Tissue Paper Angels

I guess its time to start with the Christmas Arts and Crafts. First up this tissue paper Angel...inspiration from Miss. P. at school...Thanks Miss. P.

We made 2 different sizes...a large 24" Angel to fill in those large empty spaces and a smaller 12" Angel which you can display in groups or use on cards.

Materials Required:

colored tissue paper for the dresses, 2 1/2 sheets for the large, one 1/4 sheet for the small
Angel templates, sm.angel, lg angel head, lg angel arm, lg angel wing
thin cardboard from packaging
paint
foil doilies, I get mine from the Dollar Store, for the large you need 8", the small needs 4"
cardstock
glitter, sparkle gems etc. for embellishing
white glue
scissors





Print off the templates...now google docs shrinks my templates by 20% so you can either enlarge them by that much on the photocopier or just use and make slightly smaller angels.

Trace the head onto some thin cardboard or chipboard and cut out.







Now you can paint these if you want or cover them with some paper and draw/color on the faces.

I painted mine...you only have to paint one side.









Take the wing template and trace onto white cardstock or whatever paper you want to use for your wings.

Also trace out the arm template onto cardstock and color using the same method you chose for the face. You need to color both sides.








For my large wings I decided to keep them white but added some feather detail with some white glitter glue.


For the smaller wings I covered them with the foil leftover from the inside of the doilies...stay tuned you'll see where we cut it out.







Make a nice Angel face on your head...our Angels have their eyes closed (they're at peace I tell the kids....asking them to give it a try). We then shaded our neck area with some diluted brown paint.





Now we have to give our Angels their fancy halo/hairdos.




For the large Angel we cut away the center portion of the 8" doily (this is where you can use the excess for the wings)...make a cut from the outside up to the center and then cut out. Put some glue on a few points of the doily and put in place tucking the bottom ends behind her shoulders.







For the small Angel fold the 4" doily in half.





Then cut the start of a heart shape...so you have a slit at the top of the center of the doily.










Put some glue on the center of the doily and then slide the head in so her forehead is partially covered.
















Turn your Angel over and glue the small angel arm piece along the bottom of the doily. For the large angel glue each arm into place.





Then glue the wings in place on top of the arms.

Your Angels should look like this now. Let the glue dry a bit.

Take your tissue paper...for the small you need 1/4 of a sheet...for the large you need 2 1/2 sheets.

Put a line of glue along the neck and then scrunch one of the short ends of the tissue paper into place. For the large Angels repeat this step with the second piece.

Now you can fold the arms over like she is praying...you could glue them together if you want or add something for her to hold like a songbook or instrument. We left ours plain.

If you want you can add a piece of trim to the neck for a necklace. You can now embellish like crazy if you wish.

And that's it a simple Angel with lots of impact...the large ones look good on a door...

the small ones can be grouped together in a choir.

Give it a try and make some Angels.

I will be back soon with more Christmas ideas.

Candy Box Advent Calendar

Well here is my project with the leftover boxes from our Halloween treats....an advent calendar.

I wanted to capture a sort of "Grandma Moses" type scene incorporating the city skyline as the boxes reminded me of skyscrapers.

If this seems daunting you can easily adapt this to a 12 days of Christmas calendar or even the last week before Christmas calendar.

As always you can click on any picture to see larger.

Materials Required:

24 0r 12 Halloween candy boxes

large piece of corrugated cardboard for the base

paint

2 sided adhesive foam, glue dots or glue (even Velcro)

clothespins

elastics

2 copies of printout of hiding places

scissors

Take your candy boxes and open along the seam they used to glue them together.

Turn inside out and re glue the long seam....use some clothespins to hold in place while the glue is setting up.

We are turning our boxes inside out as they are easier to paint this way (will only need 1 coat).

On the computer or by hand make a list of 24 hiding places in your house. Make sure you have 2 copies....one to keep as a reference and one to cut up. Cut the list into strips and put one in each box...make sure to write the # on the box somewhere so you can keep them straight. You can put it on the back and redo it on the front once you start painting.

I prefer this type of Advent calendar because it gives me more freedom with the treats that usually go inside the boxes...this way I can make them any size...I can substitute in tickets to Christmas show or activity....I tend to use

ornaments a lot...even our old heirloom ones...the child selecting that particular box will get to hang that special ornament on the tree. The kids love it because they never know what they will get and they enjoy the treasure hunt with the hiding places.

After you have put the slip of paper with the hiding place on it in the box refold the ends and glue into place. Use some elastic bands to hold it together while the glue is setting up. If your worried the kids won't be able to open the boxes you could just use tape or just tuck the ends in and leave the box open on one side...easier to access for those little fingers.

Using the large piece of cardboard as the backing plan out where the boxes will go and sketch out your design.

It doesn't need to be to elaborate...you could just do a landscape background and turn the boxes into snowmen or penguins.

You can trace around the boxes to have a plan of where everything goes while painting. I originally had 25 boxes but changed it to 24...just painted over #25.

Start painting your scene...paint your boxes to match. Make sure to put the number of the box somewhere on it where the kids can find it.

Attach your boxes with adhesive foam, glue dots or glue. You can even use Velcro dots so you can take the box off to open it if you want.

I used 2 sided adhesive foam as I intend the box to stay stuck to the background...the kids will just open the boxes from the side.

You can coat your calendar with a coat of Mod Podge if you want for a shiny look.

And that's it. The kids can't wait!

Give it a try and the kids can even create their own.

See you next time.

Paper Roll Squirrel

A few weeks ago I had to come up with a craft for my son's Beaver's troop fast. They were discussing squirrels and it had to involve a nut.



As with most Beaver crafts it had to be fast and doable for boys aged 5 to 7. These turned out to be such a hit I thought I'd post it.



I know I promised the project with the Halloween candy boxes and it's almost ready...I put a sneak peek at the end of this post so stayed tuned.

Materials Required:



walnuts

paper rolls

1/2 a piece of paper towel

2 googly eyes

1 small pom pom

some felt

squirrel leg template

fun fur scraps

acorn cap

glue









Take the paper roll and cut it down to a 3 inch length.



Take the 1/2 of paper towel and stuff it into the roll.



You could paint the paper roll if you want but we left ours natural.






Make sure it is even with the top of the roll and put some glue on top.








Place the walnut on top of the glue. make sure the walnut is on it's side so you have the seam of the nut running down the middle of the head...this will also give you a pointy end for your nose.








Glue on your eyes and the nose.








With some scraps of felt cut out 2 ears and glue into place.





We painted our acorn cap so our squirrel had a fancy hat but you can leave it natural. Glue into place on top of head.





Using the leg template cut out 2 legs. We used brown paper but you could also cut these from felt.



Glue into place.





Cut your fun fur into a 2 inch strip about 1/2 an inch wide.



Glue into place.











Take some felt and cut two strips. Round the edges on one end. Glue into place for arms.





And that's it. Pretty simple but the boys had a great time and I received lots of positive comments from the parents.







My son added a felt piece for the belly of his squirrel who is now proudly called "Nutty".


Jenny from Plant City, Florida sent me this photo of the Fall Trees her 4th Graders did. They added a Fall Poem and have been getting wonderful compliments on their display.

I decided to add an Art Project Gallery component to this blog . If you send me a photo of your work using the lessons on this blog I'll put it in the gallery. Just email me...click on my profile at the top to direct you to my email.

Thanks Jenny..they look terrific!!

Here is a sneak peek of the upcoming project.


We'll see you next time.

Remembrance Day Mixed Media Project

Sorry I haven't been around much but I have been preparing for a conference..as well as planning for our annual Christmas Craft Day.

So enough excuses here is a second Remembrance Day project. A mixed media Peace painting.

This combines painting with some computer work and a little poetry so it's a great choice for Grades 3 - 6.

Materials Required:

dove template

watercolor paper

watercolor paint

plastic wrap

re positional contact paper

fine markers or black pens

glue

printed computer work

optional embellishments

Take your watercolor paper and tape off on your art board.

Using dove template trace on to the back of the re positional contact paper. I buy mine from Home Depot for about $4.00 a roll.

Peel off paper backing and stick to your watercolor paper where you want it to be. If you make a mistake no big deal it's re positional!

Add some watercolor paint to your paper. For the next step the paint has to be still wet...if yours has dried a bit you can spray some water on it.

Lay your plastic wrap on top and smoosh a bit with your fingers to get that nice texture. Leave it to dry with the plastic wrap still on.

When dry remove plastic wrap and the contact paper.

Have your students select a statement or a few words representing Remembrance Day. Using fine markers or pens write those words around the white dove shape curving as you go.

If you run out of room to repeat the words fully at the end just add a .... to connect to the beginning. Click on the picture to see larger.

At the computer print off those same words in 3 different fonts. You can vary size if you wish.

Using your watercolors lightly paint over these words. I printed these on regular printer paper.



Let dry.

I decided to add a little shading to my dove while the paints were out.

Cut out the words..you can play a bit with the shape of your cutting...here I decided to follow the choppiness of my painting strokes.

Apply some glue to the back of your words. Glue sticks don't tend to stick to well to painted backgrounds but you can give it a try.

If using white or tacky glue use a piece of cardboard to remove the excess so you just have a thin coat of glue.

Put into place.

I decided to add a little pearlizing to mine. I usually don't use glitter with the kids as I find they tend to overdo it. This pearlizing medium just adds a little shine. You could also use metallic acrylic craft paint. They tend to be quite translucent.

I also decided to add some ripped pieces of wax paper. I'm gluing it in place with acrylic medium but you can use glue.

That's it. You can also use the dove template as a paper chain or just cut it on the fold for 2 doves and then add this to a painted paper background.

Give it a try. Remember to save those Halloween candy boxes for our next project!

see you soon

Remembrance Day Huichol Yarn Painting

Well I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween...we sure did!

Now for the next project...On November 11th we celebrate Remembrance Day in Canada and our art projects center on this theme. The poppy is a symbol of Remembrance Day in Canada and it is our focus for this project.

I initially did this project with Grade 2 several years back and it was a bit difficult for them so I recommend this project for Grade 4 and up.

This project is based on Huichol style yarn painting.

Materials Required:

cardboard

foil

tissue paper in white and black

newspaper

yarn in various shades of red and black

mod podge

tacky glue

black beads (optional)

Gather your materials.

You need 2 pieces of cardboard for this project. One for the background and one for the poppy.

Trace a poppy shape on the cardboard and cut out.

Starting on the outside of one of the petals spread some tacky glue and start laying down the yarn. For this project the tacky glue is the best, it holds down the yarn immediately where the school glue may not stick at first and gets soaked up in the yarn. You could also use mod podge for this.

Continue circling around the petal filling it in. It's best to glue as you go.

When filled in press down with your fingers to make sure it is tacked down well.

Now you can add different shades of yarn in the poppy to add depth.

Here I used some embroidery thread as i didn't have any other red yarn but it was fussy so i don't recommend it. You can also add some black yarn in bits and pieces as well.

I also cut some red felt into skinny strips and used it as well.

For the center I first painted it black and then added some beads but you can fill this is with black yarn, poppy seeds, or even crumpled black tissue.

Let dry.

Take your background piece of cardboard and cover with a piece of foil shiny side up. You can glue or tape it down.

Take some tissue paper in black and white and rip into some small shapes.

Take some newspaper and rip into small pieces as well.

Now I'm using mod podge but you can use acrylic medium or even white glue. Working from one corner add some ripped paper to your background.

If using white glue you only want to apply it where a piece of paper is going...don't coat the whole board or you 'll lose your shiny foil look.

Leave some foil exposed.

Let dry. After you can trim the excess on the sides.

When dry you can glue your poppy into place and that's it. Give it a try.

Now that you have all that Halloween candy save those little candy boxes. You can use them to make a Robot like the project I posted last year or hold on to them for a new project that's coming up....you need at least 24 of them.

We'll see you next time...take care.

Spooky Interactive Portraits

Here are some spooky interactive portraits I'm doing with Grade 6 this year.





Same picture just able to shift the eyes and mouth with pull tabs...similar to the mechanisms in pop-up books.



















They are quite easy to do once you get the hang of the mechanism....once you've done one all of a sudden you see the possibilities for more.

Materials Required:

a created portrait
cardstock or wc paper
thin cardboard
glue
scissors
paint or pencil crayons

Create a portrait...you don't have to concentrate too much on the eyes. When finished cut out the eyes with scissors.

Cut a strip of cardstock that is as long as your portrait is wide and make sure the strip itself is wide enough to cover where the eyes are.

Take some thin cardboard like from a cereal box. You want a piece that is as wide as the portrait and at least the height of three of the eye strips.



Place the eye strip on the cardboard. In this case the eyes will only move to one side so I have the strip over by about 2 inches on one side. Trace around the strip.













Cut the traced section out.






Using a glue stick apply glue on the underside of the cardboard.
















Stick on the back of your portrait.

Apply more glue to the back of the portrait everywhere but on the eye section (where the eye strip goes)














Apply a backing paper to seal in your cardboard to your portrait.













Insert eye strip in the non glued section.

It should look something like this from the front.












With a pencil draw in the iris.

Apply color to the iris...you can take the strip out to paint but make sure to put it back in from time to time to get an idea how it is looking.

That's it you now have a shifty eye portrait...this was the first one then my daughter said it would be better if the eyes moved to both sides....then my son wanted a moving mouth....so back to the drawing board.

This time I cut out a skull shape which I glued to black construction paper.

I added some shading with paint.

I then cut out the eyes and the bottom half of the mouth.

I cut a eye strip that was wide enough to go past the sides of the portrait by about 2 inches on each side.

I then cut a mouth tab that was wider than the mouth cut out and extended about 3-4 inches above the mouth and 2 inches below the bottom of the portrait.

Something like this.

I cut some thin cardboard to go above the eyestrip....I then cut some to go on either side of the mouth....originally I thought the eye strip would hold the mouth tab in place at the top of the mouth but at the last minute decided to add a little piece of cardboard just in case.


Glue cardboard pieces in place.

This time I used tacky glue to apply the backing as the glue stick was not proving strong enough.

Apply backing and press down firmly.

Insert strips/tabs into openings.

With the mouth you want to trace opening onto the strip.

With the eyes mark where you want the iris and pupil.

Take tabs out. With the mouth extend your lines all the way to the top of the tab.

Add color to your drawings. For the eyes you want to add color quite away around the eye as the will shift from side to side and you will see this area.


For the mouth you want to have a bit of chin at the bottom..the lip..then the teeth...the tongue and then the rest of the inside of the mouth all

the way to the top of the tab....you can also add

extra color on the sides of the mouth as well just to be sure.

At the bottom of the mouth tab you can add directions.


And directions on side of the eye tab.

When done it will look something like this.

The kids had a great time playing with the portraits and making up stories to go with the facial expressions...and of corse they could not wait to make one of their own!


Give it a try...

Here is a peek at the Halloween Batiks Grade 5 did this year...this is just a sampling as we ended up with 69 panels (23 kids doing a 3 panel banner each)

That's it..I'll see you next time.

Glue Resist Skeletons

Earlier this year I did a glue resist dinosaur with Kindergarten. I thought it would make an interesting project for Halloween so here it is.



Materials Required:

heavy paper like posterboard or watercolor
white glue
tempera paint
large round coin or bottle top
kleenex
extra paper for detail work





Draw out your skeleton scene in pencil first. At school I gave the kids lots of reference photos of skeletons and I had them focus on a basic line drawing.
Don't worry too much about getting the shape of the bones correct. It's a spooky picture so the skeletons actually look better if they are not too perfect.

Using white glue on a flat surface go over the drawing. I reminded the kids to be careful not to fill in the eyes or mouth of the skeleton.


You can even pencil in an x in those places to help them remember.

When the skeletons are covered with glue set aside to dry. Make sure it is a flat surface as you don't want the glue to run.

When the glue is dry get set up for painting. before you start take your coin or round lid and place in the middle of a kleenex.

Gather the kleenex around it and twist together.

Set aside by your painting area.

Start painting in your sky. Its night time but to add some extra interest you can paint in the last remnants of the sunset.

Before the sky has dried take your kleenex wrapped coin....select a good spot for your moon and press into the painting. The kleenex will lift off a moon shape the same size as your coin or lid.

Continue painting in your ground area. Wherever the glue is will resist the paint.

When dry you can add some extra details with paper. At school the kids added jack o lanterns.

Have a bit of fun with it.

That's it.

Why not make a spooky skeleton picture today.

See you next time.