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Page 14 tradewindsweekly.com powered by recycler.com Mar. 17 - Mar. 24, 2022
Make a Decorative
Paper Shamrock
For those of us who don't claim
Ireland in our lineage, it's a stretch
to dance a jig, much less remember
to wear something green on St. Patrick's
Day, March 17. No wonder I
was pleased when I shared a photo of
this paper strip shamrock craft idea
with my neighbor, who replied, "Your
shamrock warms my Irish heart!"
The shamrock has traditionally been
the national emblem of Ireland, so
why not display it with creativity as a
sign not only of the coming holiday,
but also a welcome to the green of a
long-awaited spring?
Grab some green construction paper
and basic supplies from your home
office. Enjoy this messless art project
with your school-age kids. Your preschooler
also can lend a hand, when
you make it together.
Here's what you'll need:
— 2 sheets of construction paper in
two different colors. (I chose a light
and a dark shade of green for these
directions.)
— Ruler
— Pencil
— Scissors
— Stapler
— Household glue
— Thread or fishing line for hanging
— Paper cutter (optional)
For each heart:
Measure, mark with a pencil and cut
with scissors or a paper cutter:
2 strips of light-green construction
paper cut 1 inch by 3 inches;
2 strips of dark-green construction
paper 1 inch by 5 inches.
1. Pile the 4 strips starting with one
light-green short strip, the two darkgreen
long strips and end with the
remaining light-green short strip on
top. They should be evenly stacked
up at one end. Carefully staple this
1-inch-wide stack about 1/4 inch from
the even end.
2. Bring the loose ends of the short
light-green strips away from the pile
(and over the staple) to form a heart
shape. Hold with one hand as you pull
back the long strips in the same manner.
3. Staple the four strips together near
the pointed end of the hearts.
Make two more.
The shamrock is Ireland's national
emblem.
To make the shamrock:
Arrange three completed paper strip
hearts on a work surface to make a
shamrock. Staple the pointed heart
ends together. Bend the paper near the
staple to spread out the sides. Cut out
and glue on a thin paper stem. Make
several paper strip shamrocks and
hang in a window or from a chandelier.
***
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© 2022 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.