TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

Toothpick Sculptures – 3D Pyramid Stars

By Cheryl Trowbridge 4 Comments

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print
Kids love any opportunity to work in 3D and are surprised to discover all they can make using just toothpicks and some modeling material. After practicing a few basic forms, let their imaginations run wild and see all the creative ideas they can come up with!
 

First, let’s begin with some basic vocabulary….
Tetrahedron – a pyramid with four faces that are all triangles
Square-based pyramid
– a pyramid with four triangular faces and one square face (The pyramids in Eqypt are square-based pyramids.)

Cube – a three dimensional shape with 6 equal square faces

 

These sculptures require just the simplest of materials! All you need is some toothpicks (the star requires 36), and something to connect them with. I like to use a modeling material called “Model Magic”. (You will need about 1 oz. per student to make the forms shown here.) You may also use raisins, jelly beans, mini marshmallows, or gum drops candies, if you prefer.

These 3D forms are fun and easy to make…. here’s all you do:
1. Form equal size balls of Model Magic, about the size of large peas.
2. Stick toothpicks into your Model Magic to form the basic shapes of a tetrahedron, a square-based pyramid, and a cube.

3. Now, make another cube. Use four more toothpicks on each face of your cube to form new square-based pyramids. When you’ve done this on each face you will have made a 3D star!

Toothpick sculptures are great for group projects! Give students a challenge or a problem to solve (like designing a car of the future) and watch them get creative! Group members can work together to create their sculpture, write a paragraph about it, plan an advertising campaign and present a “TV commercial” or “news broadcast” to the class. The sky’s the limit!
Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

Default ThumbnailAnimal Sculpture with Air-Dry Clay Default ThumbnailArt Demo ~ Crayola Model Magic Default Thumbnail“Catch of the Day” – Ceramic Fish

Filed Under: 3D / Sculpture, Lessons, Math with Art, Mixed Media Tagged With: 3D forms, 3D objects, 3D star, cube, geometry, Model Magic, sculpture, square pyramid, tetrahedron, toothpicks

Comments

  1. K-Sue says

    at

    I love this! I think we will have to try it.

    Reply
  2. Toni says

    at

    we have done this a lot here we have used marshmellows in place of clay and it works great. we have also done this as team building trying to build the tallest structure togehter.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    at

    What grade level would you do this with?

    Reply
  4. TeachKidsArt says

    at

    This lesson is perfect for grades 3 and up, but younger kids can do it, too, with a little help.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • A Creative Color Game for All Ages
  • An Engaging Art Museum Activity for Kids
  • TIP #66: 10 Ways to Save Money on Art Supplies for Kids
  • Better Paint Brush Habits for Kids
  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt

Copyright © 2023 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
x
x