DIY George Washington Wig

What is it about dress-up that kids love so much? My oldest son STILL hasn't outgrown the fun of donning a costume, which is probably why he loved this project so much.

In honor of George Washington's birthday (February 22), we made a wig to replicate his signature grey locks.

Supplies

1 paper grocery bag

cotton balls (you'll need a lot!)

low-temp glue gun and glue sticks

ribbon

How To

I carefully cut the bag to fit my son's head, trimming off excess and gluing folds in places to make the bag smaller and less boxy.

I did my best to cut around his ears and left a tail at the back for George's ponytail.

Now it was time to add "hair." I grabbed a bag of cotton balls from my toiletries and my son began gluing the balls to our paper bag. 

When it was done, he added a bow at the back.

He was so proud of his George Washington wig that he wore it while we read a great book by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, and even quizzed his Dad when he came home from work; he asked "Who am I?" before my husband had even time to take his coat off!

George Did It!is a great book about our first, somewhat hesitant, president. The book sheds light on the notion that George wasn't exactly excited to be our nation's first leader - in fact, he was downright nervous about disappointing everyone. Painting an emotional account of his worries makes Washington so much more relatable for kids today.

Interested in doing more great George Washington projects? Check out Carla Mooney's George Washington: 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself. Our George Washington wig project came straight from the pages of Mooney's book!