Saturday, December 30, 2017

Got Cardboard?

Recycled Cardboard Art Projects

If you're like me, you have some leftover cardboard boxes from the holidays, courtesy of Amazon. 
(I asked my friend who works for UPS, if they are bitter about Amazon Prime and the onslaught of deliveries they bring, not to mention the 2-day delivery guarantee. He just smiled politely.) 😉
I love coming up with ideas to utilize this humble material. I think it makes a great canvas for a variety of projects. And there is something so satisying about creating "something" from "nothing". Once cut out with an X-acto knife, this tropical fish was created using some craft acrylics and magazine pages with a 2 inch circle punch for colorful scales. I raided my craft closet and used various materials to add some extra punch: puff, paint, sequins and glue combined with black paint for outlining. You could use whatever you have on hand. I glued some twine to the back so it could be hung. This would be a great project to do with the kids over the rest of your winter break.


More Cardboard Creative Fun!

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Thursday, December 7, 2017

Canada Geese











For some reason, winter art lessons tend to be my favorites. And throw in a bird subject matter and I'm really in my happy place. These Canada Geese (not Canadian Geese as I have come to learn) were created on 12 x 18 black construction paper using chalk pastels. My students always ask me if they are allowed to add hats, bows or other various accessories to their animal creations. Well it is the giving season, go ahead kids!  For the backgrounds, I gave a limited palette of acrylics to dry brush on to their pieces of roofing felt from dark to light. A splattering of snowfall was added before gluing their cut geese. (1st through 4th grade artists.) *Update: Be sure to use Natural roofing felt, Not synthetic, which can contain fiber glass.