At school the kids often create projects inspired by famous artists to learn a bit about them, their style and pieces that they are well know for.  They have made Wayne Thiebaud cakes, Andy Warhol pop art, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night in pastels, Kandinsky’s concentric circles, Amedeo Modigliani portraits, Maud Lewis scenes, Kenojuak Ashevak animals and interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to name a few.  We wanted to transfer this to holiday Christmas ornaments to attach to donation cards for our family members.  Can you guess which artists belong to each ornament?  Which artists would you use as an inspiration for your ornaments?! 

Materials

  • Blank wooden ornaments (You can purchase these at craft, dollar or online stores)
  • Paint pens (we like the Posca brand)
  • Detail Pens (such as Microns)
  • Ribbon or cord (some bank ornament sets include this)
  • Pencil/eraser

We always find these items useful too:

SmockCraftTray

Directions

1) Chose an artist that inspires you and recreate their style on an ornament.  Here are a few ideas that we tried:

  • Georgia O’Keeffe
  • Sonia Delaunay
  • Henri Matisse
  • Vincent Van Gogh
  • Piet Mondrian
  • Jackson Pollack
  • Yayoi Kusuma
  • Wassily Kandinsky
  • Keith Haring
  • Kenojuak Ashevak

2) Sketch your ideas in pencil and then trace them with paint pens and then add details with fine point pens such as Microns.

3) Attach a ribbon or some cord to be able to hang your ornament on your tree.  Inscribe the back of your ornament with your name, the artist’s name and the date and give it to a special friend, teacher or family member!

4) We’d love to see the artists that you chose if you do this project- please tag us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/make_it_your_own_/

Pin this Idea

Make these artist inspired Christmas Tree ornaments for a handmade holiday gift! We feature ones inspired by: - Georgia O'Keeffe - Sonia Delaunay - Henri Matisse - Vincent Van Gogh - Piet Mondrian - Jackson Pollack - Yayoi Kusuma - Wassily Kandinsky - Keith Haring - Kenojuak Ashevak We show you a few tips to make children's Christmas craft one that you can give to friends, neighbours, teachers and family to hang on their holiday day tree! This kid's craft encourages children to explore and recreate in the style of well known artists, so that they can start to identify some of their famous pieces and characteristics of their personal style!

Purpose

  • Recognizing the style of various artists.

Safety Notes

  • We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
  • Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.
  • Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
  • Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.
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4 Responses

  1. Allyson

    What a great spin on school art work….very clever!! I’d like to make these myself. I guess I’m a kid at heart. :) Pinning this so I can revisit.

    Reply
    • Bonnie Scorer

      Thank you for the lovely comment! I think that they are great for any age! (Too often people stop creating once they leave school) Thanks again, Bonnie-

      Reply
  2. Deirdre

    This is brilliant. Thank you. I will be trying this with my students for their “Student Choice” day this Christmas.

    Reply
    • Bonnie Scorer

      Yay! We’d always love to see a photo if you give them a go! Thank you for taking the time to send us a message!

      Reply

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