Miniature Bow and Arrow

This is so cute, easy and cheap to make. The original is out there on the internet (thank you whoever you are), I found it by accident on a Pinterest site looking for crafts that might interest teenagers... and BOY, DID IT!!! (Yes, it did).

All you need are: a large emery board (like a cardboard nail file), dental floss and some cotton buds (for cleaning ears). I bought all 3 from a pound shop so the whole youth group could arm themselves for only a pound!

I cut out the little grooves on each side at top and bottom with my trusty 'Cropodile' tool but a sturdy hole punch may do the job. If you have one of those tools for making an extra hole in a belt, that would do very well. Then I punched a hole halfway down in the very centre.

After that, cut a length of dental floss and tie it firmly at one end. Bend the emery board gently in a curve and tie the floss on the other end. The original picture I saw used lolly sticks but I found them too brittle and likely to snap when bent.

For the ammunition, pull the fluff off one end of a cotton bud. These were particularly weird shaped cotton buds, but there were 200 in a pack so PLENTY to go round! To fire, just insert the empty end of the stick through the central hole,  hold it in place against the floss string with finger and thumb, then pull back until it feels springy and let go of the end.

When you've got it down to fine art, find a willing victim to be fired at... in my case here, a Socklet that I made, looking nonchalant and unconcerned at the threat!

Coming soon... the miniature catapult using those lolly sticks that were no good for the bow and arrow making!