Blue Bell Fairy Shaker

We've had in mind now for a little while that we wanted to make a fairy shaker to take to the woods with us.

So one evening after dinner, we took a stroll and started looking for a suitable stick.  "It has to be a CAPITAL Y shape stick Mummy" yelled Ruby over her shoulder as she dashed this way and that looking for a suitable specimen.

It was a lovely evening, with the last of the dabbled sun glinting through the trees.  The heady aroma of wild garlic, warmed by the day's sunshine filled the air, and the first of the bluebells were beginning to open.

Once we found just the right stick, we took it home to make our musical instrument.  Ruby was totally inspired and wanted to make a shaker for the bluebell fairies, so she set to choosing blue ribbons and buttons to decorate the wand.  We used strong nylon thread to tie on a row of jingle bells (ours were left over from a Christmas decoration, but you can find these in craft or haberdashery stores).  Then she chose some velvet ribbon to wrap around the handle because it gave a nice soft finish and made in comfy to hold.

Once it was suitably adorned, we took it back to the forest to play and see if we could coax the bluebell fairies out.

Do you think it worked?

We shared this instrument with Red Ted Art's craft hangout, take a look at the video for more amazing musical creations.  There's enough to start your own orchestra!




Check out the blog links for all the instructions:

Maggy's maracas and shakers and her fabulous guitar
Adele's straw kazoo
Ali's cool castanets
Anthea's bottle pan pipes
George's tambourine
Crystal's jingle wristbands

Linking up with Kids Get Crafty and Country Kids.

    

Check out the bluebell page on the Forestry Commission website to find the best spots to see bluebells in bloom.