Abstract Art Notecards
Here is one student's work, divided and mounted on 8 colored notecards
ready for packaging with envelopes
Shrink Plastic Necklace for Pair of BFF's
using Air Dry Clay
with puff paint and sequins
Mexican Folk Art Mirrors
December art classes have been focused on creating artsy gifts for the holidays. My young students have had a lot of fun creating items for friends, family and teachers.
1. Abstract Art Notecards
These were created playing a game of art element Simon Says. Children started with a large sheet of watercolor. I would prompt them with directions like, "Make a diagonal broken line in a cool color." They used oil pastels and colored Sharpies to create a number of different lines in different directions. They added watercolor and salt to finish this first step. The following week, I handed back their papers and we continued the game using acrylic paints with prompts like, "make an organic shape in a secondary color. This was such a fun way for my young students (mostly 1st graders) to learn about primary and secondary colors, organic versus geometric shapes and even complimentary colors. I cut their dried work into eight equal pieces and glued them to colored notecards. These were packaged up with envelopes for a nice one of a kind gift to give to grandparents, teachers or friends.
2. Shrink Plastic Pins and Necklaces
Shrinky Dinks take me back to my childhood. I found this great idea from Alisa Burke here. Children used colored Sharpies to decorate hearts. These were shrunk in the oven to half their size and finally, a pin was glued to the back. Were presented them on pieces of notecards that they could decorate and finished with a "created by" stamp.
3. Textured Shoe Pendant Necklaces
This project is always a winner. My original post can be found here. With just a ball of clay, children stepped lightly to reveal a unique texture. Skewers were used to create a hole to string cord. The following week, these were painted with acrylics, sealed with a coat of Mod Podge and strung with glass beads for a special gift for Mom.
4. Salt Dough Ornaments, Pins, Magnets and Pendants
Kids are always amazed when they learn that with just flour, salt, and water, they can create a dough to make a number of things. I pulled out my big bin of Christmas cookie cutters. Children created a variety of items: angels, doves, Christmas trees, gingerbread men, snowmen ect.. They had the option of creating a number of different gifts. These were baked in the oven for about 2 hours and the following week, children painted and added extra embellishments to their pieces.
5. Painted Canvas Grocery Bags
This was another project inspired by Alisa Burke and her Wonderful "Messy Pouches" here. Since California has banned the use of plastic bags, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids to create painted canvas bags for their parents. Acrylic paint was used to lay down blocks of color. Simple designs were painted on top and puff paint could be used to add finishing touches.
6. Mexican Folk Art Mirrors
Children created these unique gifts by tooling thick sheets of aluminum and adding color with Sharpies. Cardboard mats were painted and embellished with sequins, puff paint and glitter glue. Last, a round mirror was glued in the middle and a wood frame added to showcase their work.
One more day to finish projects and wrap up for friends, teachers and family. This class was a lot of fun and I'm already gathering ideas for next year's session!
