WHEAT WEAVING

Wheat weaving is an old craft that uses minimal materials and a little dexterity, which I've seen demonstrated at various fairs and festivals. Some elaborate creations are even marketed on eBay. Suggesting the antiquity  of craft, you'll find wheat weaving demonstrators commonly present at renaissance faires.

In discussing it with your kids, you can delve briefly into the history a bit, about how in ancient times, a good harvest would lead workers to construct a large figure of woven wheat which would be erected in a corner of the harvested field as an offering, planted in the spring as a rebirth ritual to encourage the next crop.

It is not an incredibly difficult craft. You can actually try creating these fall decorations this yourself...and so can the kids. There are an endless number of designs you can create of varying intricacy. But here's a simple getting-acquainted project.

Simple Project

We're going to make a decoration for which you will need some wheat stalks. Pick a handful from a nearby field. You can also acquire them occasionally from florists who sell them for dried flower arrangements. If bought dried like this, soak them in a tub of water for about an hour before proceeding. Wheat that is fresh or has been soaked like this and used to create a decoration, you will find, will hold it's shape as it dries.

Besides wheat, you will need some waxed paper, white glue, and colored yarn.

Start with stalks that do not match evenly in height. Set out a piece of waxed paper and on it assemble 8-10 wheat stalks, radiating outward in a circle with the stalks overlapping in the center with a bit extra. The outer ends should be exactly the same distance apart.

Where the stalks overlap, drip a bit of glue to bind the stalks together at that point. Let dry.

Remove the wax paper with care.

Now, you need a piece of yarn. You might consider nice fall colors like yellow, orange, and red.

Tie the end of your piece of yarn to the overlap or to one of the stalks at the center of the joined stalks. Begin weaving the free end of the yarn in and out through the stalks, around and around the center. For a little variation, you can change color at some point by tying another piece of yarn on the end of the first.

Once you've completed several circles of the spray of wheat stalks, you can tie off the end of the yarn to the last stalk, carefully clipping the excess off with some scissors. You want a length of each stalk freely protruding from the circles of yarn. The design will resemble a fluffy pinwheel or a sunburst.

General Suggestions

You can, of course, start with your own imagination in constructing your designs, whether they be oval loops, circle wreaths, heart shape, or whatever. However, if your child wishes to expand, send him or her to the library for books to provide further suggestions. Not only are there books, but there are back issues of relevant craft magazines to look through(especially those with a country flavor). An internet search should turn up blogs and forums with design ideas. Also, check online for books listed on Amazon and Half.com.

Put three wheat stalks side-by-side and braid the stems of together.

Curve the wheat stalks into the appropriate shape.