1. Use a pencil and tracing paper to transfer the tree trunk pattern to a piece of brown construction paper and the base pattern to green construction paper. See here for the patterns.
In 1800, writer Mason L. Weems told the story of how young George Washington had chopped down his father’s prized cherry tree with his new hatchet. When the father asked who had cut down the tree, the young boy admitted that he had. The father was proud of his son’s honesty. The story became famous; however, Mr. Weems made the story up.
In 1912, Japan donated 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., to decorate the parks and lawns in the capital. Each year the city celebrates the beautiful blossoming of these trees.
1. Use a pencil and tracing paper to transfer the tree trunk pattern to a piece of brown construction paper and the base pattern to green construction paper. See here for the patterns.
2. Glue the brown trunk pattern to one side of a sheet of light cardboard. Glue brown construction paper to the other side of the cardboard. Let dry. Do the same with the green base pattern.
3. Use tracing paper and a pencil to transfer the leaf pattern to green paper. Transfer the cherry blossom pattern to the tissue paper. See here for the patterns. Make twelve leaves and twenty blossoms. Cut them out. Note: You can cut several layers of tissue paper at the same time to make many copies.
4. Cut out both the tree trunk and the base. Cut a slit on the trunk as shown by the green line in the pattern. Cut a slit on the base as shown by the brown line.
5. Glue the leaves to the branches of the tree. If you wish, glue some green paper grass to the brown base. Let dry.
6. Put a drop of glue in the middle of each blossom and place them on the leaves. Let dry.
7. Put the trunk and base together by slipping the slit at the bottom of the trunk into the slit at the top of the base.
8. Put clear tape along the line where the trunk and base meet.