creating with what we already have: decorating small branches with found materials

this project focuses on encouraging little hands to practice tying knots or making loops, counting, and playing with pattern!

on a walk with the dog earlier, I found a branch that had fallen from a tree on the sidewalk, and I grabbed it. I've always found such fascination with natural forms and enjoy collecting sticks and twigs and such for my students and i to experiment and explore.

I decided it might be entertaining for family members of all ages to spend some time gathering various yarns, strings, or strips of spare fabric together, to sit down and take turns wrapping a branch with those found objects. With little ones, this would be a wonderful opportunity to have them help you count how many times a material is wrapped around a branch, and perhaps they can help you wrap the branch, too.

For my own little experiment, I gathered some yarn and thought about color play and contrast when I wrapped my little tree branch, tying little knots at the end of each section.

I found this process extremely soothing and quiet. I think it's really beautiful how something so simple could be done so many different ways, such as wrapping a stick with different materials. I played with yarns at different lengths and sizes.

There is no specific way to finish this project, the possibilities are truly endless, as you and your family members can take new materials and wrap them back over previously wrapped sections over and over again, or you can tie little strips that hang off of the stick, and perhaps tie beads or other found objects to those. This would be fun to hang up on a wall in a shared space, even if only for a little while!

I would love to see images of your own wrapped branches or found objects! Please feel free to send me an email via the contact page or at fallin.meg@gmail.com with a story inspired by this project idea! :)

-meg