Wild Wild Making
#Wildmaking at its most basic
Continuing our train travels around Spain we’ve arrived in the beautiful city of Granada, we’re here for a few days. We’d walked out to the edge of the city and spotted a terrace walk high on the hill leading away from the Alhambra. The next day we set out to try to find it.
It seemed like the perfect location for some #WildMaking but I didn’t have my tool kit with me. Time to see what can be made without tools using only the wild supplies along our path. Wild wild making!
After foraging around for a range of interesting materials I came up with this simple propellor that spins when you blow on it. You can see more on Instagram here…
The blades of the prop are made from some dried leaves from a tree that looked almost like a holly tree but with only the tiniest of spikes on the leaves. The leaves had dried out and had the feel of sheets of wood veneer. One side was copper orange and the other side was coloured like tarnished copper, it was a nice contrast.
To make the hub of the prop I used a seed case I’d found. Around the outside of the seed case I made four holes for the leaf stems using a thorn plucked carefully from a particularly spiky bush.
I fitted the four roughly equal size leaves into the holes in the seed pod.
Each leaf stalk pushed into one of the four equally spaced thorn holes.
Finding a thin straight stick I pushed that into the hole at the end of the seed pod to act as an axle. Then it was a case of turning each leaf slightly feathering them so that they would deflect air and make the prop spin!
I rested the axle in the crook between finger and thumb and blew gently into the front of the prop. What a delight when the simple project made entirely from found parts span energetically!
I’m hoping that this project idea can be adapted for you to try using materials where you are. Maybe some found feathers instead of leaves, or an acorn instead of a seed pod. We had set out for a walk with no plans to make anything in particular but, inspired by the rich resources of the nature around us, spent a relaxing hour or so sitting high above the valley below letting creativity take its course. We listened to the birds, watched the butterflies and looked closely at the normally unnoticed plant detritus. Fitting things together, holding things up to the light, and seeing how things might come together in a new way. Abandoning some ideas and moving forward with others. It was a very satisfying way to spend our time. Give it a go and let me know what you come up with!
While I was making my prop, my travel companion made this delightful twister project using the same kind of leaves. You twist the stick between your palms and the leaves spin outwards then drop back making a lovely sort of wooden wind chime sound as they ran into each other.
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Wonderful!!!