For this Samhain season, we’re making easy to craft yarn bowls to use as offering vessels to honor the Mighty Dead when the veil thins between the worlds. Most supplies can even be in house already for families to start crafting now. For this project we used chunky acrylic yarn, but feel free to use whatever materials you have on hand or that call to you. Alternatively, you can also use strips of old cloth or an old shirt and cut into strips of cloth, or cut strips of paper bags like paper mache as an alternative material if yarn isn’t readily available.
Supplies:
- Yarn (or strips of paper or cloth)
- Glue
- Saran/Plastic Wrap
- Bowl
- Scissors
- Paint or Foam Brush
- Spare cardboard or table protector
- Decorations for after drying like beads, charms, ribbons, paint, etc.
Step 1:
Take your Saran Wrap and wrap it around the entire outside of the bowl, tucking any excess plastic wrap inside of the bowl while keeping it tight to the outside surface of the bowl. Flip bowl upside down so the bottom is facing up. Take your glue and paint it liberally over the wrapping making a nice thick coat of glue.
Step 2:
Take the end of the yarn and make a tight spiral from the center leading out and pressing it firmly into the glue so it holds over the surface of the bowl. Continue to wrap the yarn around the bowl, continuing to keep it pressed firmly into the glue. Keep the rows aligned so they are next to each other but not so tight that it begins to “overlap” and make an uneven surface. Take your time and have fun with this!
Step 3:
Wrap the yarn to the desired height of the bowl, the more rows you add, the taller the finished bowl will be. When you get to the height where you want to I stop and cut the end. Curl it into a little circle and dab the end with some glue and press it into the side to hold.
Step 4:
Now the fun part, we get to glue the outside! Take your glue and pour it over the outside of the yarn. Use your brush and carefully paint the glue over the entire surface of the bowl. Be generous with the edge of the bowl and you can use this opportunity to make any adjustments if any rows moved when you were building it.
You can also use this time to add any glued decorations by lightly pressing sequins on the outside or sprinkling glitter over the glue if you choose to.
Step 5:
Allow at least 24 hours to have your glue dry all the way. If you want it with more structure and firmer sides, do two coats of glue on the outside of the bowl and let it dry another 24 hours.
Step 6:
Remove the bowl that was used for a mold and set aside. Carefully peel the plastic wrap away from the yarn bowl, checking to make sure the glue is fully dry and not separating the yarn rows. If enough glue was applied and fully dry it should peel away with little resistance or give.
Congratulations! Your offering bowl is complete! Now you can take the time and decorate it with more yarn, ribbon, beads or charms or leave it simply as it is. Think of how you want to use this vessel as a way to honor your loved ones and what you can fill it with. As always, be safe and have an adult nearby if you will be lighting candles in or near it as it could be very flammable. We filled our offering bowl with our beloved families jewelry, fresh fruit and seasonal decorations to connect with our ancestors. May you and your families have a beautiful final harvest as you celebrate and connect with those who came before you and celebrate the new year. Blessed be!