Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos) is right around the corner! Don't miss the opportunity to share this important cultural tradition with your students. Often misunderstood, this popular Mexican holiday honors ancestors and loved ones who have died, and is celebrated each year on November 1st & 2nd. This family-centered holiday celebrates the cycle of … [Read more...]
Origami Lotus Book
Here's a fun project that both kids and adults really get excited about! The Lotus Book may look complicated, but its folds are actually very simple. Don't be intimidated by all the steps.... once you've made one you'll have it down. It's so much easier than it looks!Materials:Heavy-weight paper or card stock for pages (5 pieces, 8½” x 8½”)Heavy-weight paper or card stock … [Read more...]
Gung Hey Fat Choy! Chinese New Year Dragons
Chinese New Year is right around the corner! Monday, January 23, 2012 will mark the start of the "Year of the Dragon", year 4709 on the Chinese calendar, where each year is designated by one of 12 animals. I thought a dragon project would be fun for my first graders as we usher out the "Year of the Rabbit" and welcome in the "Year of the Dragon"! We're making our dragons in … [Read more...]
A-Mazing Maze Books!
Maze books are fun and easy to make.... it’s almost magical to see 16 pages appear from a single piece of paper!Materials:12” x 18” white construction paperScissorsCard stock or heavy-weight paper, cut to 4 3/4” x 6 12” Ribbon or raffia, about 2 feet per book"YES! Paste" (or Avery Permanent Glue Stick)1” foam brush for spreading pastePencil, markers, etc. for illustrating or … [Read more...]
Easy Envelopes for Handmade Cards
It's easy to make custom envelopes for your handmade cards - perfect for those non-traditional sizes! You can get creative with unique papers and decorative liners, too. Kids will catch on quickly since they don't even need to measure their paper.... they just need to understand the concept of starting with a square that's a little bit larger than the … [Read more...]
Candy Cane-O-Grams
Special thanks to Erica for being my "hand model" on this project!This "Candy Cane-O-Gram" is a favorite holiday project year after year. It may look like an ordinary paper candy cane, but it contains a special hidden message for it's recipient! Once kids make their first one, they'll be "hooked"!1. Use a ruler to draw parallel lines in holiday colors along the edges of … [Read more...]
Mexican Papel Picado
"Papel Picado", or "cut paper", is a colorful decoration found at most Mexican celebrations. The “secret” of success for making your own papel picado is to sandwich the thin tissue paper inside a folded, heavier weight paper before cutting it. This makes it easier to work with, less likely to tear, and gives you a surface for drawing a design you can follow as you … [Read more...]
Mexican Paper Marigolds for “Day of the Dead”
"Day of the Dead" is a traditional Mexican holiday for honoring ancestors and loved ones who have died, and is celebrated each year on November 1st & 2nd. This festive, family-centered holiday celebrates the cycle of life and highlights the Mexican peoples’ general acceptance, rather than fear, of death. Colorful marigolds are a regular feature adorning the altars or … [Read more...]
Cursive Cut-outs
I posted this lesson awhile back as "Name Aliens", but I've since figured out a better way to teach this, so I improved the directions. As soon as kids can write their names in cursive, they're ready to create these whimsical creatures! To make "bugs", just add six legs instead of two! (Adapted from the book, "Paper Designs" by Jerome C. Brown)Can you guess what name this … [Read more...]
Mosaics
Mosaic projects can be adapted for all ages. Just follow these directions and use larger tiles and a smaller backing board if working with young children.... or anyone with a shorter attention span! Historical examples of mosaic art have been found in Roman ruins throughout Europe and around the Mediterranean. Traditional mosaics were made from tiny squares of natural-colored … [Read more...]
