A Visit with Japanese Exchange Students

Japanese Exchange students come visit The MYC!

Last week a group of Japanese exchange students came to The MYC to share some of their culture with us.  We had a lot of fun and learned a lot of new things!  They taught us how to make origami cameras and cranes, wrote our names in Kanji, and introduced us to traditional Japanese games Kendama, Fukuwarai, and a board game with rules similar to Jenga.

Fernanda's ready to take your picture with her origami camera!

Natalie mastered Kendama

The paper crane experts

We're learning Kanji

Accessorizing with Plastic

Plastic shopping bags are a scourge on the environment.  Plastic fusing is a fun and easy way to recycle your plethora of plastic bags!  We gathered our plastic bags (the more patterned and colorful the better), designed our fabric pattern, and began fusing pieces of plastic together to create our own plastic fabric!

Materials needed:
plastic bags
iron
scissors
parchment paper

Instructions:
1. Cut out shapes from various plastic bags and layer them together to create your own fabric design

2. Create a parchment/plastic sandwich - place your plastic between the parchment paper (2 layers at a time)

3. Using a low setting on your iron, iron your plastic until it fuses together.  Once it has, add another layer and continue fusing until your fabric is complete


Now that you have your plastic fabric you can use it to make a variety of fashionable items!


4.  Cut out your pattern and start sewing - by hand or machine

5. Show off your fashionable, hand-made, recycled accessory to all your friends