Arbor Day was first celebrated in America in 1872 with the planting of one million trees in the state of Nebraska. Today we still celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees and enjoying the established forests around us. If you aren’t able to plant a tree of your own, you can still celebrate our oxygen-producing neighbors by recycling some paper towel tubes into a little indoor forest.
Supplies
- Paper towel tube (or rolled paper)
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Black or brown marker
Instructions
Step 1: Cut ½-inch strips into one end of your paper towel tube. The strips should reach about ⅓ of the way down the tube to form branches.
Step 2: Use the marker to draw bark texture onto the trunk and branches of your tree, then gently curve the branches outward to give your tree some shape.
Step 3: Choose your leaf color from the construction paper. Fold your sheet in half at least twice before cutting out the leaves so you can cut a few at once. Use different sizes and color variations for the leaves on each tree to create a more realistic feel.
Step 4: Use the glue stick to attach your leaves to either side of the branches. Add as many or as few as you’d like. Then experiment with replicating different types of trees. Can you make a maple, birch or oak?
Explore more of our #PEMfromHome Drop-in Art Activity video tutorials on our YouTube channel.
Show Us!
Share your forests with us on social media using #PEMpod or #PeabodyEssex.