Fun Beautification Project

Helllllo everybody!

Hope y'all are having an awesome week! Today I want to talk about a fun troop project/public art piece that's easy, cheap and impactful!

But first, I wanted to give a quick shout out to my new friend Katie from Troop 103!

I met Katie and her troop leaders a few days ago while they were selling Girl Scout cookies to raise money for their troop! It was great to speak to a current Girl Scout about her goals, summer camp and her plans to earn her Silver Award and complete new Journey Projects!

Good luck to Katie and Troop 103-I hope that you complete all of your goals for the year and that you enjoy all of your scouting projects!

Katie and I at her Troop's Cookie Booth

This past week, some of my co-workers and I have been brainstorming fun social projects to get people out of their comfort zones and thinking about the future.

As we were talking, someone brought up a community art project that our school's art gallery put together earlier last year that would be a perfect Girl Scout project!

“Wish Tree for Washington, DC” by Yoko Ono. Photo by Naomi Sachs Published onhttp://www.healinglandscapes.org/blog/2011/08/wordless-wednesday-81711-wishes/wishes2-042-2/

Last year, our gallery provided the campus with hundreds of small paper gift tags, and encouraged students to write down wishes, dreams and goals on the tags. Next, students would tie their wishes to a single tree down in front of the library.

(Found on: http://imaginepeacetower.com/yoko-onos-wish-trees)

The tree was absolutely beautiful! It became covered in the aspirations of undergraduate students, professors, college employees and community members.

People had a lot of amazing things to say! Some wished for world peace and happiness, while others wished for better test grades and positive relationships and friendships.

Tags found on Etsy.com (https://www.etsy.com/search?q=wishing+tree+tags)

This art project was created by Yoko Ono, and the instructions are extremely simple:

Wish Piece by Yoko Ono (1996)

Make a wish
Write it down on a piece of paper
Fold it and tie it around a branch of a Wish Tree
Ask your friends to do the same
Keep wishing
Until the branches are covered with wishes

(Found on her website-http://www.a-i-u.net/wishtree2.html)

A Wishing Tree in California (http://www.superherolife.com/2013/09/the-best-thing-i-did-all-year/)

Supplies needed:

• Paper and/or large gift tags
• Pens
• A Hole Punch
• String
• Dreams, Goals, Aspirations
• A Tree (or trees)

You can even make smaller, more personal versions of this project for just your troop, your family or your friends! They can make great party or moving-up-ceremony decorations.

The cool thing about this project is that it can be changed and modified based on your ideas and needs!

Check out this indoor, decorative version:

This version was made by CraftyZany on Etsy! <https://www.etsy.com/listing/120912430/new-heart-shaped-tags-wedding-wish-tree?ref=market>

For more information and ideas, check out these sites:

• http://www.a-i-u.net/wishtree2.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_Tree
• http://www.superherolife.com/2013/09/the-best-thing-i-did-all-year/
• http://www.healinglandscapes.org/blog/2011/08/wordless-wednesday-81711-wishes/wishes2-042-2/
• http://www.a-i-u.net/imagine_helsinki.html

As always, message me with any questions, comments or suggestions! Have lovely days!

Much Love,

Gold Girl Allie