From the mesmerizing experience of watching "Polar Express" in 4D to staff celebrations and special holiday enrichment activities for the animals, the holiday season is always an exciting time for us at National Aquarium.
Part of that excitement includes decorating! As part of our conservation mission, we are always on the look out for ways to use recycled and eco-friendly materials to create one-of-a-kind holiday decorations!
We've included the steps for some of our DIY favorites below:
Recycled Magazine Holiday Tree
Materials:
- Old magazines
- Glue (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
Directions:
- Fold the page of the magazine down to create a triangular crease
- Fold the triangle down again and then fold the tip of that page up so that it's even with the bottom of the magazine
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 until every page of the magazine is folded in
- If desired, use glue and glitter to decorate your magazine trees!
Paper Bows
Materials:
- Recycled paper (printer paper and old magazine/newspaper works best)
- Double-sided tape
- Stapler
Directions:
- Cut your paper into eight approximately one-inch wide strips (leaving one to the side)
- Loop the top half of the strip and secure to the middle of the strip with tape, loop the bottom half of the strip so to complete the "figure eight" shape
- Repeat step two for the remainder your strips
- Arrange the "figure eights" into a bow shape and secure together with a stapler.
- Loop the final strip (set aside earlier) and tape it in the center of the bow to cover the staple
3D Paper Snowflake
Materials:
- Recycled paper cut into six squares (again printer paper and old magazine/newspaper work best)
- Scissors
- Tape
- Stapler
- Old ribbon or string (optional, for hanging)