How to Make a Scroll for a Preschool Class

Whether you are planning a special princess party or announcing a special family vacation, there are plenty of reasons for preschool children to make a scroll. The simple design adds a sense of history to your announcement. Even preschoolers will find it easy to make and decorate with their own news and pictures. Your scrolls may be as simple as rolled paper or feature decorations such as ribbons, stickers and knobs. Let your preschooler’s imagination run wild.

Measure the length of the empty paper towel tubes.

Cut a strip of the butcher paper 3 feet long and the same width as the length of the paper towel tubes to create a long rectangle with two short sides.

Cut the long sides of the rectangle with deckle scissors to give the scroll a patterned edge. These scissors have notched cutting surfaces that create patterns along the cut edge of the paper.

Dip your finger into a glass of tea and rub your wet finger along the cut edges of the paper to give your paper an aged look. This darkens the paper in much the same way as burning the edges, but is far safer. Repeat for a darker look. Lay the paper flat and allow it to dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Add your content while the paper is still flat. Decide whether you will read your scroll vertically or horizontally. Many princess movies feature scrolls held vertically, with one roll designated as the top of the scroll and the other as the bottom. If you plan to hold the scroll vertically, place your content so that the words are parallel with the short edges of your rectangle. When completed, you will be able to unroll one side of the scroll below the other and read your words. One example of a horizontal scroll is the Torah. If you plan a horizontal scroll, place your content so that the words are parallel with the long edge of your rectangle.

Lay one tube on the one short side of the paper. Line up the edges of the paper with the ends of the tube. Tape the short end to the tube. Repeat with the other side.

Roll both tubes toward each other, wrapping the paper around each tube, until they meet in the center.

Hold your scroll closed with a ribbon.