Here's a great idea for a summer kid's craft that your child can actually use when it's finished-tie dye gift wrap. It's simple enough that even a 5 year-old can participate and cool enough that a 5th grader will be impressed with the results. Better still,you will need stuff that you probably have around the house: food coloring, tissue paper, rubber bands, small bowls, clothes hangers, and paper clips.

To make each dye, add twenty drops of food coloring to four teaspoons of water and mix in a small bowl. You will want at least two and up to six different colors, each in a separate bowl.

Next, take a sheet of white tissue paper and fan-fold it-you can fold it on the diagonal, or square-and you can make a lot of folds or only a few. It's fun to experiment with different folds to get different effects. Once the paper is fan-folded, fold it again until the paper has been folded into a small packet-no larger than about three inches. (How you fold it for this doesn't matter-just make a small packet.) Wrap a rubber band loosely around your paper packet to keep it from unfolding.

Now,place your packet in a bowl and choose your first color. Using a teaspoon, dribble your dye on a part of the packet. When you have covered as much of the packet as you like, pick a second color, and dribble it on a different part of the paper. You can use two or more colors,and experimentation will tell you what effects you like the best.
When you have covered your paper with all of the color you want,set the bowl aside for five minutes. Then retrieve your bowl and remove the rubber band from the paper packet and carefully unfold the paper. Admire your masterpiece!

To dry the finished wrap, secure it to a clothes hanger with paper clips or clothespins and hang it up-it will dry completely in 30-45 minutes.

Try making wrap that has a color theme such as Fourth of July, Christmas or the seasons, or pick someone's favorite colors to make birthday wrap. This craft works for a single child or for small groups, and the result will impress even the most non-crafty recipient!

Learn more about this author, Jess Goodwin.
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