Craftygals
and Craftyguys Construct "Boy Crafts"
by Amie
As the uncrafty
crafty gal, I feel it is my responsibility to open the demographics
of craftygal to a broader audience that includes men and women who
would like to craft, but feel they are clueless.
We at craftygal
are under the egalitarian opinion that crafting is not masculine
or feminine, but that it is unisex. Men who know how to craft don’t
become "feminine." They simply become men with more creative
and useful skills. Many men are involved in their own crafts, such
as woodworking and do-it-yourself projects, not to mention the traditional
paper and paste crafts. Craftygal’s webmaster, Charles, for
instance, made a mean leopard print and raffia lantern at the Bug
Jar’s craft night during craftygal’s November
travels.
Therefore, these
tongue-in-cheek Boy Craft’s are for the crafty gal’s (or
crafty boy’s) visiting nieces and nephews or children, or for
the uncrafty who will actually feel a sense of accomplishment in
constructing the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records Paper
Airplane.
Boy crafts are especially for the craftygal tomboy who, like me, wants
to wake up one sunny Saturday morning, watch cartoons while eating
Lemonheads, go outside and climb a tree, and spend the mid-afternoon
assembling a Bug Kite.
Boy crafts are
especially for the craftygal tomboy who, like me, wants to wake
up one sunny Saturday morning, watch cartoons while eating Lemonheads,
go outside and climb a tree, and spend the mid-afternoon assembling
a Bug Kite.
Over the upcoming
holidays, with so much else to do, why not give yourself a break
and let yourself get away with one of these boyish crafts. We’ll
forgive you. And some of us have to start somewhere!
Bug
Kites
A Bug Kite mixes
the "boy" fascination with bugs with the exhilaration
of kite flying, along with elements of slight torture and dominance
bestowed on animal friends.
Supplies:
One June bug
(Yes, I know they might be hard to locate this time of year, but,
check with your local entomologist.) June bugs are the only bugs
big and harmless enough for a Bug Kite.
A piece of
kite string, cut to any length you desire. (However, you probably
don’t want so much string that your bug will fly farther
than you can see.)
-
Take the
June Bug and flip it on its back to buy yourself a few seconds
to tie on the string. Or, enlist the help of a friend who is
not entomophobic and have him or her hold the bug in place.
(Recommended variation.)
-
Delicately
tie the pre-cut kite string to one of the June bug’s legs;
it doesn’t matter which one. Please be gentle with our
anthropod friends. Craftygal does not endorse animal cruelty
and is not responsible for any mishaps resulting in mishandling.
-
Once the
string is secured, let the June bug fly. Voila! You know have
your own personal Bug Kite.
-
When finished
with hours of watching the June Bug soar tirelessly through
the air, please return it to its natural environs, or your weird
bug-collecting friend.
1998
Guinness Book of World Records Paper Airplane
From 1983 to
1996, Ken Blackburn’s magnificent paper airplanes held the
Guinness record for most time aloft. On October 8, 1998 (after a
crushing defeat in 1997) he regained the Guinness Record with a
record flight of 27.6 seconds during a launch at the Georgia Dome.
Blackburn shares
secrets that will have everyone building and flying airplanes destined
to be placed in pages next to the tallest man in the world and the
world’s fattest twins. Blackburn would be a fool to share his
1998 championship’s winning recipe, but he is gregarious enough
to offer his 1994 model that flew for 18.80 seconds! If you’re
like me, and all your paper airplanes fly kamikaze, learn from these
invaluable trade secrets. Soon enough you could be giving Blackburn
a run for his money.
Supplies:
Download Blackburn’s
1994 Guinness Book of World Records pattern here.
-and-
A purple marker
You can print
out the instructions for Blackburn’s
beauty. Better yet, follow the directions along with us at craftygal,
because we have prettier pictures!
-
Fold along
lines 1 and 2.
-
Fold along
lines 3 to 4.
-
Continue
folding lines 4 through 9.
-
Fold
along line 10.
-
Flip
plane over and fold in half along line 11.
-
Fold
wing down along line 12.
-
Flip
plane over and fold other wing down along line 13.
-
Fold
wing tips up on lines 14 and 15. Make sure wing tips lie above
body so wings form a slight "Y" shape with body.
-
And
what is the purple marker for you ask? Decorate the sides of
the paper airplane for that creative touch. For example, write
"Craftygal Rules!" on the left wing. However, don’t
overdo it. Blackburn warns that too much decoration can slow
down the plane, so no glitter, please!
-
Send
craftygal an e-mail with your flight times!
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