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Egyptian Water Lilies
When my kids and I were learning about Egypt, we learned a little bit about Egyptian Water Lilies. It is a fun art project that they could do on their own (with a little prep work done for them).
Description
The flowers are 4-6 inches in diameter. The leaves are 10-16 inches across and have a notch at the leaf stem. The flowers bloom in the mornings and close in the afternoons. The petals range from pale bluish white to sky blue and purple. The centers are yellow. The scent is sweet and similar to that of the hyacinth flower.
Where they grow
These plants live in shallow murky ponds and lakes that are exposed to direct sunlight. They do not fare well in cold climates.
Healing benefits
Teas made from the flowers reportedly induce feelings of calmness and tranquility. Historically, the Egyptians used it as a remedy against general illness.
Egyptian Water Lily Art Project
Gathering supplies
First, I gathered pieces of cardstock: blue to represent the water, green for the leaves, and two shades of purple for the petals. Then I grabbed some yellow tissue paper for the flower center. Last, I drew out a petal in the shape of a Christmas lightbulb (the bottom portion is to secure the petal to the paper). The kids will need scissors (if you are letting them cut out the petals on their own) and glue.
The leaf
I let the kids draw out their own leaf, being sure to have them cut the notch out. The leaf needs to be rather large otherwise it will not be visible once the flower is ontop of it.
The petals
The petals are in three sizes. Large (about 3″), medium (2″), and small (1.5″). The large and medium petals are the darker shade of purple, and the small petals are the lighter shade of purple.
I chose to cut out the petals ahead of time. My kids were too young to properly cut out the petals. It is important to have the bottom tab to secure the petal to the paper. It also saved time as it would take the kids awhile to cut out all the petals necessary to form the flower. I wanted the project to move along quickly before they lost interest.
Gluing the petals down
Start with the larger petals first. Fold each petal in half down the center to create a crease. Then fold the petal where the tab meets the petal (this helps to get it to stand up once glued). Then glue down the petal placing glue on the tab portion only. Remind the kids to leave a big enough center to add two more rows of petals and the yellow center.
Flower center
Then, I folded the yellow tissue paper along the long edge making accordion folds about 2″ wide. Then I took the same folded tissue paper and folded it along the short edge making accordion folds about 1/4″ wide. Finding the middle, I turned the one side against the other so it looks like two pieces side by side instead of one long piece. Then, I taped the bottom edge so that the accordion folds would stay folded. This bottom portion with the tape on it is now the tab that will stick to the paper (like the tab on the petals). Glue it to the paper in the center of the flower.
Then, cut the un- taped edge so the pieces can all fan out. One sheet of tissue paper per flower.
The final product
As you can see from this picture, the leaf is barely visible. Next time I would encourage them to make a much larger leaf. You can also see how difficult it is to get the petals to form the right size circle so there are no empty spaces. Keep an eye on them when they glue down of the outer layer of petals so it is not too wide. Both lilies turned out well and my kids were very impressed with what they were able to create.
