Check out the full tutorial for this project at:

http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/KID-MADE-WATERCOLOR-POM-POM-PARTY-HAT-GARLAND

hello, Wonderful’s dancers

(http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/MAGNETIC-DANCING-DOILY-PEG-DOLLS)

and

Coloured Button’s rock theatre

(http://www.colouredbuttons.com/2009/06/matchbox-monday-4-rocky-monster-theatre.html)

Materials

• Cardboard box (it doesn’t need to be two sides, just one.  E.g., You could use a flat of cardboard used to ship tins, cans etc.)
• Paper
• Magnets
• Glue gun
• Pencil/eraser
• Magnet wand (or a thick popsicle stick/tongue depressor and another magnet to make your own)
• Paint brushes
• Paint
• Pom poms (or other items of your choice)
• Water (to wash your brushes)

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Lay your box on top of the paper that you want to paint your scene on, tracing around it to get an exact measurement.  Cut out your paper.

• Sketch out your scene on your paper.  The kids had these two plastic bugs that their Grandma had given them and decided to draw a bug habitat.  You could draw a racing track for a car, water for ferry boat etc.  Go with whatever your interests are.

• Don your smock.  Paint or colour in your sketch.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Cut the side of each box, leaving about 5 centimetres (approximately 2 inches) on either side to form the supports (leaving the corner as seen in the photos below).

• We then glued our scene onto the top of our box.  While you could glue your objects to your scene and then glue your scene onto your box, this method allows for you to avoid making it too heavy, depending on the thickness of your cardboard.  (If we were to use something like rocks, popsicle sticks etc. instead of pom pom foliage and flowers, we would chose a thicker cardboard.)

• Glue on your objects either creating a maze (make sure it is spread far enough for your bug or car etc. to fit through!) or an obstacle course of items to maneuver around.

• Glue your magnets to the back of your bug or car etc. making sure that you flip them so that the side that repels from the magnet wand is stuck in the glue (you want the magnet wand to attract the bug, through the cardboard).

• If you don’t have a magnet wand, simply make one by gluing a magnet onto the end of a popsicle stick.

• Once your glue is dry, lay your bug on your scene and enjoy moving them about!

Purpose

• Exploring magnetism (Attraction, repulsion)
• Working collaboratively.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and magnets with care and direct adult supervision.
• Magnets, pom poms etc. 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.  If a child swallows a magnet, get immediate medical attention.

Materials

• Artwork trimmings
• Paper trimmings
• Ribbon
• Hole punch
• Rocks or other heavy, small objects
• Clear contact paper
• Scissors
• Sewing machine and thread

Directions

• Roll out your contact paper.  Cutting it to double the length that you want your bag.

• Contact paper can be tricky- you will need an adult to help you.  Peel off half the back paper, with the sticky side up.  To hold in place (particularly if it was on a roll and may want curl back!) place a few objects such as rocks gently on the corners.

• Lay out your paper strips, creating a design.

• Once completed, peel off the rest of your paper and with adult help, fold it over the design, sandwiching the paper in between (sticky side to sticky side).  It might be easier if you cut your contact paper section in half if you find the folding too hard.  Rub out any air bubbles from the centre to the outside.

• Once folded, then fold it again with your artwork strips facing outward and then trim the sides to match.

• Punch holes in both sides as shown (so two holes per side).

• Cut your ribbon in half.  Knot one end of your ribbon and lace it through one side so the knot at the back (with the backsides of the strips) and then put it through the front side, going through the second hole and knot the other end of the ribbon.  This will form a handle. Then repeat on the other side.

• Sew a line across the bottom of the bag and the side opposite of fold.

• Tuck your gift inside and give it to your friend in your personalized bag!

Purpose

• Re-purposing items.
• Personalizing gifts.

Safety Notes

• Use scissors and a sewing machine with care and direct adult supervision and assistance.
• Cord, yarn, ribbon etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.

while creating a lasting piece of art for their mothers. 

For the full tutorial, check us out on Let’s Lasso the Moon:

http://letslassothemoon.com/2016/03/31/solar-print-art/

In the style of Eric Carle, we used paper and other embellishments to create a flowery banner for the school’s spring family dance.  This is a great project for collaboration.

Materials

• A large sheet of cardboard or a roll of kraft paper (Since the creation had lots of beads etc. and could potentially be quite heavy, we went with cardboard)
• White craft glue or a glue gun/glue
• Collage papers *
• Beads
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon
• Yarn
• Pom pom maker
• Scissors
• Fringing scissors (Optional)
• Circle punch or lids (or both!)
• Pencil, eraser
• Paper
• Mesh or other recyclables

* We will show you several ideas for making paper with the appearance of texture below.

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

Making Your Collage Paper

• Don your smock.  Below we show you several links to various methods for making papers with the appearance of texture (the link containing the steps is under the photograph).  You could also use artwork that you already have.  Just be sure to ask the child prior to cutting it up.  The kids usually separate their own pieces into those that they love and want to put away as keepsakes and those that are okay to use for another purpose.

http://make-it-your-own.com/roller-scrape-painting/

http://make-it-your-own.com/funnel-painting/

http://make-it-your-own.com/mesh-painting/

http://make-it-your-own.com/ribbon-roll-painting/

http://make-it-your-own.com/foaming-fun/

Assembling Your Collage

•  Cut out shapes for the centres of your flowers.  You could either do this free-hand or use a lid to trace and/or a circular punch.  The centres serve as a base for your petals.

• Cut out strips for the shapes of petals.  Our daughter liked to “shape” each strip into different petals whereas our son piled up the strips and used a more heavy duty pair of scissors to cut them all at once.  Folding the paper achieves the same result, without the need to hold the petals in place.

• As with any creative project, I always encourage the kids to cut out all the pieces, experiment with their placement and then glue to pieces together and/or down.  This tends to achieve a better approximation of their vision for something and allows them to re-work any elements that they may want to.

• If you want your flower petals to “pop out” from the page, consider folding them in half and making a fold near the bottom of the petal for gluing.

• Decorate your centres.  This may involve making yarn pom poms, gluing on store bought pom poms and/or beads and buttons- whatever you like and have.

• Glue your petals onto your centres.  You can do this by flipping your centre upside down and attaching the petals upside down.  Or if you like, cut another centre, glue the petals on right side up and then add your final, decorated centre to the top.

• Cut out your stems and leaves arranging them on the cardboard, gluing the flower on top.

• Combine patterned and plain paper to create contrast.

• Now to work on a welcome sign for the banner!

And how lovely is this: A classroom sent us the paper garden that they made and I particularly like the quote that they included:  Bloom Where You are Planted

Pin this idea

Purpose

• Learning how to create the appearance of texture with various tools and techniques.
• Creating pieces in the style of artists and/or illustrators.
• Recognizing seasonal changes (such as the emergence of flowers).
• Developing one’s fine motor skills (cutting, gluing etc.).
• Exploring patterns and symmetry (if you used these in attaching the beads in the centres for example).

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and a glue gun with care and direct adult supervision.  (Or use white craft glue as an alternative.)
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Beads, pom poms etc. 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.

Materials

Roller Painting

• Rolling pins (we used various types to create different kind of lines)
• Paint
• Craft trays
• Paper or cardstock

Scrape Painting

• Paper
• Cardboard (These were inserts inside a box, but you can experiment with cutting your own)
• Cardstock or thick paper
• Paint
• Craft trays

We always find a smock helpful too:

Directions

Roller Painting

• Don your smock.

• Put out your paint in lines and roll your pins in them.

• Apply them to your paper.

• Voila!

Scrape Painting

• Don your smock.
• Lay your paper into your tray.
• Put blobs of paint of various colours onto your paper.

• Scrape the paint onto the paper using your cardboard, held at an angle.

• Experiment with going in different directions.

• Allow to dry overnight and use for collage!

Want to try another material for scraping paint?  Check this out: 

http://make-it-your-own.com/nature-finds-use-the-landscape-as-inspiration/

Purpose

• Using an item for an activity that differs from its original purpose.
• Exploring various tools and methods for creating the appearance of texture.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.

Materials

• Cardstock or paper
• Craft trays
• Paint
• Funnels

We always find a smock helpful too!

Directions

• Don your smock.

• Put out your paint onto your tray.  Explore painting with your funnels- whether it be dipping them in, putting paint into the funnel, rolling the funnel, using the small end etc.

• Allow your paper to dry overnight- display it, save it for collage making etc.

Purpose

• Exploring various items to paint with.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use non-toxic paints and/or reserve your funnels for creating only.