Today’s post will be the final one in the series on Carnival. Of course, there are still many nice Carnival-related feasts ahead of us, like Fat Thursday. we hope you will tell us about them through Facebook or our website, while we will stay focused on some domestic, i.e. Polish, traditions. Did you know that Poles (in particular here, in Mazovia) have a tradition of making some splendid home decorations during the Carnival season? Many of these ornaments have been known to this day, for example, paper-cuts, which take their origin from here. As a matter of fact, each region has had its individual paper-cut style and the paper-cuts have been suspended in chambers throughout the entire Carnival season.
So, why don’t you make your very own paper-cut together with your child? It won’t be a Łowicz-style one, because these are difficult to make, especially for untrained little hands. But it’s definitely worth a try – all the more so, as according to my observation, almost every child loves to cut and glue fancy paper shapes. Our paper-cut will be simpler and will have a theme – it will be dedicated to the four seasons. So, what do we need this time?
WE WILL NEED:
- Coloured paper in 5 different colours: one A3 sheet, the others optional
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Marker (black)
Step 1
Cut four paper rectangles; arrange them vertically on the A3 sheet in a way that there are margins left on the sides and space between the rectangles. Cut another four rectangles, slightly smaller than the previous ones. This will be the material we will use for making our trees. Fold the smaller rectangles in half and draw the shapes of halves of trees; cut them out; unfold the paper; here are the trees! But that’s not all. Cut out any pattern you like on the half-fold trees – triangles, semicircles, herringbone pattern or whatever comes to mind. Trees can be folded in half several times, but I think that this simpler version is the most suitable to help you get started.
Step 2
Repeat the above procedure with the three other trees. Unfold the cutouts and glue them to the larger rectangles which were prepared at the beginning. Attention! The rectangles should obviously be of different colours, so that the results of our work are clearly visible. As it happens, my Anka hasn’t chosen distinct colours in each case, so not every tree contrasts with the background; but I don’t mind it, it’s a valuable experience for her. Glue the rectangles with the trees to the large sheet. We’re almost finished now.
Step 3
If you’re ambitious, I suggest you cut out additional details: birds on the trees, fruits, leaves, snowflakes, so that it’s clear what time of year it is. You can also draw the birds’ eyes and wings or apple leaves, but it’s really up to you. Finished! Now hang the work on the wall and admire the child’s craft!
