Tie Dye, Tin Punch, and Chickens

It is once again time to work on projects for the annual 4-H fair. If you would like to read about last year's projects, you can go here. Once again, my daughters signed up for WAY more things than they will ever have time to do, but what can I say, we are overachievers.

We got together with our club to try to get some of the projects done together. Getting messy with tie dye is always more fun with a friend!

Last year, my youngest wanted to make a pink and black shirt, but she went a little crazy with the black, and while I thought the shirt turned out pretty, she refused to take it in to be judged. She tends to be a little bit of a perfectionist on the things that she does.

Not sure where she gets THAT from.

So, this year, the rule was simple: NO black dye was to be used. AT ALL!

Now, the tie dye kit comes in a box decorated with all the many different kinds of designs that you can make. The designs they feature on that box are nothing short of amazing!

And....provided you had nothing else to do in your spare time, you may be able to pull one of those fantastic designs off.

However, we are working with kids anywhere from ages 5 to 15. The containers are drippy, and the dye kind of "sloshes" out the second the bottle is tipped over.

Hence the reason we had the kids wear these attractive plastic bags over their clothes. These were affectionately titled, "Wedding Dresses", coming to the run way soon! Rompers ARE all the rage this year.

My youngest wanted to make her initial on her shirt, but quickly realized she was not going to be able to pull that off. So, she decided to make a diagonal rainbow. I think it looks fabulous!

Notice, NO black was used this year.

My oldest did a sausage roll with her shirt, which is what you need to do to make a bulls-eye design.

My middle daughter made hers into a circle, which will create a swirl design.

With these designs, you can't tell what the actual design will turn into until you are have finished the entire process. The suspense is killing us!

We finished off our project day by starting out on our tin punch designs.

The key to making tin punch look amazing, is to use different sizes of nails to give your picture some variation. It is also important to make the nail holes evenly spaced, and the same size, which is easier said, than done!

Our friends live on a semi-farm, and they raise chickens.

Can I tell you a little secret? I am a little afraid of chickens.

This one kept squawking, and bobbing it's head back and forth, and coming up to me like she wanted to peck me.

I asked to see the chicken coop, and the chicken followed me in there. She clearly wanted to be back in there with her fellow coopmates.

I asked where the chickens laid their eggs, and she showed me their nests. There was one hen in there, squawking to all the other hens that SHE had just laid an egg, and that they were NOT to come near her.

I cannot imagine having to put my hand in that nest, to retrieve her precious egg. I was reassured that they don't do that to people, just to the other hens.

Even though some of my girls would like to raise chickens of their own, I think we will just keep getting our eggs already pre-packaged in an egg carton.

When you do it that way, there is also the benefit of not having to clean out their coop!

Although, that would make a good punishment....err....I mean consequence.....for a mouthy tween, or teenage girl.