Ten Gallons & Toes in Texas

crayola supplies

Colored Pencils
Glue Sticks
Blunt-Tip Scissors
Construction Paper

household supplies

none

Why

Calling all cowpokes! Imagine riding the range wearing a 10-gallon hat and handmade leather boots. Join legendary cowboys out on the ranch!

Steps

1. Find out about real cowboys. What kind of work did they do? Where did they live? How did they dress? Are there still cowboys today?
2. On white construction paper, use Crayola® Colored Pencils to draw a lasso (rope) curling around the page.
3. On another paper, draw two large leather cowboy boots. Use your imagination to create beautiful colored pencil patterns on the sides of the boots. Make intricate cowboy designs such as lizards or longhorns. Short lines look like stitches.
4. Create a large Stetson (cowboy) hat. These hats have a high crown and a wide brim. Color it with colored pencils.
5. Cut around your cowboy boots and 10-gallon hat with Crayola Scissors.
6. Use a Crayola Glue Stick to attach the boots and hat to the poster. If desired, add a western greeting such as HOWDY. Saddle up your horse and head for the roundup!

When & Where

"A speaker told us about real cowboys. Kids chose distinguishing features of cowboy personality or attire to show in their posters."
- Louis B., scout leader.

"On our trip out West, our kids were excited to see real cowboys. They made these posters over several evenings."
- Anne-Marie D., mother of ages 6 and 8.

Interesting Info

Did you know that the 10-gallon hat cannot hold 10 gallons of anything? The term came from the Spanish word galón, which means braid. These hats were originally worn by Spaniards occupying Mexico, who decorated their brims with braids. Some men wore hats with 10 braids, which were called 10 galón hats. This was misunderstood by American cowboys as "ten gallon hats," so that is what Americans have called them to this day.

Safety Guidelines

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.