What You’ll Need

• Coffee filters
• Water
• Food coloring
• Waxed paper
• Paper towels
• Chenille sticks

What You'll Do

1. Fold the coffee filters into quarters and keep them folded until step 4.
2. Dampen the filters with water and add drops of food coloring onto them.
3. Press the filters between pieces of waxed paper to spread the color.
4. Open the filters and let them dry on cookie sheets.
5. Fold the filters in quarters again, forming a point at the bottom.
6. Twist the chenille sticks around the points to create stems.   

Extend the Fun

Younger kids: With your child, count the number of drops he adds to the filter. If he does three of one color and two of another, ask him how many drops total he put on the coffee filter. Together you can count each one. After the filters have dried, see if you can spy any drops. They may be all gone!

Older kids: Talk with your child about the why behind each step. Why does the filter need to be folded? What does she think would happen if she didn’t fold the filter? Why does the filter need to be damp before adding the food coloring? What if it weren’t damp? Encourage your child to take a few filters and test what happens if she changes the steps. Because the materials are relatively inexpensive, this is a great craft to repeat in different ways.