One of my favorite times of the year is early Spring, when it's still really winter, but the fruit trees start to signal the change of season with their gorgeous display of pink and white blooms. While I grew up with Japanese cherry trees that were planted specifically for their Spring display of pink blooms, in Israel the first tree to bloom is the almond tree, whose blooms are also pink and lovely!
The first signs of Spring are remarkable and joyful, and definitely worth anticipating with a fun art project like this three-dimensional tree made from cardboard and tissue paper. While many of you may still be deep in snow in another three weeks, here in Israel we will be expecting to see the first hints of spring that coincide with the holiday of Tu B'Shevat. So break out the pink tissue paper and have some fun!
You'll Need:
- cereal box cardboard (or something a bit thicker)
- white paint
- pink tissue paper in several shades, or pink and red tissue paper
- white glue or a hot glue gun
How To:
- Follow basic instructions for constructing tree found here. (This time I drew my tree a bit differently, as seen above.) The height of my tree is roughly the height of a cereal box, but you can certainly make a smaller version, which would be quicker to decorate, this one required quite a few blooms!
- Paint tree white (optional), recommended on at least the printed sides if using a cereal box
- Assemble tree and glue trunk sections to one another if tree seems flimsy (mine was just a bit, given the thickness of the cereal box and the width of my trunk.)
- Make blooms by crumpling small bits of torn tissue paper into balls and adhering to tree with white glue or a hot glue gun.
- Use your tree to teach your children about the cycle of the fruit tree, and let them use it as a prop together with any construction/building type games they love.
- Wouldn't a whole orchard of these look fabulous? Enjoy!
