This could be a lesson in harmony as the filled in colored circles could be made to match the magazine circles next to them.1. I used a spice jar lid to trace circles on my paper. I think it looks be...
These new little popsicle sticks (they’re 2 1/2" long) that I found at Michael’s remind me of my parent’s log cabin in Tennessee. Here’s one way to make little houses that could serve well as col...
One of the most annoying myths about drawing is that people either have a gift or they don’t. The truth is drawing is a skill, and just like anything else, anyone can get better with practice.1. With...
Save your nature magazines, or anything that has photos of water in it to make this fun collage page.1. Students cut out enough swatches of water from magazines to fill the bottom of their jour...
One of the first elements of learning perspective is noticing that things that are far away from you appear smaller than those that are near. Students use precut circles in this project to make hot a...
This is my adapted Seahorse project for 1st graders, who were able to make a pretty frame for their art when their painting was finished. 1. Students followed directions in my “How To Draw A Sea...
This abstract tree makes a really bold image and also offers a lesson is using positive and negative space.1. Starting with a square piece of paper, the students are to draw a tree trunk and lo...
I read that the Aboriginal dot style of painting actually began in the 1970s when artists wanted to make symbols of some of their ancient ceremonial rituals. Soil would be cleared and smoothed over t...
I started this page with the idea of repeating circles, and just played around from there. I think it could be a good exercise in harmony as I tried to fill solid circles with colors that appeared in...
I wanted to introduce my afterschool kids to some very hip-looking lettering styles and new art supplies, so this was their project today.1. Students were given a paper printout with bubble-style alp...
I was inspired by some swimming self-portraits over at “Use Your Coloured Pencils” and loved the floating hair. My students gave it a go today and made some of the cutest paintings in their journals,...
Flamingos are some pretty unique looking creatures. They have a lot of curves going on, but if you break them down into simple steps, the outcome may surprise you.1. Draw a flamingo in pencil, follow...
Save all those clean packing boxes, such as for cereal and pasta, and you can make some really colorful collage roosters. For a lead in story, “Farmyard Beat” is perfect and actually the inspiration ...
Pablo Picassos Blue Period, in which he painted only blue paintings of sad subject matter, is a good example of how an artist used color to reflect his feelings. Ask children to think of the differen...
I found this great idea over at Mini Matisse, who got it from an organization called ArtStart. I love how the plastic case makes a nice sturdy frame to work with, and the clear closure lets you just ...
If you like those cool Pottery Barn letters but not the price, make your own.1. My sons letter is about 9" tall. Start by drawing a big block letter on corrugated cardboard and cut out. Trace a s...
Sometimes I just get the greatest donations of supplies. Recently, yards and yards of felt appeared at my door. Then some white boxes were left over after the flowers inside were all used up. You cou...
Wassily Kandinsky made a beautiful painting called "Color Studies" back in the early 1900s that is fun to imitate with oil pastels instead of watercolor.1. Distribute 9" x 12" pieces ...
If your students are ever learning about amazing animals, then a book from Eric Carle titled “Mr. Seahorse” is a great lead-in to this project.1. Students draw a seahorse in pencil as shown in the di...
I’m in love with these pom poms! Save all those scraps of yarn – you can make these large or small with tons of different colors. I always thought I needed to buy a gadget to make them, but just foun...
I love what torn edges do for a project, even though most students seem resistant to it. I think it maybe just takes time to trust that “happy accidents” sometimes happen with this process.1. Give ea...
This is a simple layout, but needs to be done neatly to make it look nice. My secret is to use glue sticks to make the tissue paper lay smooth and flat.1. Students use scissors to cut out the fl...
Gold metal tooling is great material for making textured art. Add Sharpie markers and you have a very expensive looking Mother’s Day card.1. Each student gets a 3" x 5" piece of gold tooling,...
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was an Austrian painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement. His wonderfully abstract “Tree of Life” can be fun and relatively easy to dr...
This is a compilation of what my 1st and 2nd grade students wrote today, when I asked them how they would make pancakes, possibly for a Mother’s Day breakfast in bed. 1. Students glued a photo of pan...
Need a pretty but inexpensive project for Mother’s Day? All you need is an old baby food jar, tissue paper, white glue and a couple of green pipe cleaners.1. Tear blue tissue paper into small little ...
I’ve used this card for kinders for several years and Im still surprised at how nice they look, especially when colored with bright patterns. 1. Start with large white construction paper (12" x 1...
When students have a photo to refer to, I think they are often pleasantly surprised at what they can draw. I created this composite Wolf Photo Template to give teachers an easy way to share this proj...
This amazing artwork comes for Linsay in Eugene, Oregon. She shared how her students (age 5-11) in the River Road Park and Recreation ASAP Program use donated magazine pictures, cut them into stamp s...
Paper mache bowls don’t have to be made of one material. Newspaper + brown paper makes a really great earthy, recycled-looking bowl.1. Students did a variation on my “Tissue Paper Bowl” project, but ...
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