Melted Plastic Sculpture

THIS post and THIS post helped me come up with this Dale Chihuly inspired project.

Supplies:

plastics (#6 is the best, shrinky dink plastic) (#1 melts well) (#5 curls)

permanent markers

scissors

oven (200 degrees)

foil

cookie sheet

oven mitts

hot glue

Instructions:

1. Draw on plastics with markers and cut into pieces

2. Put on foil lined cookie sheet and put in 200 degree oven

3. Watch closely. #6 plastics only need 1 to 2 minutes

4. Hot glue together

Tips:

*They cool quickly

* Make sure the plastics are clean

* The plastics should not smell but leave windows open

Cardboard Sculpture

THIS blog photo reminded me of a project I did with a student years ago.

We used a 3D puzzle for our piece design. We used the shadow of the pieces to make it bigger.
We cut thick cardboard with exacto knives then taped the edges with colored duct tape.

Using Leftovers

Use up that paint and other materials you have on hand that last day.
I saw the dog painting HERE.

Supplies:

poster board (the ones you have covering the table to catch spills!)
left over acrylic and tempera paints

little notecards

glue

oil pastels, chalk pastels, crayons, whatever you have

Instructions:

1. Have children look at images eyes and noses on note cards practicing how they look. This can be done when children are arriving one day or if children get done early with a project.

2. Use the poster board from the table that already has paint on it. Glue the eyes and nose on the board where you think they should go. Add a nose and ears then begin painting the face.

3. Cover all the poster board with paint then add details with other drawing materials.

Tips:

* This is a great way to use materials you have on hand. It is fun to make the image so big on the poster board.

* This is a last day activity.

Or just roll up scrap papers and hot glue onto painted cardboard for a cool city!

Acrylic on Glass Bottles

THIS lesson is great for older students learning about an artist.

Simply gesso a glass bottle then paint on it with acrylic paint.

Clay Stamp

THIS is so cool. I can make a stamp any shape I want with oil clay.

Supplies:

oily clay (non-air dry)

ink pads

paper (previously used paper)

pencils, paperclips, things with texture

Instructions:

1. Make a shape out of the clay (leaves and petals or push a toy into it)

2. Push clay into inkpad

3. Stamp paper, nice to make a pattern

Tips:

* This is the clay you could use for the plaster a paris relief, so you could use it again here.

* This clay is also fun to make little boats out of to float in your bubble solution when you make bubble prints.

* These prints look great over top of the watercolors the children made.

*Smaller children need help to be gentle to not smoosh the image they made in the clay.

*If you have Legos, these are also fun to stamp with.

Acrylic printing, watercolor and colored pencils.

THIS image made me try doing something similar with my two year old. I think, this could work for teaching simple printmaking.

From teacher who taught the lesson:
"Fourth graders learned about the printmaking process in this lesson. We used white tempera paint to print leaves on a black background. Colored pencils were used to shade in the color, and tempera paint was used to sponge paint the background."

This is also just a fun project to do after a walk of collecting leaves.

Pop out photo

THESE photos looked so good. This is fun for older students to do but would be too difficult for young students to cut the image and to know how to layer the image. This would be even cooler if it was from a photo the student took.

Supplies:

black and white image (multiple copies)

scissors

cardboard

spray adhesive

foam squares for the depth

Instructions:

1. Cut and layer the image

Tips:

*This is for older students.

* Think about your layers before you cut.


* I like cardboard layers between instead of just the foam layering squares to make the images sturdier and easier to handle.