We have been exploring various methods of printmaking and wanted to try wood as a new material to create an impression.  Our daughter loves making drawings for her cousin, but they often don’t stay preserved in the transport phase, so we wanted to make a gift tube that had an organic feel.  

Materials

Tree Transport Tube: Materials from make-it-your-own.com

  • Large tile (you can often get a single one in clearance areas of hardware stores inexpensively)
  • Brayer
  • Printing ink (we used Speedball Copper)
  • Piece of wood
  • White paper
  • Paper towel roll
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Red permanent marker
  • Smock
  • Craft Tray
  • Child’s drawing

Branch Topper (optional)

  • Stick
  • Crepe Paper (you could use construction paper, felt or fabric)
  • Floral Wire
  • Floral tape
  • Wire cutter
  • Ribbon

Directions

  • Don a smock.
  • Place your paper in your craft tray (so it is easy to access when the ink is wet).
  • Put a blob of ink on your tile and move your brayer through the ink to distribute a thin layer onto the brayer.

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Ink to Brayer from make-it-your-own.com

  • Roll it over your piece of wood, getting an even coat.

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Ink to Wood from make-it-your-own.com

  • Place your paper on the wood and rub your hand over the top of it (see the photograph).

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Paper to Ink from make-it-your-own.com

  • Carefully peel it off.  Depending on the size of your wood, you may need to repeat this process (we did this twice) and allow it to dry overnight in your craft tray.

Tree Transport Tube: Wood Print from make-it-your-own.com

  • Explore different things to do with it- we took it and glued it to a paper towel roll to create a tree trunk gift tube. You could make cards etc.

Tree Transport Tube: Adding Name (to look like carving) from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Wapping Tube from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Paper to Tube from make-it-your-own.com

Branch Topper

  • Collect a fallen branch on a nature walk with an adult.
  • Have a adult cut small (approximately 10 cm/ 2 inch pieces) of floral wire.
  • Fold your piece of crepe paper over to double it and cut out leaf shapes.

Tree Transport Tube: Folding Crepe Paper from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Drawing Leaves from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Cut out Leaves from make-it-your-own.com

  • Put a piece of wire between the two leaves in the centre and glue them together.

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Glue from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Wire from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Finished Leaf from make-it-your-own.com

  • Attach your wire to the branch using floral tape.

Tree Transport Tube: Putting Leaf on Branch from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Applying Floral Tape from make-it-your-own.com

  • Bend your leaves into the position you would like them.
  • Attach your branch to your “tree” with a piece of ribbon.

Tree Transport Tube from make-it-your-own.com

  • Gently roll up and slide your drawing or letter inside and send it to a friend!

Tree Transport Tube: Rolling up Drawing from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube: Inserting Drawing from make-it-your-own.com

Tree Transport Tube from make-it-your-own.com

Purpose

  • Exploring different methods of printmaking using various materials.
  • Re-creating things in nature.
  • Thinking of a design to protect something.

Safety Notes

  • When using wood with young children, be careful regarding slivers.
  • Be sure to follow the directions on products.
  • Have an adult cut wire and be cautious of the ends.
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