Cherry Blossoms outside of the National CathedralAs I've been teaching my 4th grade Japanese class this month, we've been discussing Sakura -- Cherry Blossoms. If you have ever been to Washington DC during this time of the year, you've hopefully experienced the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It is a two-week festival that celebrates springtime. Back in 1912, Japan presented Washington DC with more than 3,000 Cherry Blossom trees representing the two countries' friendship. Check out thewashingtonpost.com for some amazing pictures.
I was visiting Attic Gal Rachelle the other night and saw that she made a faux-cherry blossom tree. Since I'm homesick for DC and we don't have many cherry blossoms in the desert, it was the perfect craft to make my homesickness go away. I had to do one for myself. Easy peasy craft -- I love those.
1. Find a branch. I found this on the ground while I was out running.
2. Have dark pink tissue paper and light pink tissue paper. Cut a messy circular shape. Make the smaller ones with the dark pink and the large shapes with the light pink.
3. Wrap the dark pink smaller shape around the eraser part of a pencil. Attic Girl Rachelle used the point of her pencil. Either way. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture. It's hard to take your own pictures when you are the crafter.)
4. Wrap it around the end of the pencil. (Ahh, much clearer. My daughter helped.)
5. Put a drop of elmer's glue on top.
6. Put the large light pink shape on top of the glue.
7. Wrap this one of the pencil and on top of the dark pink.
8. Add another drop of elmer's glue.
9. Place the blossom somewhere on the branch.
10. Let it sit there for a bit to dry.
You can add a few blossoms like I did,
or add a lot of blossoms like Rachelle did. Fun craft to do even with children. 
