Fireworks Flowers

Materials:

1. Basket coffee filters
2. Chenille stems in red, white and blue
3. Red and blue watercolor paint
4. Paintbrush
5. Scissors
6. Paper towels
7. Paper plates

Directions:

1. Cover table with newspaper, a plastic tablecloth or even an old shower curtain.
2. Gather your supplies and have them all within arm's reach. Cover kid's clothes with a smock or old t-shirt.
3. Place each coffee filter (2 per flower) onto a paper plate and flatten out.
4. Paint the coffee filters with water color paint. Paint some solid red, some solid blue and others a combination of blue and red, leaving some areas unpainted.
5. Move the coffee filters to the paper towels and lay flat to dry.
6. Leaving the center of the filters in tact, cut the coffee filters in strips, working your way around the circle.
7. Cut a 1.5 inch piece off of one end of a chenille stem and set aside.
8. Layer two filters on top of each other. Take the longer piece of chenille and poke it through the center of the coffee filters. There should be about 2 inches of chenille poked through.
9. Turn upside down and grasp the filters with your fingers. Gather it around the chenille and secure it by wrapping the extra piece of chenille stem that you cut off earlier. Twist it around the part you are holding and turn back upright.
10. Manipulate with your fingers until the strips are spread out and it looks the way you want it to.