- Age Guideline: 8 Years and Up
- Time Required: 30 minutes (Does not include drying time)
The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.
Materials Needed:
- Construction Paper
- Black Paint
- Black Marker
- Clear Con-Tact Paper
- Cellophane Tape
- Scissors
Instructions:
Start out by cutting 7 strips from white construction paper, each strip should be 2" wide and about 20" long. If your paper is not long enough, tape 2 pieces of paper together. Lay these strips down side-by-side and tape the top of each strip to the work surface.
Next, cut 12 strips from red paper. Each of these strips should be 2" wide by 20" long. Weave the red strips through the white strips of paper by going over the first piece then under the next piece and so on, alternating the rows. Keep the red pieces as close together as possible. Continue weaving your paper pieces until you have used all the red pieces of paper or until all of the white strips are full. Trim any edges so your finished place mat ends up being about 14" x 20".
Now for the finishing touch. Add a couple of ants to your picnic place mat by dipping a fingertip into black paint and making three overlapping fingerprints to form an ant's body. Let the paint dry and then use the black marker to draw on six legs and antennae.
Finish the place mat by cutting two pieces of clear Con-Tact paper so they are at least and in larger all around than your place mat. Pull the paper backing off of one piece of cut Con-Tact paper. Carefully lay this piece, sticky side down, on top of your place mat. Smooth out all air bubbles as you lay it down. Now, flip over your place mat and cover the backside. Trim the edges of the Con-Tact paper about half an inch bigger than the place mat. Your picnic place mat is now ready to use.