George Washington's Wig Craft

Your kid will look downright presidential in this getup!

Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf

Little Jack is just as into playing dress-up as his sister is, but fairy wings and tutus are not quite his thing. Why not invite him to make a retro powdered wig he can wear with pride? He'll feel very presidential marching around the house in it, so just be sure not to give him veto power or all your household rules will fly out the window and you'll be eating ice cream for dinner every night. (Doesn't sound too bad, actually!)

Wig maker:
Your kid.
A brown paper grocery bag
A marker
Glue
Paintbrush
Scissors
A piece of black or blue ribbon

Cut the handles off of the bag (if there are any).
Then, have your kid lay the bag down, folded side face down, with the open end facing away from him, leaving the smooth side free to write on.
Help your kid draw a big, thick "L" shape along the edges of the bag, with the bottom of the L running along the bottom edge of the bag. Eyeball the size of your kid's head and make the L-shape a tiny bit bigger than his noggin, because this is going to be the base of his wig. Make the bottom of the L a little thicker and shorter than you normally would when writing the letter.
Help him cut the L out.
Open the bag and put the bottom part on his head to check the fit of his new wig.
Have him trim the length and any stray pieces of paper to make a proper powdered wig shape.
Next, have your kid slather the paper bag in white glue with a paint brush.
Then invite him to cover the paper bag in cotton balls to resemble the white curly locks of our first president.
When he's coated the bag in cotton balls, help him tie a ribbon around the bottom of the "hair" to create a ponytail. We guess the old hippie adage, "Don't trust anyone over 40 who wears a ponytail," didn't apply to good old George W. (as in the first prez, not number 43).
When the wig is dry, have your kid put it on and&mdashvoila! Watch him turn from your little boy into an esteemed president! (Not that the wig makes much of a difference, 'cause admit it, he's ruled the roost since the day he was born.)