SUMMER ON THE PORCH STORYTIME CRAFT: Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse BOUQUETS

Hooray for summer mornings, good books and cozy porches – perfect for story time! With that in mind, each Tuesday throughout July I will be hosting Summer Story Time on the Porch (and a Craft!) on my Facebook Author page. Here’s the schedule:

This week’s story time features DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, an ode to cooperation and the joy of performance starring a new diva seal and the little mouse who wants to help her, but she thinks she deserves bigger help than a mouse! I do hope you will join me! You can get there by clicking my Facebook picture in the sidebar of this blog. 

Now for the craft:

Inspired by Rebecca Gerlings’ delightful depiction of Diva Delores being showered with bouquets these tissue paper bouquets are easy to make and fun to give away. 

Here are the steps for creating your own:

1. Read DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE and perhaps have a quick discussion about the tradition of throwing bouquets to performers on stage. Hint: It’s a way to show admiration and love. 

2. Gather five chenille sticks, a little glue, twenty 4” squares of colorful tissue paper in assorted colors, a bit of ribbon or yarn and a small piece of paper folded in half to make a note. 

3. For each flower, stack four tissue squares. Using thumb and fingers, pinch the center to create the base to a flower, as shown.

4. Wrap the end of a chenille stick tightly around the pinched base of the flower, using a tiny dab of glue to secure.  Bend the stick so its upright, like a stem.

5. Gently fluff and the tissue paper flower, snipping the corners to make them rounded, if you choose.

6. Once you have five flowers, arrange them in a colorful bouquet, tying with ribbon or yarn. 

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7. Finally, add a card, then “shower” someone you love (to use the wording from the story) with the bouquet.

8. FOR EXTRA FUN: Take a picture of your child’s finished bouquet. With your permission, and I will double check to make sure I have it, I will share the pictures on Facebook and my blog so we can all enjoy each other’s creativity!

NOTE: Facebook Live reading of DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books, is no longer available. But the good news is the book is still available at book stores and at your local library. If they don’t have it, you can request it, for which Delores, Fernando and I would be most grateful. And if you’d like us to come to a reading for your class or library or organization, reach out to me via the contact tab above. I’d love to hear from you.