The season of giving is upon us, and what better way to spend a cold and blustery afternoon with kids than making a festive and functional gift. In our case, we had been leafing through a few winter activity books, and got the idea to create a snake. The “snake” we came up with is actually a cleverly disguised doorway draft-stopper. A word of caution: Do not give this as a gift to someone who has Ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes, or Herpetophobia, the fear of reptiles. Otherwise this is a fun, inexpensive (make an extra for yourself!) and easy project for all ages. Materials and steps are as follows:

Materials (available locally at Needle Nook or other locally-owned craft store):

•Two or three colors of fleece and/or felt

•Measuring tape, ruler, chalk, scissors, straight pins

•Tapestry needle and embroidery thread

•Wool, cotton, or Bamboo/Cotton stuffing or batting

First, for the body, measure and cut two fleece or felt pieces 3 feet x 6 inch Next, to shape the tail, use the chalk to draw a 12-inch “V” at one end. Then, to shape the head, find the midpoint and mark 3/4 inch on either side. From each of these points, draw a 3-inch line to the edge of the fabric. Now, pin the two pieces together. Using the simple blanket stitch sew around the outside of the snake, leaving the head end open. Next, gently push stuffing or batting into the tail (you may want to use a long-handled wooden spoon). With the contrasting fleece or felt (we chose red for the tongue and blue for eyes) cut out two eyes the size of bottle caps. Stitch or glue (easier!) the eyes on the head of your snake. Then cut out a forked tongue (approx. 2 inch x 1 inch). Finally, fill the head with stuffing and place the tongue so that it sticks out the end of the snake. Pin, and then blanket-stitch around the sides of the head. Voila! You now have a fabulously functional draft-catching reptile.

Even the youngest children can do most steps of this project. And older kids (ages 8+) can practice their skills of measuring, cutting, stuffing, and sewing. The fleece or felt is easily cut with child-safe scissors, and the tapestry needles are just blunt enough not to poke skin, yet will penetrate fleece or felt with some patient needle-wiggling. All steps are quick and fun to try together.

We’re confident that you have friends or loved ones who will not just enjoy, but perhaps even come to love and depend on their very own cozy reptilian door-pal.