Looking to decorate your classroom or home with an adorable winter project? I have 2 projects that are very easy, low cost and make a big impact!

If you have been following me you know I love the outdoors, landscapes and our National Parks. I love bringing the outdoor inspiration inside into my classroom.

Painted Paper Trees Mural

Here is what you will need:

• Craft paper 18″ tall

• Previously Painted Paper in shades of Blue and Green

•Scissors, pencils, glue

• White Oil Pastels and White Tempera Paint with a small round paintbrush

Creating Painted Paper Trees

Fold a 9″ x 6″ inch piece of previously painted paper in half. Using a pencil, draw half a triangle from the top corner edge of the fold to the opposite bottom corner of the paper. While the paper is still folded, cut on the pencil line and then open the folded paper. Once the paper is open, you will have a symmetrical tree.

Using white oil pastels and/or white tempera paint to add symmetrical lines. These lines will give the trees a more graphic, stylized look.

Students created painted paper earlier in the year and the papers were stored until we needed them for projects. Want to know how to create painted paper? Check our this blog post.

The dried, decorated painted trees were then laid out on inexpensive brown craft paper, overlapped and glued down creating a realistic landscape.

Some simple painted clouds, and a circle sun tucked under some trees at the horizon complete the mural.

 

In my art studio, students often create items that are grouped with other students projects to create a large collaborative mural. This is a common creative process in our art studio and the students love seeing the displayed pieces. They often point and comment on how neat it is to see their individual items displayed as an entire group.  

Cardboard Pattern Trees

Here is what you will need:

• Thin cardboard sheets in various size

• Tempera paint in shades of blues and greens

• Small strips of painted paper for the tree trunk

• Pencil, Scissors and Glue

• Flat paintbrush

Step One: Using a pencil, draw out a simple shape for your desired tree. Add a fun pattern to your tree, and finish off with a strip of brown painted paper for the trunk.

Step 2: With tempera paint in shades of green and blue fill in the shapes and patterns on your tree.

Step 3: When your trees are dry, cut around the shape leaving a little border of the cardboard. Grab some modeling clay and stand your tree in the clay. I use modeling clay because it will not mark up my counters and doesn’t dry out. Be careful where you place the modeling clay so it does not leave a mark on wood furniture.

Enjoy admiring your delightful forest.