4th of July Firecracker Paper Craft

Do your kids LOVE the bright lights and loud sounds of fireworks on the 4th of July? Mine do. Except one. While dad is out there lighting everything in sight, this little guy prefers to stand behind a good, sturdy door and peer between the cracks. 

This paper craft is just the thing to get your kids excited for the 4th of July. They can make their own firecracker that doesn't end with a bang.

 Materials Needed:
Patriotic Paper
Tissue Paper
Cardboard Tubes (paper towel rolls work great)
Scissors
Clear Tape
Red, White and Blue Pipe Cleaners
Ribbon 


1. Cut your cardboard tube to the desired length. (We chose 3 different lengths for this tutorial.)

2. Cut your paper 2-3 inches longer than the length of your cardboard tube. 


3. Make sure the paper can wrap all the way around the tube and overlap so no cardboard shows.

4. Line up the bottom of the paper with the bottom of the card board tube so that all the excess paper is at the top. Tape the edge of the paper to the tube. Continue to wrap the paper until it overlaps and tape again. This is great for kids motor skills. Watch their cute faces as they work to hold the paper in place and secure it with tape.

5. Repeat steps above for each firecracker.

6. Cut the excess paper at the top into strips to make it easier to tie together at the end. It doesn't matter how deep the cut goes, so let your kids work on those scissor skills.

7. Cut 2 colors of tissue paper into 6x6 squares and fold up sides
8. Slide a piece of pipe cleaner down the center.
9. Slide tissue/pipecleaner into the center of the firecracker. Tie in place with ribbon.

 10. Display proudly.

Then you can read a good book. Try out this Fourth of July one: