Crumpled Paper Fall Trees
How to make crumpled paper Trees.
This is a great art project for people with Alzheimer's dementia.
You can alter this to simplify, making it less stressful. Just make the cutout tree beforehand. My group loved this. Crumpling the paper made them feel empowered, something they feel less and less of as this disease progresses. I like to play music while they work. "Autumn leaves" by Nat King Cole, "Autumn in New York" by Frank Sinatra and "Early Autumn" by Johnny Mathis. I stream it off youtube on my phone and connect my phone to a wireless speaker via bluetooth.
SUPPLIES
Black Markers
Scissors
Black or Brown Construction Paper
Copy paper 50 Sheets (2 Sheets per person)
Watercolors Sky blue and fall colors
Brushes (1 per person)
water container (1 per 2 person)
Glue sticks
Charged Music Speaker
Charged Cell phone
Crumple Paper Fall Trees
STEPS
Making the Trunk
Hand out white copy paper, black markers and glue stick, blue paint, brushes
Put initials on bottom of both
On white paper, draw tree trunk from bottom stopping 1/4 below top of paper (wider to narrow, hole, bark)
carefully cut on lines to cut out tree only
throw away the tree cut out
crumple left over white cut
carefully smooth out crumple
paint sky blue over whole paper
blot dry with paper towel
10.lay over brown construction paper. The tree becomes a brown (see illustration
11.Glue together
12.Set aside
Making the Leaves
1. Hand out Paints, brushes, white paper. water, paper towels
2. Crumple Paper
3. Un-crumple and paint in 3 colors
4. Tear into many pieces (make sure they are unequal sizes)
5. Arrange onto trunk
6. Pass out Glue cups and brushes
7. When satisfied, glue onto trunk
8. Hang and admire
Before I begin I ask them what their favorite season is. I ask them what Autumn looks like. I take them through this project slowly and step by step. Remember to have fun. I like to tell them that each piece should look different because they are different. This guards against any feelings of inadequacy. It is important to reassure them that they are doing well even if they are off the track entirely and not even making a tree.