With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I wanted to share this super-easy DIY envelope you can make to fit any size card! How many times have you or your students created a wonderful hand-made card for Valentine's Day (or Christmas, Birthday, Mother's Day, etc.) and then delivered it in an envelope that didn't fit correctly, or worse yet, no envelope at all??! An … [Read more...]
Basic Japanese Notan Designs for 1st Grade & Up
Are you looking for an easy project that will give your youngest students more practice with scissors? This very basic Japanese Notan lesson is perfect for working on cutting and gluing skills, and kids will love the striking designs they create! Notan is a type of Japanese art that uses the contrast of light and dark to make an eye-catching composition. (Pronounce it just like … [Read more...]
7 Tips for Successful Student Art Displays
Displaying student art throughout the year, and not only at your end-of-the-year art show, pays dividends in so many ways. From promoting your program to building student pride and self-esteem, it's worth the time and effort it takes to show off the wonderful art that your students are creating! Look for spaces to display student work not only in … [Read more...]
The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge
Kids spend so much time in the car! It's easy to reach for a movie or electronic game to fill the time on long trips... or even short errands around town. But why not take a break from technology and just reach for a sketchbook instead? "Almost all artwork, no matter what the final form, begins with drawing because drawing is the artist's fundamental tool." ~ Mary Blair, … [Read more...]
Haiku Tunnel Books PDF Directions
This is one of my favorite resources in my TpT store... Haiku Tunnel Books! This project uses postcards to inspire students to write their own haiku poem and turn it into a tunnel book. A tunnel book is a three-dimensional movable book that you read by looking right through the middle of it. Originally from the mid-18th century, tunnel books are enjoying renewed popularity … [Read more...]
Quilled Paper Designs
Quilling, also known as paper filigree, is an art form that involves rolling and gluing thin strips of paper into various shapes and arranging them to form designs. Quilled paper designs can be very simple or as complex as you have the dexterity and patience for! The art of quilling dates back to the Renaissance when French and Italian monks and nuns would use … [Read more...]
Folded Paper Stars With Symmetry
These folded paper stars are a hit year after year with my 4th graders. You can make these in any size you want.... the size of the squares you start with will determine the size of your finished stars. When I teach this lesson, I use 12" squares in two different colors to demonstrate the folding and gluing steps on the white board. Instead of glue, I used tape rolls with low … [Read more...]
Origami Crane Ornaments
Students love to bring home these exquisite origami cranes to hang on their Christmas tree! I make these with my 5th & 6th graders, and even though this is not a beginner level project, every year I have at least one student with a passion for origami who already knows how to make them! While these cranes are challenging, they're definitely do-able, … [Read more...]
Jacob’s Ladder Icicles
I like to have each of my classes make a special ornament for Christmas each year. Here's an easy paper icicle that's fun for 1st grade and up. Once students get the hang of it, they'll be making these as fast as you can cut the paper! This project is a little more craft-like than I usually do with my students, but during those high energy days leading up to Christmas … [Read more...]
How to Make a Japanese Notan-Inspired Ornament
My 5th graders loved making these Japanese Notan-inspired ornaments. "Notan" is a Japanese word meaning "dark/light". It represents the design concept of arranging dark and light (2D) shapes together in a harmonious way. The Japanese Notan effect is easy to achieve with cut-paper. It tends to look more complicated than it really is, and students are fascinated with the finished … [Read more...]
