3D CARDBOARD TREES

Tu B’Shevat reminds us of our sacred obligation to care for trees and the environment and to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. This fun and colorful craft gives kiddos the chance to do all three! They’ll REDUCE the amount of new art materials your family buys by using upcycled cardboard as their canvas; they’ll of course REUSE the cardboard, giving it a second life; and, if the day comes that they no longer want to keep their masterpiece, it can easily be RECYCLED! Sounds like a win-win-win and the perfect way to honor trees!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

-Cardboard
-Marker to draw your trees and stands
-Scissors that can cut cardboard
-Paint (I used acrylic paint) in whatever colors you like

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

(1) Cut your cardboard pieces to the approximate size you want your trees to be. Allow a little extra space for the semicircle stands for each tree. (2) Draw your trees on each piece of cardboard and also draw two semicircle shapes for each tree — these will be the stands. The wider the trunk and the shorter the tree, the easier it will be for the tree to balance on the stands. (3) Cut out all your trees and stands. Younger children may need help with this, depending on the thickness of the cardboard. If it’s really thick, grown-ups should do the cutting. (4) Cut a slit at the rounded top of each semicircle (see photo). Gauge how wide this slit needs to be based on the thickness of the cardboard. When I made the stands for the example pictured here, I needed to cut more than a simple snip — it was more like a thin rectangle. (5) Paint all your trees and stands. If you want to paint the backs, too, allow for the first side to dry completely before you flip it over. (6) Once everything is completely dry, connect two stands to the bottom of each trunk. Try to put the stands as close to each left and right edge as you can — this will make it easier for the tree to balance. (7) Voila — now you have beautiful trees to inspire your Tu B’Shevat celebration!