Kids can make a musubi pin to wear to this weekend’s Rice Fest or modify it to hang on the Christmas tree in a few months.
The 9th Annual Hawaii Rice Festival is 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday on Auahi Street, fronting Ward Centre. For more information, visit ricefest.com.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
>> 2 pieces of 3-by-3-inch black felt (only one piece needed if making a pin)
>> 2-1/2-by-2-1/2-inch white felt
>> 1/2-inch red pompom
>> Low-temperature glue gun and gluesticks or tacky glue
>> Scissors
Optional:
>> 3/8-inch jingle bells
>> Brown chenille stems
>> 3/8-inch ribbon
>> Pin back
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PIN
1. Trim the white felt into a triangular shape and round the corners. Your rounded triangle in white felt is the “rice” of the musubi.
2. Place the white piece onto one of the black felt squares. Using the white felt as a guide, trim the black felt into a rounded triangle, leaving about 1/4 inch black edge.
3. Cut the second piece of black felt to match the first. These are the musubi’s “nori.”
4. Add glue around the edges of the white felt using the glue gun or tacky glue. (Note: Tacky glue will take longer to adhere and dry.) Glue the white piece onto one of the black triangles.
5. Glue the red pompom in the center of the white felt for an “ume” nose.
6. Glue a pin back on the back to wear as a pin.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REINDEER MUSUBI
Follow steps 1-5. Skip step 6.
7. Cut a brown chenille stem in half, twist each piece into a three-stem antler.
8. Tie the ends of an 8-inch length of ribbon into a loop to make a hanger. Glue the antlers and ribbon hanger to the top of the second black triangle.
9. Glue the two black pieces together, sandwiching the antlers and ribbon between them. Glue a small bow and jingle bell to the bottom.
The “Keiki Krafting” column is courtesy HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts. For more craft ideas, visit benfranklinhawaii.com.
