Trash to Great Storytime Art ...

This week's Trash to Great Storytime Art Project is a beautiful Fall Leaf Stained Glass, well sort of stained glass, actually it's tissue paper on wax paper.

The trash - all that colorful tissue paper you get in gift bags, but can't bring yourself to throw out.

The additional supplies - black construction paper, wax paper/saran wrap, scissors, glue and some paint brushes you don't mind throwing away.

This project can be done at anytime of the year, in the Spring or Summer you could do a butterfly or flower shape, or in the Winter you could do a snowflake and just us whites, blues and purples. But, since it is Fall, I decided to go with a leaf. I googled Maple Leaf and used the clip art the create my pattern. I traced and cut the maple leaf out of the middle of a sheet of black construction paper and then taped a piece of wax paper to one side (which becomes the back), you could also use saran wrap, it is a little more difficult to work with, but the colors show through a little better than on wax paper.

I have all of this ready before storytime. Then I set out trays filled with small squares of tissue paper and dishes with a glue & water mixtures. The kids then place the tissue paper squares on the back and paint over them with the glue & water mixture, until the square of wax paper/saran wrap is covered-up. Then when you flip the construction paper over, you have the beautiful fall maple leaf above that they can take home and hang in their window.

An additional step, if you would like is to have a second sheet of black construction paper, with the shape cut out, to place over the back when they are finished so there is no back or front - but this is optional.

Happy Fall - enjoy :)