Bandana-Rama

Wear it on a picnic! Hang it in your room! Choose team colors or your favorite hues. Fill your Bandana-Rama with color!

1. How will you use your bandana? Wear it as a bracelet or necklace? Tie it around your ankle or wrap it around your waist? Make several to match your shirts or room colors!

2. Crayola® Fabric Crayon color transfers best on fabric that is 100% polyester or has a high polyester content. Use a bandana, or use Crayola Scissors to cut plain fabric to the size of bandana you want.

3. Cover your art area with recycled newspaper. Decide what you'd like to write or draw on your bandana. There are two ways to use your fabric crayons.

4. If you like, draw with the crayons directly on your bandana. For repeating patterns, draw and cut a template from cardboard. Trace shapes on fabric. Press hard to get bright colors. Brush off any crayon flecks. Lay the bandana on a safe, flat ironing surface. Make a bed of recycled newspaper. Add a layer of white paper. Lay your bandana flat. Cover the design with white paper. Go to step 6 for directions on heat setting the fabric crayon colors.

5. Another way to use fabric crayons is to experiment first, and then draw your final design on white paper. For repeating patterns, draw and cut a template from oaktag. Trace on paper. Remember, the image will transfer to the fabric in reverse. Color your art. Press hard so the colors will be bright when they are transferred to your bandana. Brush away any flecks of crayon. Choose a safe, flat location to iron. Make a bed of newspaper. Cover the newspaper with white paper. Place your bandana on the plain paper, face up. Lay your colored design face down on the fabric. Cover with more white paper.

6. Ask an adult to set an iron on cotton, with no steam, and preheat it. Place the iron in one spot, press down, then lift and move the iron to another place. Repeat until the entire design has been transferred or heat set. Gently lift paper. Cool.

7. Items decorated with fabric crayons can be machine washed using warm water an

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.

Adult Assistance is required for this arts & crafts project.

Fabric Crayons or Melting Crayons—Melt crayons in a well-ventilated area. Overheating wax crayons during melting or ironing may release irritating fumes. Ironing should be done by an adult.

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.

Fringe on a Mini Carpet

Watch Out for Endangered Species

Piece-Together Patterns

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Fabric Crayons
• Pointed Tip Scissors

household supplies

• recycled newspaper
• white paper
• iron (for adult use only!)
• cardboard
• bandana

"We decorated bandanas, wrapped them around snack bags, and tied them to long sticks for our afternoon hike."
Cleo F., age 11, hiking club member.

"When we left for vacation, our entire family, including the dog, had bright, colorful bandanas."
Graciella & Savannah S., 9- and 12-year olds.

The bandana first appeared in the United States more than 200 years ago, when Martha Washington designed a patriotic bandana showing her husband George on horseback. Later, during the War of 1812, soldiers packed their belongings in bandanas decorated by their sweethearts. Bandanas also served as campaign ads for politicians such as Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt. Starting in the late 1800s, red and blue neckerchiefs with simple paisley or polka dot patterns protected cowboys from dust and were used for washing, signaling friends, tying up broken bones, and disguising bank robbers. Then, in 1987, the Minnesota Twins fans bought their "homer hankies" to wave during World Series games. Finally, in the 1980s, western print colors were replaced by band logos and other symbols.