Susan in TN Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Artistic/crafty People - I need your help! I've had this idea rolling around in my head of making a "book tree". Kind of like those book caterpillars where every time you read a book you write it on a circle and make a long caterpillar. So I'm wanting to make something like this, but with a tree trunk and some branches, and we'll write our books on paper leaves and put them on the tree. I'm thinking about putting it on the stairway wall - lots of room to grow up and out. How should I make the leaves? Just print off the computer and cut them out? I was thinking of a craft punch thing, but those leaves are pretty small. Do we want to use all different kinds and colors of leaves? how should we attach them (and the tree trunk) to the wall? How would you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I would use green construction paper and attach them using blue painter's tape (that doesn't ruin walls). I like this idea. I might have to steal it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Angela started this. Here is a link to her blog. Not sure if she has finished or not. http://satorismiles.com/2011/08/29/need-suggestions-for-reading-tree-project/ I've always wanted to do this, but I might just stick with construction paper links instead. I may never follow through with a nice looking reading tree. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Thanks for all your ideas and links - these are great! I'm thinking that cutting out each leaf individually would get tedious - we have lots of reading going on around here :). I'll check the craft stores for punches and/or craft leaves and see what they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I did this when ds was very small. My local school supply store would cut and sell lengths of butcher paper in various colors, so I just bought a large (6'?) sheet each of brown and blue. The blue became the background, and I just drew (lightly in pencil) a tree trunk and branches on the brown, cut it out, and glued it on. I used different shades of green construction paper for the leaves and just cut them free-hand, so they all looked a little different and varied slightly in size. I stuck the whole big poster on the wall with that yellow poster sticky stuff... Um... I don't know what it's called. Some 3M product. You just mash it around and stick it to the wall. I *think* there were apples on our tree too. I can't remember what the difference was between apples and leaves, lol. Way too long ago. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I would print the leaves out....what a COOL idea--might steal it too LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Or you could use silk artificial leaves and use a permanent marker to write the titles (that might get pricey depending on how many you need). It sounds like a cool project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 If you wanted to do leaves in different colors you could have different colors for different subjects such as science, history, fiction, ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Or you could use silk artificial leaves and use a permanent marker to write the titles (that might get pricey depending on how many you need). It sounds like a cool project! Yard sales and thrift stores would save on the cost ... and of course artificial leaves are washable first ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Going out on a limb here (no pun intended) ... Years ago, for a Sunday School class, we made trees during one quarter in which the lessons focused on living the Word. I used a child's traced hands pattern in fall colors as the "leaves" and wrote the Bible verse of the week on them; the children added the hands to their trees. The finished product was quite nice. Similarly, I wondered with books read - what about using a shape of a book in various colors, rather than using leaves ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 Similarly, I wondered with books read - what about using a shape of a book in various colors, rather than using leaves ... Oooo - book shaped "leaves" - that's a cool idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 oooh, I like this...where do I have a good wall for a book tree... Would the leaves just have the name of the book, or the book and author, or maybe the book and author and the child who read it (or read aloud)... let each child make a leaf when they finish a book... So many things to think about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 Yes - I'm thinking about the title at least, and the kids can add their initials, or I can put RA for read aloud. My older ones ccould put in the author's name along with the title. Really, if they have a template to trace, it wouldn't be hard to have them cut out their own simple leaf from paper and use some of that painter's tape to put it up. I found this tree wall decal on Amazon that I'm thinking about getting - has good reviews, can be made any size, and fairly inexpensive... http://www.amazon.com/RoomMates-RMK1317GM-Branches-Stick-Decals/dp/B0027CSJCU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319476485&sr=8-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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