Introduce your students to the swirling, colorful, mesmerizing power of a kaleidoscope using simple materials and our R22054 Lace Paper.

Age: 5+

Duration: 10-15 minutes

Learning Objectives: Explore the properties of kaleidoscopes through light and color. Make beautiful artwork. Learn about color mixing principles. Create a fun project that will keep students entertained for hours!

You’ll Need:

• R22054 Lace Paper
• Markers
• Tape
• High gloss photo paper
• Scissors
• Pencil

R22054 Lace Paper is another addition to our line of textured papers. This special paper has the feel of our Color Diffusing Paper but features a variety of woven patterns.

You will need to cut your sheet of high gloss paper in half. This will allow you to make more than one kaleidoscope!

Roll one half of the high gloss paper into a cylinder and secure with tape. This will form your kaleidoscope tube.

Make sure that the glossy side is rolled on the inside of the kaleidoscope tube. You can see the highlighted surface on the inside of the tube! This is what we want to achieve.

Stand the cylinder onto the R22054 Lace Paper. Trace around the outside circumference of the tube and cut out the resulting tracing.

Color in the Lace Paper cut circles with markers. Use different colors. I used primary colors, but you can use any that you like.

Pull a strip of tape that’s triple the length of the circle. Lay one of the lace circles flat across a strip of tape that’s facing sticky side up.

Fold the one side across the middle of the circle, leaving a bit of length on one side. This will be the handle for each of the circles on the kaleidoscope.

Tape the circle against the edge of the kaleidoscope tube. Do this for all your other lace circle pieces.

As you look through the opposite end of the kaleidoscope, fold the circles over top of each other in various combinations. Observe beautiful intertwining patterns!

Check out the different kinds of lovely color combinations using different layers of the kaleidoscope circles:

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