Cherry Blossoms Soda Bottle Art

MATERIALSPaperPaint

PlasticSodaBottle Marker,Pen,orPencil

Twigs(optional) Glue(optional)

BubbleWrap(optional)

Doyouhaveplasticbottlesfillingupyourrecyclingbin?Youcanrepurposethemwhilecreatingbeautifulartandlearningaboutthesehistoricflowers!Allyouneedisafewcommon

materialsandyourimagination!

BUBBLEWRAP

Trycreatingsmallerblossomclustersbyusingthesamemethodwithpiecesof

bubblewrapinsteadofsodabottles!Thisrequiresalittlemoreinthewayoffine

motorskills:

TWIGBRANCHESConsidergluingtwigsontoyourpapertocreateyourtreeandbranchesratherthandrawing

them:

NoPaint?NoProblem!Find15easyhomemadepaintrecipeshere:https://happyhooligans.ca/homemade-paint-kids/

CREATIVEVARIATIONS……

STEPS

Step1:Draworpaintatreewithbranches.

Step2:Pourpaintontoaplate.Cherryblossomsaretraditionallypink,white,andivory,however

youcanusewhatevercolor(s)youwant.

Step3:Dipthebottomofyourbottleintothepaint.Thebottomsofmostplasticsodabottleshavefivepointsjustlikethe5petalsofacherry

blossom!

Step4:Pressthepaint-coveredbottomofthebottleontoyourpaperalongthebranches.

Continuetodipthebottleinthepaintandpressitontodifferentbranches.Theimprintwill

naturallycreatethelookofcherryblossoms!

FLOWERGARDEN

Whilecherryblossomsaretraditionallypink,plasticsodabottlescanbeusedtopaintblossomsofalldifferentkinds!Considercreatingatreewithdifferent

coloredflowers:

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brooke.applegate@arboretum.org.

FUNCHERRYBLOSSOMFACTSByRebeccaShinners,CountryLiving,JAN7,2020

v Cherryblossomssymbolizerenewal.Knownas"sakura"inJapanese,thesepalebloomsareasymbolofspringbecauseitisatimeofrenewal.However,becausethebloomsare

short-lived,theyarealsosymbolicofthefleetingnatureoflife.

v UScherryblossomtreesdatebackto1912.ThefirstUScherrytreeswereplantedin1912asagiftoffriendshipfromJapan.Over3,000treesspanning12varietieswere

shippedfromYokohamatoSeattle.TheywerethentransferredtofreightcarsandsenttoWashington,D.C.

v CherryblossomsaresaidtobenativetotheHimalayas.AccordingtotheHuffington

Post,theseflowerslikelyoriginatedsomewhereinEurasiabeforemigratingtoJapan.

v Theyaren'talwayspink.Flowerscanrangeincolorfrompalepinktobrightpinkaswellaswhiteandivory.Forexample,inWashingtonD.C.70%ofthetreesaremadeupofYoshinoswhichhavesinglewhiteblossoms.However,becausetheyaremixedinwith

Akebonocherrytrees,theYoshinohasmutatedtopresentpalepinkblossoms.

v NeitherD.C.norJapanholdthetitleof"CherryBlossomCapitaloftheWorld."Rather,it’sMacon,Georgia,whichishometoover350,000Yoshinocherryblossomtrees.

That’s90timestheamountthatWashington,DChas!

v Youcangetarrestedforbreakingoffablossom.Yep,thinkagainbeforeyoudecidetopluckoneofthesepinkbeauties.Removingablossomorbranchis

consideredvandalismoffederalpropertyinWashington,D.C.,whichcanleadtoacitationorevenanarrest.

v 400cherrytreesinAmsterdamareindividuallynamed.Allofthe400cherrytreesinAmsterdam'sAmsterdamseBosarenamed.In2000,theJapanWomen'sClubdonated

thetreestothecitytocelebratethetwonations'relationship.