Paper Strip Rainbows

Materials

• Construction paper (in rainbow colors)

• Scissors

• Stapler

• 2 cotton balls

Directions

1. Cut a 1 inch strip from the shorter end of a piece of 12 inch by 9 inch construction paper. The strip should be 1 inch by 9 inches.

2. Cut a 1 inch by 9 inch strip from the rest of the colors of the rainbow so you have red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple strips.

3. Trim each color so it's about 1 inch shorter than the color before it. Red: 9 inches (full length), Orange: 8 inches, Yellow: 7 inches, Green: 6 inches, Blue: 5 inches, Purple: 4 inches.

4. Place the strips of paper in the order of the rainbow, one on top of the other. Line up the ends of the strips on one side then staple through all 6 strips, about a 1/4 inch from the end.

5. Line up the ends of the other end of each strip of paper. Start by matching up the ends of the two shortest strips (purple and blue). Then one by one, line up the end of the next color until all of the ends are together.

6. Again, staple together the strips of paper, about a 1/4 inch from the end. Your strips of paper should arch just like a rainbow.

7. To make the clouds, you’ll need to fluff up a cotton ball. If your cotton ball doesn't pull apart easily use scissors to make a small cut on one side of the cotton ball.

8. Then stretch it and pull it apart into a cloud shape.

9. Place one end of the rainbow in the middle of the cotton ball. Then fold the cotton ball up on each side and staple it to the rainbow to hold it in place.

10. Repeat for the cotton ball on the other side of the rainbow, and your rainbow craft is complete.

adapted from Lola Lambchop