Easy Apple Tree Craft

The inspiration for this craft: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/applecrafts/a/blappltree.htm

Materials Needed:

• large piece of paper 
• brown crayon
• green paint
• red paint

 Directions:

1. Trace child's hand (with fingers spread apart) and forearm all the way to elbow to make the tree trunk and branches. We used 12" x 12" paper for this.
2. Color the tree trunk brown. Mia used crayon, but colored pencil, marker, or paint would work, too.
3. Add the leaves. Mia painted them using green finger paint, but there are several ways you could do this: marker, crayon, colored pencil, painting with a brush. (See Variations for more ideas.)
4. Make apples by dipping finger into red paint (we used acrylic paint after the finger paint was dry) and then dotting it onto the leaves.

Variations: 

• You could make an autumn tree by painting the leaves with fall colors, by using foam stamps and paint to make the leaves, or by gluing on silk leaves or real leaves.

• You could create the apples by using foam stamps, by adding shaped buttons (or plain round buttons), or you could make the apples green or yellow for added variety.