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Bonfire night:

Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot

Create your own rockets

Resources can be purchased from Baker Ross.

How to Make: Bonfire night rockets

1. Brush a small amount of glue inside a cardboard tube at both ends. Wrap a 30cm x 30 square of coloured tissue paper around the tube. Tuck the ends inside the tube over the glue.
2. Cut out a 12cm diameter circle from glitter card then cut it in half. Curl one of the card semi-circles into a cone shape then staple it along edge hold the shape.
3. Glue the cone onto one end of the tube to make a rocket shape. Glue one end of a wooden stirring stick inside the rocket. Leave to dry.
4. Stick strips of glitter tape around the rocket cone and tube with some crystal sticker stars as decoration.
5. Cut 2 x 30cm x 30cm squares of tissue, place the squares together with some small sweets in the middle. Pull the tissue paper over the sweets then twist it to make a parcel. Tie pieces of ribbon around the end of the parcel then push it inside the rocket.

Top Tip

Try adding cracker snaps to the rockets by gluing the ends inside the tube, leaving a section outside so it snaps as you pull it with the ribbons.

Tissue paper glowing campfire

What you need:

• Clear plastic cup
• Tissue paper in red, orange and yellow
• Liquid glue
• LED tea light
• Twig or thin craft stick
• Cotton balls
• Brown construction paper
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Cut the red, orange and yellow tissue paper into small squares
• Scrunch up the tissue paper and stick them to the outside of the cup. Continue until the entire cup is covered in tissue.
• While your tissue paper is drying, you can make your marshmallow stick:

• Glue a cotton ball to the end of the thin craft stick.

Add some logs to your fire by cutting strips of brown construction paper, use a felt tip pen or crayon to add details onto your logs.

Now you can set up your campfire! First set up your logs, then place your LED light in the centre of the logs and set your tissue paper cup over the LED light. Switch off your lights and voila! You have your campfire!

Cupcake cup fireworks display

I know it is for new years and 4th July but you can use the same concept for bonfire night!

What you need:

• Cupcake liners
• Black card
• Glue
• Felt tip pens
• Glitter

Instructions:

• Flatten cupcake liner and make cuts right the way around the fringe (ribbed part) of the cupcake case.
• If colouring the plain white cupcake liner, colour, let dry and then glue the cupcake liner to the black card.
• Once all of your designed ‘fireworks are in place, you can also add some glue on the cases and sprinkle some coloured glitter on them and even add some extra glitter on the black card, so you have a sparkly display!

Pop up fireworks

What you need:

• Wooden spoon
• Black paper or card
• Ribbons
• Stapler/sticky tape
• Scissors
• Glitter ( Optional)
• Star stickers (optional)

Instructions:

• Cut out a circle of paper up to 45cm across.
• Decorate your circle with glitter and star stickers.
• Once dry, find the midpoint of the circle by gently folding the circle in half and half again but don’t press down the folds, you don’t want permanent creases!
• Cut from the outside of the circle in a straight line to the midpoint. Then you can roll the paper up into a cone and staple or sticky tape it into place to stop it uncurling.
• You need to fit the wooden spoon into the paper cone, so snip off a tiny bit of the cone’s point, just large enough for the spoon handle to fit in to.
• To make all the colourful “fireworks” that will pop out of the cone simple cut lengths of ribbon approximately 50cm long and tie them all together onto the handle of the wooden spoon. The ribbon could easily be swapped for fabric or crepe paper if you prefer.
• All you need to do now is insert the spoon into the cone and tuck and hide all the ribbons inside.

FIREWORK SALT PAINTING

MATERIALS

• Table Salt
• Paper (black really makes the colors pop)
• Watercolors + paintbrush
• White Glue
• Cookie Sheet

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To start, put down some cookie sheet on your work surface. Then place your black paper on top. This way the cookie sheet will catch any run-away salt and make the cleaning up process a breeze!
2. Use the white glue to draw out your design on the black paper. The thicker the glue, the better. You can also draw the design with a pencil first and then trace over it with the glue.
3. Next, sprinkle salt over the glue while it is still wet. Make sure you cover all of the glue with salt. Shake off any excess salt.
4. Now it is time to paint the salt. Use red and blue for patriotic colors, which gives this craft an American touch. You will need to get the watercolors very wet. You will want the color to drip off the paintbrush. This way you can paint the salt by barely touching it, so it will keep its shape.
5. You can now leave the fireworks to dry, and you are done! Watch how the salt sparkles when it is dry. Just like fireworks!

FIREWORKS TIPS

You can use food coloring and an eye dropper instead of the watercolor and paintbrush. It just depends what you prefer to use and what is easier for your kids.

To make the craft simpler for the little kids, you can use red, white and blue glitter instead of salt. Just sprinkle the glitter directly onto the glue, leave it to dry and you are done!

You can spray the dry fireworks with hairspray so that it lasts even longer without flaking off. If you spray, make sure to do it outside or in a well ventilated area.

Gunpowder plot puppets

What you need:

• Wooden spoon
• Skin Tone Paint
• Coloured Paper Variety Pack
• Tissue Paper Roll
• Masking Tape
• PVA Glue
• Self Adhesive Acrylic Jewels
• Wiggle eyes
• Gold and Silver Spacer Beads
• White Paper Doily
• Newspaper or a plastic bag
• Elastic or thread
• Foil or foil pie cases
• Felt Pens
• Scissors
• A ruler

Instructions:

To make a Guy Fawkes puppet, paint the top of the spoon in flesh coloured paint and leave it to dry standing in a cup or jar.

Body

To make the body, twist a sheet of newspaper (or use a plastic bag) into a long strip then wind it around the top of the spoon handle to make it into a wider shape. Stick masking tape around the newspaper to hold it in position.

To cover the body, cut a 10cm x 40cm tissue paper strip for the first layer of clothes. Lightly brush glue over the newspaper body then wrap the tissue strip over the top. Cut a small piece from the edge of a paper doily, glue it around the tip of the body for a lace collar.

Cut another piece of tissue paper make a cloak. Glue and fold it around body. Trim around the edges if the clothes need to be shorter.

To make the hair, glue strips of tissue paper around the sides of the spoon, with some small strips for the beard and moustache. Leave the top part of the spoon uncovered.

Glue wiggly eyes about halfway down the spoon. Draw a mouth and nose and other details to the face with felt pens.

Accessories:

To make a hat, cut a 4cm x 12cm strip from coloured paper. Brush a small about of glue over the top of the spoon, then place the strip over the top, with the spoon positioned in the middle. Wrap both ends of the strip around the back of the spoon so they fold at an angle at the sides, glue the ends down on the back.

To make a brim for the hat, cut a paper rectangle 4cm x 8cm. Trim the corners of the rectangle to make a long oval shape. Cut out a thin oval-shaped slot in the middle, by cutting in from one of the long sides and making a hole the same length as the base of the hat. Try fitting the brim over the hat, making the slot wider if you need to, then and glue it in position.

Glue a thin coloured paper band around the hat with a card rectangle for a buckle.

Make other characters in the same way using different coloured papers and tissue. Add gems, ribbon, feathers and threaded beads to embellish the King’s costume. Make the Guard’s helmet and armour from foil or mini foil pie cases brushed with black paint.

Top Tip

Try making more characters for a classroom project or performance by adding more plotters, guards and king’s courtiers.

Spinning Catherine wheels

What you need:

• Scratch art windmill kit
• PVA glue
• Double sided tape
• Glitter A4 card
• Gold and silver glitter star stickers
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Carefully scratch a rainbow pattern onto the black surface of a windmill shape. Use the tool provided or a wooden craft stick.
2. Follow the instruction to assemble the windmill with the 2 small plastic pieces through the middle. Check the windmill spins freely. If it looks too wide or gets stuck, press small strips of double-sided tape between the strips where they overlap at the front.
3. Lightly brush glue around the edge of the windmill or onto the middle strips then sprinkle glitter over the top.
4. To make the windmill shape bigger, cut some zigzag shapes from glittery card. Make them all the same size so the windmill stays balanced. Glue the card shapes onto the back of each section of the windmill and leave to dry.
5. Decorate the windmill with self-adhesive gold and silver stars. Carefully press a star to in the middle of the windmill to cover the fixing then attach the windmill to the stick.

Top Tip

Keep any added card shapes around the edge of the windmill fairly small so they don’t get caught on the stick.

Bonfire bight pinata

Tissue paper roll:

• Tissue paper roll
• Satin ribbon
• 2 x craft wreaths
• 2 x small coloured plates
• Firework glitter foam stickers
• Newspaper
• Sticky tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Sweets or toys for filling the piñata

Instructions:

Tightly scrunch up 3 sheets of newspaper into 3 balls. Glue the balls onto a cardboard card wreath, so they are evenly spaced in a triangle. Brush glue onto the 3 balls then press another cardboard wreath on top to make a sandwich, with the newspaper balls in the middle. Check the small holes in the wreaths are lined up. Leave the glue to dry.

Thread a 50cm piece of ribbon through the holes in the wreath. Tie the ends into a knot to make a loop.

To cover the gap around the sides between the wreaths, cut 2 tissue paper strips approximately 15cm x 40cm. Lightly brush glue over of the card wreath facing up.

Stick the tissue strip around the edge of the wreath, so it hangs down over the sides. One strip should cover about halfway around.

Stick down the second strip in the same way, so the top part of the wreath is covered all the way around. Turn the piñata over, carefully pull the tissue paper across the gap between the 2 card wreaths then glue it down.

Be gentle:

Don’t pull too tightly or the tissue may tear. To make the piñata stronger, add 2 more tissue strips in the same way to make a second layer over the first one.

To make the paper fringes, cut 2 coloured tissue strips 5cm x 40-50 cm. Cutting the strips from folded tissue paper makes this quicker. Leaving the strips folded, make a series of 3cm cuts all the way along the sides then open them out.

Lightly brush glue around the outer edge of the piñata then start sticking down the first tissue strip, then add another one until you have gone all the way around.

Make more tissue strips in the same way using different colours until you reach the edge of the hole in the middle of the piñata. Glue a small paper plate over the hole to cover it then turn the piñata over.

Adding the goodies!

Cut some more tissue paper strips to cover the second side. Before you glue a paper plate to cover the hole, place some small sweets or small toys inside the piñata then glue the plate in place so the piñata is sealed. Add foam shapes to decorate in the middle.

Tape 30-40cm strips of ribbon to the base of the piñata on the tissue paper around the edge. If you’ve used a double layer of tissue, make tiny holes in the top layer so the tape is stuck to the tissue underneath.

This way, when the ribbon is pulled the tissue will split allowing the sweets to fall out. Alternatively, the sides of the piñata could be hit with a wooden spoon to split the sides open.

Top Tip

The piñata can be re-used by carefully covering over the holes in the base after the ribbons have been pulled.

Firework window display

You will need:

• Star cards
• Glitter
• PVA glue
• Glitter star foam stickers
• Coloured plates
• Sticky dots
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Open out a star card. Cut across the fold in the middle to make a point, so the star has 5 points. Place the star onto some scrap paper then lightly brush with glue. Sprinkle glitter over the surface of the star, shake off any excess to re-use and leave to dry. Make more glittery stars in the same way.
• Use large paper plates as the backgrounds for your fireworks. Cut around the edges of the plates to make zigzags or starburst shapes or try gluing smaller plates into the middles.
• To make a firework tail, cut out a curved shape from the edge of a plate, brush lightly with glue then add glitter. Add glue to the thin end of the tail then stick it to the reverse side of a firework background and leave to dry.
• Press sticky dots around the edge of the paper plate backgrounds then arrange the fireworks in a window.
• Done! 🙂

Pop up firework

What you need:

• Acrylic paint
• A4 coloured card
• Double sided tape
• Cocktail sticks
• Scissors

Instructions:

Instructions:

• Paint the plain white card with a bright stripy pattern and let it dry.
• Cut out a small rocket shape from a sheet of red card, and decorate it with flames and stripes using the other coloured card.
• Curl one sheet of card, and tape together to make a straw.
• Stick the rocket shape to the end of the straw.
• Fold the painted card (once dried) into a cone, using the double sided tape to hold it together. ( Make sure you leave a bog enough gap at the bottom of your cone for your straw to fit through.
• Push the end of the straw down into the cone, through the hole at the bottom. Your rocket should fit neatly within your cone and the straw should move easily up and down through the cone.

Top Tip

Try adding glitter to make an extra sparkly firework toy.

Fireworks picture

What you need:

• Self adhesive foam sheets
• Foam sheets
• Glitter pen
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Cut out a 21cm wide skyline of lots of tall building shapes from black sticky foam (black card may be easier for younger children to cut).
• Next cut out some other individual buildings like churches or interesting rooftops and stick to the main skyline to create a 3D effect.
• Cut a sheet of purple foam in half to make it A5 size. Cut out a 4cm diameter circle of white sticky foam and place this in the top right corner for the moon.
• Stick the layered skyline on the bottom half of the purple foam.

Now for the glitter!

• Use a silver glitter glue pen to edge the buildings on the sides that the moon would be shining on.
• Use other colours of glitter to draw exploding fireworks in the sky. Add some tiny dots of glitter nearer the buildings and smudge with a finger to look like fireworks in the distance.

Top Tip

Why not have a look out your window at night and copy the skyline onto your picture.

Sparkly rockets

What you need:

• Self adhesive foam sheets
• A4 coloured card
• Gold hanging cord
• Pipe cleaners
• Needle

Instructions:

• Roll a sheet of A4 card into a tube and cover with a rectangle of self-adhesive foam the same size.
• Cut some 1.5cm wide strips from different coloured self-adhesive foam and spiral these around the tube. Decorate the tube with other foam shapes, such as stars or half-moons.
• Knot a long hanging loop of gold cord and fix the knot under the foam strips at a join.
• Cut out a large semi-circle from self-adhesive foam and remove the edge of the backing paper and a slice from one flat edge. Roll into a cone and fix on to one end of the tube.
• Cut a disc of self-adhesive foam the same diameter as the tube. Bend the ends of some tinsel pipe cleaners into star shapes.
• Make holes in the foam disc with a needle. Poke the ends of the pipe cleaners through the holes and bend over at the back. Stick the disc over the other end of the tube.

Top Tip

Try making Catherine Wheels in a similar way and hang them so they spin around on their hanging loops.

Bonfire night snack ideas

Marshmallow ‘sparklers.’

You need:

.8 Marshmallows,

.10g Plain chocolate

.2 teaspoons sugar sprinkles

.Bamboo skewers

These gorgeous Marshmallow ‘Sparklers’ are 1sp/1pp/approx.50kcal each.

Ultimate hot chocolate

I LOVE hot chocolate, we all do, especially with marshmallows and a sprinkle of chocolate, yum!

Here is a basic recipe for hot chocolate and some options to mix things up if you want.

• Cadbury hot chocolate (our fav!) OR add chunks of chocolate to your milk, let it melt and give it a stir! White chocolate, dark, vegan, go crazy it’s your hot chocolate.
• Milk – I personally drink oat milk, it’s my go too but you can also try different milks: regular, almond, oat, coconut, rice cashew.
• Add some spice maybe: Orange zest or cinnamon.

Toppings:

• Cream: squirt cream, whipped cream, vegan cream (Elmlea plant double is good).
• Marshmallows: regular or vegan.
• Crumbled biscuit: Gingerbread, chocolate cookies, shortbread-whichever you like!
• Sprinkles: Edible glitter, sprinkles, gold stars.

Bonfire night: Firework cookies

These eye catching Firework Cookies will make your spectacular celebrations go off with a bang! They really look the part, are easy to make & taste beautiful. What more could you possibly want from a cookie?!

Here is what you will need to make 18-20.

For the Cookies

• 125g Unsalted Butter, Room Temp
• 100g Golden Caster Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Small Egg, Beaten
• 190g Plain Flour
• 30g Cocoa Powder

For the Royal Icing *

• 1 Large Egg White
• 250g Icing Sugar
• Squeeze of Lemon Juice
• Food Gel Colourings of Your Choice

Essential Equipment

• Disposable Piping Bags
• 7cm Round Fluted Cookie Cutter
• 18-20 Jazzy Straws or Lollipop Sticks
• Sugar Stars

*Or you can buy some ready made icing tubes from the supermarket to make it super easy!

Cooking directions:

To make the cookies, either in an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter, sugar & vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Then add the egg and beat again until it’s all combined.

Next, tip in the flour & cocoa powder and beat with a wooden spoon until it clumps together to form a dough.

Then tip out onto a work surface and knead gently to bring together into a ball. Divide it into two, then roll each one between 2 large sheets of baking paper to 6mm/1/4″ thick.

Pop into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This is important as if you don’t chill the dough, when you cut out the cookies they won’t hold their shape well.

Time to mould, cut and cook

Once the dough is chilled, remove from the fridge and cut as many 7cm circles out as you can. Re-roll the leftover dough to the same thickness & cut more cookies until all the dough is used up.

Chill the cookies for 15 minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.

Then line a large baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone mat. Fill with cookie discs, leaving room between each one for possible spreading, then bake for 10-12 mins.

Allow them to cool for a minute or two on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat for any remaining cookies.

To Make Royal Icing

In an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with electric hand whisks, beat together the egg whites, icing sugar & lemon juice on high speed for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Adding no more than a drop or two at a time, very gradually add cold water and mix between each addition until it’s thinned to soft peaks.

Then divide the mixture between 3 bowls and colour however you like. It’s important to keep your icing covered until you are ready to use it or it will begin to set and become unusable.

To Decorate Your Firework Cookies

Load 3 disposable piping bags with the 3 coloured icings and snip a small hole from the tip.

Pipe on lines to make ‘fireworks’ with a few little dots at the ends for added effect. I find it easiest to put the cookie you are decorating on a non slip surface as you will need both hands on the piping bag.

Firework rocket sandwiches

You can make your rocket sandwiches with either the cupcake plunger or a regular cookie cutter.

Make the sandwiches with whatever filling you want and then cut them with the cookie cutter or with the cupcake plunger, cut your first circle from the bread. 

Leave the bread circle in the plunger, then cut a circle from ham, so that the ham sits on top of the bread, still keeping them within plunger.  Repeat, cutting alternating circles of bread and your filling, until the plunger is full.

Once the sandwich is cut, push the skewer or thread the sandwich into the skewer, pushing all the way to the bottom.

Remove the whole sandwich from the plunger, and push the skewer the rest of the way through.  Cut a piece of pepper into a triangle for the top of the rocket and stick it onto the end of the skewer.

Repeat to make as many rockets as you need. You could also try using different colours of pepper, or fruits to make the tops of the rockets. Make as many as you need.

Bonfire night chocolate bark

Let’s cook!

Make sure you buy half decent chocolate for this desert! You don’t need the most expensive but a good one, we always love Cadbury!

What do I need?

Not much!

• Baking tray
• Grease proof paper
• Chocolate
• Sprinkles that look like fireworks

Instructions:

Line the baking tray with Grease proof paper.

Heat the chocolate on the stove until all has melted and then pour onto the baking tray.

Sprinkle the chocolate with your fire work sprinkles/edible glitter and leave to cool.

Once cooled, put in the fridge to cool.

Fruit rockets

What you need: Makes 5 rockets

• 5 strawberries
• 10 large green grapes
• 15 blueberries
• 5 firework cocktail sticks

Instructions:

• Wash and dry the fruit, then hull the strawberries by chopping the tops off them.
• Thread the blueberries and grapes onto the skewers, alternating between them.
• Top each skewer with a strawberry to make a point at the top of the rocket.
• Serve and enjoy!

Safety

Stay safe and have an amazing bonfire night!