MY LITTLE BLACKSMITH SHOP LANTERN FULL

You will progress much faster with a competent teacher. Is anyone aware of any blacksmith events near the city/suburbs? I have been reading several books and online information to help me get started but it would be nice to meet an experienced smith(s) to help further build by skills and knowledge.ДЄny information would be greatly appreciated.Дo not dismiss paying for instruction. I have looked into the Illinois Valley BlacksmithвЂ™s Association and all of their events are 3 or more hours south of the City. The Chicago school of arts offers a $400 blacksmith classвЂ¦ I would rather buy $400 in steel and learn my mistakes. I might be looking in the wrong places but it has been very difficult to find anything about Chicago blacksmithing culture. However, it seems that blacksmithing is almost nonвЂ“existent in the Chicago-land area. I have a great deal of respect for the art/profession and I am happy to see that there are people keeping it alive. No matter what you make them for, I suggest a bit of snuggling under the blankets by the magical glow of the flickering light and just soaking in a few minutes with your kids once this kids craft is done.I have just started getting into blacksmithing and in a short amount of time it has almost become an addiction. They would also be lovely at Christmas time with snowflake designs or snowmen on them. We made our tin can lanterns as part of our colonial America unit. Instead, you can tip the can sideways to remove battery lights. To avoid cuts, children should not reach into the can lanterns. Keep in mind, the inside of the can will have sharp spots now because of the holes you created with the nail and hammer. ( And remember: never leave burning candles unattended.) We chose to use battery tea lights in ours.

Tea light candles work best for these small cans.ДЇor real candles, drip a bit of wax at the bottom of the can, or use some clay, to help hold your candle in place. Once the ice has melted and been removed from the lantern, it is time to light it. Mine wanted to use colorful pipe cleaners, which were super easy for them to put on the lanterns by themselves. I have seen lanterns that use pieces from wire hangers, and for older children you may choose to do this. (Watching my son swing that by his face made me nervous.)ДЄfterВ you have finished your design, use the hammer and nail to make 2 holes at the top of the tin can lantern, one on each side, to thread your handle through. It is perfect for little hands, and I like that it doesnвЂ™t have that claw end most hammers have. ItвЂ™s also handy for warming up fingers that get cold fromВ working with that cold metal!ДЇor projects with the kids, I love our new stubby ball pein hammer. Placing a kitchen towel under the can will help keep it from rolling. Once the water is frozen solid, use a nail and gently hammer it against the can to create your pattern. (The frozen water will help you make your pattern without denting the can.) (Just use a bit of hand sanitizer to remove the marks later.) Or, you can freehand your pattern, which is what we did.ДЇill your can with water, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top and place it in the freezer overnight.

If you want, you can use a permanent marker to draw the shape on your tin can ahead of time. Simple shapes and patterns work best on kid-made lanterns. Start by removing the wrapper from your cans and thoroughly cleaning them.

Empty Cans (We used soup cans and one from canned vegetables.).

MY LITTLE BLACKSMITH SHOP LANTERN FULL

The kids were excited to make their own version with this tin can lantern craft for kids.ДЄffiliate links have been used in the post below see my full disclosure here. We started with a brief look at early explorers and then had a lot of fun studying Jamestown, making this wigwam craft as part of the unit.ДЄs we moved on to the Mayflower and Plymouth Colony, we talked about what kinds of skilled workers you would want in a new colony.ДЄ communityвЂ™s blacksmith would make a variety of tools as well as things needed for colonial homes, including lanterns. This year we started learning about the 50 states while going through American history. Kids can capture a bit of that magic with this simple recycled craft: Tin Can Lanterns. WhetherВ theyвЂ™re hanging from the trees at an outdoor party, or they are displayed on tables at a wedding, lantern light brings a new dimension to the atmosphere. There is just something magical about flickering lights coming from a collection of lanterns.

My little blacksmith shop lantern