Have you ever wondered what to do with crepe paper streamers after the party is over? Many times we have rolls of this stuff sitting around, and it’s good to know there are a few things that you can do with them together with your kids that can be lots of fun.
Make a paper wind streamer: Get an old canister of some sort, like an old oatmeal can. Take out the bottom. Cover it with colored paper and decorate it according to the seasons, or the next holiday.
Stars and stripes for July, black and orange for Halloween, etc. Then gather your streamers and cut several lengths of it about four feet long. Glue one end of the streamers to one end of the can, so that they are hanging down. Go all the way around.
Use a string stapled to the other end to hang it up in the wind and then sit back and watch it spin!
A cheer wand: Make a wand that can be waved at school sports or a parade, to cheer on your favorite team. Use a 12″ dowel and some glue and the crepe paper. Cut streams of the paper about 12″-14″ long of your school colors, or the next holiday coming up if it is a parade. Glue the streamers to the top of the dowel. Let dry.
Pinata: Everyone loves pinatas. Whether you have a party to do, or a camp-out, or just want to liven up a family get-together, pinatas are easy to make and lots of fun.
You can use something as simple as a blown up balloon to create your pinata, or you can mold your own hollow shape. Balloons are the easiest, so we will go with that example. Use strips of newspaper dipped in a paste of flour and water to cover the balloon.
Let it dry. Allow several days for it to get completely dry inside. Then, pop the balloon inside and make a small hole. Fill the pinata with candy and toys, then, cover the hole with a few more strips of newspaper in paste. Next, cut up paper streamers into squares (you will need lots).
Use the eraser end of a pencil that is slightly wet, and pick up the squares and glue them with white glue onto the pinata, molding them to the pencil. Put the squares close together and form a design all over the pinata.
Let dry one more time, attach a string to where the balloon was tied, grab a bat and blindfold and go for it.
Whatever you decide to do, don’t throw the crepe paper away, have fun with it.
