Benefits of Organization

Having an organized house has it's benefits and I am starting to see them.  It has taken a couple months but I am getting there!  I notice now that I can get stuff together for the wee ones and have an activity ready for after school or just get one out during the day without having to search the draws, my desk, or other areas of the house for the things I need. 

So here is a craft I have been doing with my kids over the last couple of days.

Rain Sticks

I believe these originated in Brazil and they would shake these to make it sound like rain to bring on the rain. 

We started out with a cardboard tube which was a little longer than a paper towel one and a little more thick.  Take some aluminum foil about double the length of the tube and twist into a spiral.  Put it in the tube.  I used a margarine lid for the end pieces.

Glue one end on and then I added rice and lentils to the tube.  Add as much as you like.  Then glue the other end shut.

We then painted the tubes white so the colours would show up better.

We then cut out some tissue paper in squares.  We used pink and blue because that is what we had but it doesn't matter what colour they are.

We then started putting the pieces on with Mod Podge.  It can be found at any craft store or Walmart.

The wee ones worked really hard and here is their finished projects.

They actually turned out better than I thought they would and they actually sound really similar to rain.  You can choose different combinations to add into your rain stick and different ways to finish your outside.  It is a very versatile craft but with great results. 

Enjoy your crafting.