Mobile: Driftwood Strands

Stick Basket

Between our stick collection and Grandpa's contribution, we gathered enough sticks to sand and cut into smaller lengths for a 'driftwood'-style mobile.

Instead of spending loads of money on beads, we went to the thrift store to buy wooden bead necklaces. Once we took them apart, we had a bowlful of beads for $3, which Baby C washed up and dried out for mobile-making.

O developed her own pattern and preferred the golden beads to the sanded sticks!
Once she was all done, she hung her work on the Gallery Wall and started colouring the sticks with blue chalk, to add a splash of colour!

EXPAND ON STICK & TRUNK ART
Straw Mobile http://babbledabbledo.com/easy-kids-craft-straw-mobile/
Twirling Twig Mobile http://babbledabbledo.com/engineering-for-kids-twirling-twig-mobile/
Pom Pom & Driftwood http://de.dawanda.com/deko-objekte/?quick_view_product=32859385

DIY Buttons. Always looking for wooden beads and bits, these buttons would be simple to whip up for threading activities. http://www.shrimpsaladcircus.com/how-to-sday-wooden-branch-buttons/
DIY Wreath. I made one of these for our front door, except it gets so warm that the twigs actually fall off! http://thepaintedhive.net/2010/08/starburst-twig-wreath/ 
http://mamadrool.blogspot.ca/2014/10/starburst-wreath.html
Twig Spools. http://www.carolynshomework.com/2011/05/etceteras-branch-spools.html 
Twig Pencils. These. Are. Awesome. http://mamadrool.blogspot.ca/2015/05/collecting-twig-pencils.html They work so well and are simple to make with just a few twigs and a pencil sharpener. 
Forest Diorama. http://mamadrool.blogspot.ca/2015/04/for-love-of-trees-forest-diorama.html Though this project is a bit more involved, it definitely has a long shelf life!