Magnolia Blossoms Craft Project

How to make a Magnolia Blossom from Latex Balloons

Supplies Needed

18 gauge craft wire (must be 18 gauge)
this is available at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, however if you do not have a craft store available, you can buy 18 gauge wire in a small roll at a hardware store.

package of 9" or 11" helium quality latex balloons

floral stem wrapping tape

magnolia center

at least three magnolia leaves - (silk leaves are fine)

wire cutters

scissors

glue gun (maybe)

Cut 9 pieces of 18 gauge wire into 18" pieces

Cut 4 pieces of 18 gauge wire into 9" pieces

Fold the 18" pieces in half, leaving rounded at the top

Cut the ends off of 9 ballons

Feed the folded 18" wires into the 9 balloons

Pull balloon down tight to the end of the wire, this part of the process is difficult and takes patience

Wrap the balloon very tightly with the floral tape

Continue wrapping all nine balloons and wires with floral tape

Now pull the wires out inside the balloons and shape the petals.

This is why you need 18 gauge wire, so it will hold it's shape.

Fasten one 9" wire to the magnolia center, this may require using the glue gun to get it to stay.

If you do not have a magnolia center, you can purchase them at a craft store, but they are pricey.

Place three petals around the magnolia center, and wrap with floral tape

Add three additional petals, and wrap with floral tape

Add three remaining petals, and wrap with floral tape

Add at least three magnolia leaves, and wrap with floral tape

There you have it, one gorgeous magnolia blossom, created from latex balloons

Thanks to Dona at Admiralty RV Park in San Antonio TX for teaching me this craft.

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The RV Park Activity Director

The RV Parks are beginning to advertise for Activity Directors for the Winter 2010 season.

What do you need to have on your resume' to be considered for an Activities Director position?

Just because you have never directed activities at an RV Park does not mean you should not apply for the job.   Think of experiences you have had that will translate into activities.

Have you ever planned a kid's birthday party, supervised the games, planned the activities, organized the fun?

Have you ever planned a large dinner party, or been involved in Little League planning or coaching, PTA fundraisers, booster club fundraisers, chaperoned your kids band trips?

Think of all the planning that would go into these types of activities.  You would use the same skill sets to be in charge of activities at an RV Park.

Here are a few activities you could plan on organizing for almost any RV Park you would go into.

Breakfast - cooking and serving, either have everyone bring their own table settings, or charge enough in order to provide paper plates and cups (this is my personal choice.)

Potlucks - organizing the themes, distributing fliers, and setting up the event hall.

Bingo, dominoes, cards, poker, etc. . .is basically setting up a time frame, and providing a venue. . .other than needing someone to call Bingo, participants will pretty much take care of themselves.  Bring your own snacks and drinks will alleviate the need for you to deal with that aspect of game night.

Arts and Crafts - are a necessary part of activities.  If you have no talent in this area, find someone to assist you.

We will discuss these and many other issues as we go along.

Check back often. . .our next post will be step by step instructions on how to make a Magnolia Blossom out of  latex balloons.  It is a creative and inexpensive craft idea to have in your bag of tricks.

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Where do I start?

When you walk into your first RV Activities assignment, your first course of action should be scheduling. . .figure out the schedule. . .find a manager, an assistant manager, even one of the guests who return year after year. . .sit down with them and ask. . .what usually goes on. . .what type of activities have you done in the past?

If you are very fortunate, the previous activities director will have left a plan from the previous year for you to follow.  I was not so fortunate in my first assignment. . .however. . .a guest from the previous season told me what they had done, and I went with her plan. . .nothing wrong with that. . .you have to start somewhere.  

Listed below is the weekly schedule that we came up with for our park.  This is only used as an example.  Your circumstances may be totally different, and you should adapt accordingly.  

Saturday - Breakfast Buffet Style - charge per person

Sunday    - Ice Cream Social        - charge per scoop

Monday - Bingo - charge per card - all proceeds go back to the players

Tuesday - Pot Luck - everyone contributes - followed by Poker and Pokeno

Wednesday - Free Night - Activity Center opened for Game night

Thursday - Poker and Pokeno

Friday - Bingo - charge per card - all proceeds go back to the players

Our group would have loved to have Bingo three times per week. . .we chose to only have two nights. . .

This is the very simplified set weekly schedule. . .there were many, many other varied and sundry activities that were planned and scheduled at various other times during the week. . .we will discuss those later.

Please do not hesitate to comment or offer questions and ideas. . .

The RV Park Activities Center. . . or in other words. . .the Facilities

What do you look for as far as facilities for activities at a park?

As I am sure you have observed in your travels, RV parks have facilities as varied as a room with a few chairs, and a TV, all the way up to a commercial kitchen, and complete set up for rallies. . .

If this is your first activities position, you will want to research the facilities, and the easiest way to do this is online. . .simply go to the RV Park website. . .and see if they have any pictures posted of their Clubroom, or their Library, any game rooms they may have, etc.

Most really large parks have a list of the activities that are provided. 

 Research the list, and see how many of the activities are a fit for you. . .do you love to cook. . .if they serve breakfast every Saturday morning, as we do here, you will need to know how to prepare and cook for a crowd.

If crafting is listed as an activity, you will either need to have some crafting skills, or you will need to be very gifted at twisting arms, and getting others involved in teaching craft classes for you.

For your very first Activities Position, perhaps it would be best to start with a small park.  This would give you an opportunity to spend one on one time with the guests, and discover what they love doing, and design your activities program around their wishes.

Flexibility will be the key. . .when you arrive at a park. . 

.the facilities, and the budget will determine what you can make happen.

As we progress in our discussions, I will give you step by step pointers on activities, 

functions, and crafts that anyone would be able to bring together.

Hope this answers your question. . . feel free to comment, and to ask additional questions.

How do you become an Activities Director?

That is the question I am asked most often.

The next question is. . . you're so lucky. . .how did you ever get this job?

Truthfully, luck played a big part of it this first time around, however, we did have skill sets that have allowed us to be successful, and that is what I would like to share with you.

If you love people. . .if you love making others happy. . .and especially if you love organizing. . .then you are definitely a candidate to become an Activities Director for an RV Park.

However, there is a caveat.  If you need to be patted on the back, and told, "good job", after each success, then you are probably not a good candidate.  If you are thin skinned, and easily get your feelings hurt, you need to look in another direction.  If you have difficulty saying NO, and are easily manipulated, or talked into things, run the other way as fast as you can.

On the other hand, you must have the patience of Job, be open to all ideas, and finding a way to make them work.  After all, your job will now be pleasing the RV'ers in the park, and they know exactly what it will take to make that happen.

You will need to have a smile on your face, and a spring in your step.  No one needs to know your problems, or that you are having a bad day.  You will now be the "JOY" maker, and oh what a joy it is.

With that said, working with Fulltime RV'ers has been an absolute delight. . .they are thrilled to see us coming, they are game for anything, and they enjoy life to the utmost.

Together we will explore avenues to make your dream of becoming an Activities Director a reality.

I look forward to your questions and comments as we begin this journey together.