Maker Monday

Maker Monday: Let’s try making a tassel garland

Greetings, Kidsburgh readers! We’re happy to bring you another installment of our Maker Monday “Let’s Try” video series, created by our friends at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

This week’s free maker activity will teach kids to make a beautiful garland filled with paper tassels. You’ll find all the details on materials and instructions right here, and you can follow along on the video below to learn each easy step. (These videos are just a few minutes long, so it’s always practical to watch the video through once before beginning.)

A note to kid makers: Please work with a parent or caregiver on every project and always be very careful when using tools of any kind.

Maker Monday materials you’ll need:

  • colorful paper
  • yarn or string
  • scissors
  • a ruler

Instructions:

  • Fold one piece of colorful paper in half, then fold it in half again (see video).
  • Use the scissors to cut along the second fold you made.
  • Then, starting at the open end of your paper, cut a bunch of thin strips. Stop about an inch before you get to the folded end.
  • Unfold your paper and flatten it. Roll the paper along the long edge, with the slits on the outside.
  • Fold in the center, so the paper slits now meet each other.
  • Measure a length of string or yarn for your garland (how long would you like it to be?). Then tie the tassel to this long piece of yarn or string using a smaller piece of yarn or string.
  • Continue making tassels from new pieces of paper and attaching them to the long piece of yarn or string until your garland is complete!

Want more at-home fun making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday videos from Kidsburgh and the Children’s Museum.