drawing it lightly with a pencil. Dampen both sides of leather with a sponge until the color of the leather changes. Keep dampening as needed while working as damp leather will hold the tooling better. Use the pointed end of a tool to carefully make design lines more clear but be careful not to penetrate the leather. Use a beveled tool to round off straight lines in the design.  

Candle Making

The are many decorative and useful candle making projects that Webelos will enjoy.  However, great care must be taken when making candles.  Paraffin wax is extremely flammable, so be certain to follow manufacturer directions for melting and safety.  Use safety equipment like thick gloves and safety glasses.  Talk with your boys before you begin and make certain that they have a clear understanding of the safety rules. 

Swiss Cheese Candle

Materials needed:

quart size milk carton
1 lb. Paraffin
7” candle ice
double boiler vegetable shortening
4” x 9” piece of plywood spray paint for base
artificial flowers if desired
broken wax crayons if desired (paper removed)

In a double boiler following manufacturer directions, melt paraffin over low flame.  When paraffin is melted, color if desired by adding 1” of wax crayon.  Stir with a stick and the crayon will melt almost immediately.  Use a quart size milk carton for the mold. Cut off the peaked top and grease the inside thoroughly with shortening.  Pour about ½” melted paraffin into the carton.  As it sets, place an old candle upright in the center.  Place crushed ice cubes around candle until carton is full.  Pour paraffin to top of carton, leaving candlewick exposed.  When paraffin is hard, tear off the carton over the kitchen sink (melted ice will drain from the holes). For the base, use plywood spray painted a color that will coordinate with the candle. When dry, arrange the candle and plastic flowers on the base. When arrangement is decided, glue the candle and flowers into place.

Candle Dipping

• Materials needed:
  paraffin wax small narrow can
  heavy washer wick
  pencil
  Melt the paraffin according to manufacturer directions. Tie the washer to one end of the wick (wick material is sold at most hobby/craft stores) and tie the other end of the wick to the pencil.  Pour melted wax into the dipping can. Lower weighted wick into can.  Dip in and out, allowing time for each layer to harden.  Continue dipping until desired thickness is reached.  When completely hardened and cool, cut off weight and pencil.