Hunger Games Camp: Mini Bow & Arrow Craft

So, I've been recapping the activities we did at my recent Hunger Games Camp.  Thus far, I've covered the Reaping, the Training Center, Target Practice, Remake Center/Opening Ceremonies, and Survival Skills.  Next up is our Mini Bow and Arrow Craft*.

We all know that Katniss Everdeen is a force to be reckoned with when she got a bow and arrow.  This craft uses household items to create cool looking and fast/far shooting miniature bow and arrow sets.

Materials:

• Wire hanger
• Needle Nose Pliers (with snip function)
• Rubber Bands
• Coffee-stirrer (I got mine at McDonald's)
• Q-tips/Cotton Swabs
• Elmer's All-Purpose Glue
• Scissors

 Set Up:

• Use pliers to cut a wire hanger into four pieces (bottom of hanger cut in half, “arms” of hanger cut off)
• Use the pliers to curl in the ends of the wire**.  This makes the arrow look cool and protects users from the possibly sharp metal edges.  It also provides a spot for the rubber band to hook into.
• Bracing the center of the wire in two hands, bend it in half about 1/4 of the way.  Again using your hands, bend each half into kind of a rounded moon shape.  The wire should now look kind of like a letter B with no stick/back and curled in ends**.
• Lay out materials for each set.  This should include:
• 1 metal bow
• 1 rubber band
• 6 Q-tips
• 6 coffee stirrers
• glue 

 Procedure:

• Attach one end of the rubber band to one of the curled ends, give the rubber band several twists, then attach it to the other end.  The bow is complete!
• To make the arrows, cut off one end of each cotton swab.  Glue the swabinto the ends of the coffee straws.
• Cut a slight notch into the other ends of the straws.
• Use this miniature bow the same way you would a large one. Be careful where and what you shoot: the arrows will really fly!

*This craft idea was emailed to be by a fantastic librarian who hosted her own Hunger Games event.  I can't seem to find her information, but she found the craft on eHow.  Unfortunately, the link that I used to get to the tutorial just weeks ago doesn't seem to exist anymore.  Luckily, I wrote down, adapted and reorganized/clarified the directions for myself, so I can post it here for you!

**I'm still working on getting pictures.  I know they'll be helpful, and they're coming.

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