Creating Foliage |Mr. Mark's Classroom

Our classroom scene needs trees and foliage so here are a couple of quick ideas to help with creating foliage. The good news – you don’t have to be an artist or paint anything.

Fabric Foliage

Broadcloth Fabric (three different shades of green)
Scissors
Magnets, paper binder clips or push pins

Instructions:

The darkest shade of green will be the back panel so measure down about one and a half feet to cut a wave along the edge. The medium shade of green will be located in the middle so measure down about a foot and cut the wave along the edge of the fabric. The lightest green is only about six inches wide.

Hanging the foliage begins near the tree location. The darkest green goes along the ceiling tiles attaching with magnets to the metal strips. Paper binder clips work very well and sheetrock ceilings might require a push pin. Hang the fabric two feet from the trees and around the trees. The next ring of foliage is the medium green and finally the lightest green. It might remind you of rings on a target but when you look into the room from the door you will be able to see all three foliage parts.

Vinyl Tablecloth Foliage and Vines

Green vinyl tablecloths (Lime Green and Dark Green)
Scissors
Magnets, paper binder clips or push pins

Instructions:

Open the package and carefully unfold the tablecloth slightly. Only open it to resemble two columns. You should be able to count four layers which will yield four strips of foliage. Cut inside the folds of on both sides so that it is now four individual strips.

You might choose to use a marker on the top strip to draw some guidelines. From the top, approximately three inches, draw a diagonal line down toward the center fold of the tablecloth. Stop the line about two inches from the center. On the opposite side, approximately five inches down the side, draw a diagonal line toward the center of the tablecloth stopping a couple inches short of the center fold. This line should be slightly lower than the line on the opposite side. Continue this process to the bottom making sure the opposite lines are offset and never match or come together. Cut all four strips along the lines you’ve drawn on the top strip. Separate the strips and hang with magnets or binder clips on a tile ceiling or pushpins on a sheetrock ceiling.

Option: Crumble up each leaf to give it a little flair so they are not all perfectly flat. Carefully pull the vinyl with your fingers to give the leaves a ruffled look as well.

Here’s another idea… lay a few palm branches on a green sheet and spray paint over them with dark green and brown over the branches. Place them in different places on the sheet like a stencil.