Clubhouse Jr

Ask a parent to help you create these wee wise men.

Gather

• needle and thread
• three 10-inch circles of soft fabric such as velvet
• 1 1/2 cups of dried peas
• three 5-inch wooden dowels with 1-inch diameters
• hot glue gun
• braided trim (for collars)
• three 2 1/2-inch circles of felt (for hair)
• lacy gold trim (for crowns)
• plastic jewels
• 1-inch ribbon (for sashes)
• permanent marker

Go

1. Ask a parent to do this part: For each wise man, thread a needle with a 3-foot length of heavy thread and tie a large knot at the end. Sew a simple running stitch around the edge of one of the 10-inch fabric circles, about 1/4 inch in from the edge.
2. Remove the needle from the thread and pull the thread to gather the material into a pouch. Pour 1/2 cup of dried peas into the pouch, then set a dowel in the center.
3. Ask a parent to use the hot glue gun to attach the gathered edge of the fabric to the dowel.
4. Trim away the excess thread and glue on a piece of braided trim for a collar, covering the rough edge of the material.
5. For hair, glue a felt circle on top of the dowel, then glue the edges down around the dowel.
6. Glue a piece of lacy gold trim in a ring around the felt for a crown.
7. Glue on more trim, plastic jewels, and ribbon to decorate your wise men. Use a 12-inch piece of 1-inch ribbon for a sash.
8. Use the marker to draw a simple face on the dowel.

—Christy, 7
Chanhassen, Minnesota