DIY: Capillary Flowers | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Kitchen Roll Flowers

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Plants use capillary action to obtain nutrients and water from soil. Through this science experiment, we can make this process visible to children! Create flowers from kitchen roll and watch as coloured water climbs up the stem and petals, then learn how to change the flowers' colours.

Materials Needed

2 sheets of kitchen roll
Water
6 bottle caps
PVA glue
Paint
Mixing sticks
Pencil
Scissors
Wooden sticks
Plasticine

Arranged on a light woodgrain surface are various craft supplies. These include a folded white cloth, a clear glass pitcher with water, a bottle of white glue, a small brown object (possibly a seed pod or nut), four small tubes of paint (green, yellow, red, and blue), a wooden craft stick, a pencil, a pair of scissors, and several small, clear plastic lids. The scene suggests preparation for a children's art or craft activity.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Fold the kitchen roll twice. Draw a flower and a rectangle on it using a pencil. Carefully cut them out using scissors.

On a light woodgrain table, two hands interact with a white paper napkin. One hand holds the napkin steady while the other hand, holding a pencil, shades within a pre-drawn rectangular shape. Above the rectangle, a simple flower shape is also drawn on the napkin. The scene suggests a crafting activity in progress, possibly creating paper flowers.

Step 2

Take another sheet of kitchen roll and cut it in half along the middle line.

Two hands are positioned on a light woodgrain table, interacting with a white paper napkin. One hand holds the napkin while the other hand uses scissors to cut along the napkin's center crease. The image captures the action of cutting the napkin in half.

Step 3

Cut the wooden stick in half lengthwise, trying to make both halves equal in length.

Against a light woodgrain background, two hands are shown. One hand holds a thin, light-colored wooden dowel or stick, while the other hand uses scissors to cut the dowel. The image captures the moment of cutting the wooden stick.

Step 4

Apply PVA glue along both wide edges of the rectangular kitchen roll piece.

A hand holds a white paper napkin flat on a light woodgrain table. A white glue bottle with a blue tip is positioned at the top right corner of the napkin, seemingly about to apply glue. The image suggests the beginning of a crafting activity involving paper and glue.

Step 5

Place the cut wooden sticks onto the glued kitchen roll and secure them in place.

Two hands manipulate a white paper napkin and two thin wooden dowels on a light woodgrain table. The napkin is folded over the dowels, which are positioned at the top and bottom edges of the napkin. The hands appear to be securing the napkin around the dowels, suggesting a crafting process, possibly making a small flag or banner.

Step 6

Glue the 4 cut flowers onto the kitchen roll using PVA glue.

On a light woodgrain table, two hands hold a craft project. A white rectangular piece, likely a napkin or piece of fabric, is stretched between two thin wooden dowels. Glued along the bottom edge of the rectangle are four small, white flower shapes. The hands are holding the edges of the rectangle near the dowels, suggesting the final stages of assembly. The project resembles a small banner or decorative hanging.

Step 7

Take 4 small rectangular strips of kitchen roll and attach them to the flowers.

A completed craft project is displayed on a light woodgrain table. A white rectangular piece, possibly a napkin or fabric, is held taut between two thin wooden dowels, forming a small banner. Four white flower shapes are glued across the bottom edge, and hanging down from each flower is a small, white rectangular tab. The overall appearance is delicate and decorative.

Step 8

Pour water into four bottle caps.

A hand pours clear liquid from a small glass measuring cup with a wooden handle onto a row of four white plastic bottle caps arranged on a light woodgrain table. The image suggests an experiment or activity involving precise measurement of liquids.

Step 9

Add paint and mix well with the mixing stick.

Four plastic bottle caps, each filled with a different vibrant color, are arranged in a row on a light woodgrain table. From left to right, the colors are red, yellow, blue, and green. The image evokes a sense of playful creativity, suggesting an art project or children's activity.

Step 10

Next, fill the remaining two bottle caps with plasticine.

Two hands are working with brown modeling clay and a white plastic bottle cap on a light woodgrain surface. One hand holds the bottle cap with a portion of the clay molded over it. The other hand gently presses on the clay, seemingly shaping or securing it to the cap. Another small ball of clay sits on the table in the background. This suggests a crafting activity or the creation of a small, clay-covered object.

Step 11

Insert the wooden sticks into the plasticine and smooth out the kitchen roll.

A finished craft project stands on a light woodgrain table against a plain white background. The project consists of a rectangular piece of white textured material, possibly a paper towel, stretched between two thin wooden dowels. Four white flower shapes are glued along the bottom edge, and small white rectangular tabs hang down from each flower. The dowels are inserted into white plastic bottle caps, each filled with brown modeling clay to form a base. The project resembles a small decorative banner or a miniature theatrical backdrop.

Step 12

Now, place the bottle caps under the paper strips and observe what happens to the kitchen roll.

A time-lapse video demonstrates a color mixing experiment using paper towels and colored water. Four small, clear plastic bottle caps containing red, yellow, orange, and green water are arranged in a row on a light wooden surface. Small wooden sticks are inserted into modeling clay bases and placed behind each cap. A white paper towel is draped over the sticks, with the bottom edge submerged in the colored water. As time passes, the colored water wicks up the paper towel via capillary action, creating vertical streaks of color that gradually blend together where they meet. The video focuses on the process of the colors traveling up the paper towel and mixing.

The Science Behind It:

Kitchen roll contains many tiny fibre tubes through which liquid can climb. We call this phenomenon capillary action. This is why you can easily wipe up water from a table with kitchen roll - the water hides in these fibre tubes. It's the same principle that allows water to rise from tree roots to leaves through capillaries!

Try cleaning the bottle caps and using different colours to see what happens when capillary action occurs again!

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