It has been quite a few years since I delved into quilling, and thought I'd give it a try with my students to make some lovely paper bouquets for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Shavuot. I decided to combine paper flowers with quilling for the best results, as quilling requires a level of acuracy that many 11 year olds don't quite have. That said, with this piece as an example, the boys have actually created lovely bouquets, with quite a bit of help (sigh).
The main thing, I've realized, is that they feel proud of what they've made and have learned something in the progress. If they feel unable to arrange the flowers, okay, so be it, I'm there to make sure it goes right and that the end result will be a success. There are so many important areas of growth for kids who engage in crafts, and it isn't always just about them doing it all themselves, especially for those lacking confidence. Of course anything requiring drawing must be done with their hand, otherwise it looks like I did it, and with each project there is a give and take. Children who aren't happy with the end result, and don't receive good honest feedback at home might be inclined to quit, so forcing the idea of "do it all yourself" might not always be the best route. Proceed gently and when you do things for the child get them to at least try themselves first, or help make any design decisions.
Okay, back to the specifics of this project! I introduced the boys to the idea of quilling with the purple stalk flowers and various leaves and the rest of the flowers were made with simple paper flower techniques that can be done in felt as well. Okay, lets do it!
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