Curled-Paper Winter Holiday Cards

Curl narrow strips of colorful Crayola Neon Color Explosion® Paper—the technique is called quilling. Add them to cards that you decorate with unique markers to make spectacular holiday greetings.

• 1.

  Research a winter holiday such as Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Chinese New Year. What traditions are observed in different cultures for these holidays? When were greeting cards introduced? Find out about Victorian "trick cards" at Christmas. Learn about the art of paper quilling, which you will use to make a one-of-a-kind card.

• 2.

  Fold bright Crayola Neon Color Explosion® Paper to create your holiday card. Choose a pertinent theme and symbols, such as a Christmas tree.

• 3.

  Choose another color of Neon Color Explosion Paper. Cut it into narrow strips with Crayola Scissors. You will use these strips to do quilling—rolling decorative paper coils.

• 4.

  Smooth each strip between two fingers until the paper bends. Fold over one end and roll the paper to form a tight coil. Pinch coils into shapes, such as rectangles for candles, a teardrop, the letter S, or a circle. Glue the loose end in place and hold until the glue sets.

• 5.

  Make interior cuts in your card if you like. Arrange your coils on the cover of your card. Glue them in place. Air-dry the glue.

• 6.

  Use Crayola Neon Color Explosion Markers to write greetings and add details.

Benefits

• Students choose a winter holiday, research the customs associated with it, and discuss related traditions and foods.
• Students find out about the custom of giving greeting cards, beginning with the Chinese and Egyptians, and how the greeting card industry started in the United States.
• Students create a unique holiday greeting card using a paper-folding technique called quilling.

Adaptations

• Make matching envelopes with the two-sided paper.
• Research other winter holidays such as Los Posadas, Ramadan, and the Chinese Lantern Festival. Learn about the countries associated with the holidays as well as traditions, food, and symbols. Make a chart with details about these and other winter holidays
• Research the origins of paper quilling. Investigate patterns found in nature and create more quilled art.
• Create cards for any occasion, including class thank-you notes for speakers and volunteers.
• Explore other paper crafts and the papers used to make them. How are the papers manufactured? What different ways can paper be folded or shaped?
• Assessment: Did students identify traditional symbols for a specific holiday? Did students quill paper and apply to cards to represent those symbols? Are cards neatly constructed and aesthetically pleasing?