Fan-Folded Leaves

This fan-folded leaves craft was from Better Homes & Gardens several years ago.  The first time I did it was with a group of elementary age kids.  I simplified it some because it involved painting and I didn’t want to get into that with little kids just yet.  🙂  I printed out the pattern and then photocopied it onto red, yellow, and orange construction paper (you could cut out the pattern and then trace it onto paper if you’re just doing it with your kids.  I was doing it with a large group of kids).  I’ve learned that kids didn’t like to trace and I spent a lot of time tracing their patterns for them.  I thought they would be asking for help cutting, but they did surprisingly well!  Each kid had time to make two or three leaves (depending on how well they focused on the task at hand).

Anyway, first make the fan folds on the long edge (hot dog folds).

Then open it back up and fold the paper in half the other way (a hamburger fold – anybody else have kids that were taught this way?).  Make sure that they fold it the right way otherwise you’ll end up with a very odd looking leaf and a confused kid.

Keep it folded in half and cut out the leaf.

Then, open it back up and redo the fan folds.

Fold it in half so the long edges of the leaf meet. Glue (or tape or staple) the long edges together and voila, leaf.

The great thing about this is it doesn’t matter how you make the fan folds.  Big, little, a mix, it all works and makes the leaves unique.