A few twigs and a handful of paint swatch cards are perfect for putting together a Paint Chip Apple Tree.
We’re doing lots of apple crafts these days here in my home daycare. This apple stamping activity led to our latest fall tree craft. This was a fun way to combine a traditional fall painting activity, colourful paint swatches and a few items from nature.
Remember the beautiful art we created last week when we were Apple Stamping with Fall Colours? And remember I said I’d need to think of a way to use this colourful cardboard canvas we made?
Well, here’s what I came up with: a Paint Chip Apple Tree.
I just love crafting with paint chips. We have a drawer full of them, and we use them for all kinds of arts and crafts projects. We’ve made Paint Chip Mosaics, Paint Chip Candy Canes, we use them for cutting practice when working on our scissor skills, and there’s our fine motor game: the Pringle’s Can Paint Swatch Drop.
I used to grab a few paint sample cards whenever I was in the paint section of the hardware store, but one day I asked at a Paint Shop, and the owner was happy to hand over about 25 sleeves of cards in their least popular colours. They’re not awful colours at all. They’re just not terribly popular when it comes to room colours – bright orange, navy blue, teal green etc. Great colours for crafting with!
For our Paint Chip Tree, we simply gathered some twigs from the backyard, and I cut out a couple of dozen leaves from a variety of green paint swatch cards.
We used our low-heat glue gun to attach the twigs to the apple-stamped backdrop. The 4-year-old started using our low-heat glue gun when she was about 3.5, and she’s a whiz with it. The gun doesn’t get hot enough to really burn, but even so, because we were working with really skinny twigs, I gave her a hand so the hot glue wouldn’t drip off the twigs. I held the twigs, she manned the gun, and we got the job done.
Once the twigs were in place on the cardboard, she used a glue stick to decorate the tree with leaves.
Simple, sweet and perfect for apple season!
More Fall Tree Crafts for Preschoolers:
- Button Apple Trees
- Sandpaper Tinfoil Apple Trees
- Fall Popcorn Trees
- Fall Hand Tissue Trees
- Twig Tissue Trees
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Becky
Love it! You could also use the fall colored paint chips for a fall tree, if the store would let you have them. 🙂
happyhooligans
Yes! We have plans to do a fall coloured tree as well, Becky!!
Lauren
This is gorgeous. I love the use of a real branch too. Thank you for sharing at our Pinning for Play link party!
happyhooligans
Thanks, Lauren. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Lorie
Really cute, Jackie!
Hilaree
I love this! I’ll be checking back frequently – I’m a homeschooling mommy and your blog is right up my alley! Thanks!
Eva @ The Multitasking Mummy
This is really lovely and I love the idea of using the paint cards!! I’m going to take some at my next visit to the hardware store! Thanks for linking up 🙂
Emma @ P is for Preschooler
I never take the paint chip cards because I feel bad, but I never thought to just ASK! This came out really cute and thanks for the idea of how to get paint chips! 🙂
happyhooligans
Yep. You never know if you don’t ask. And the worst thing they can say is “no” (in which case stuff a bunch in your handbag and RUN). lol
rediscoveredfamilies
This is great! I love the colours. Pinned it!
happyhooligans
You’re welcome! I’m really glad we went with fall colours too!
Anna@The Measured Mom
Gorgeous! I love all your crafts, and your photography is always so beautiful. Thanks for sharing at After School!
happyhooligans
Thanks, Anna!
Carrie @ Crafty Moms Share
What a great idea!! I love how it came out. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
jessica
i am loving the apple/autumn themes all around. we too did apple printing and trees and leaves and more. my school kiddos are three so I was delighted when I found paint chips IN the shape of leaves! It was fun to have each child select which green leaf they wanted for their apple then the kind of glue they wanted to use and then how they affixed their leaves. I’ve got photos of one completed apple with leaf and of course the gue went on top so the leaf is actually white. 😉
enchantedhomeschoolingmom
Paint chips? What a great idea to make learning about apples and fall colors different. Thank you for sharing and for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop 🙂
Tairalyn
Seriously I can’t get enough of paint chip DIY’s thank you! You have opened my eyes to a few new ones that we will have to give a whirl! LOVE THIS.
happyhooligans
Me too! There are so many things you can do with them!
Jennifer Fischer
We love using paint chips and I picked up some in Fall colors recently with a similar activity in mind. You’re inspiring me to get to it! Featured in my Kid’s Co-Op post this week. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/136374694939921052/
Rebecca Orr
This is such a cute idea. My son is in 1st grade and for some reason loves to collect sticks! So this would be a great way to make use of them! He would love this idea. I think we will try our hand at it this weekend! Thanks for sharing!
happyhooligans
I don’t blame him! We love sticks here too! They’re so versatile for crafting and great for imaginative play!