Kaleidoscope Abstract Art Watercolour Painting

This is a project my Grade 1's completed a couple of years ago. They had SO much fun mixing the colours. We do a unit on abstract art and this was a perfect lesson to really reinforce the concept. I found the idea HERE as well as HERE.

If I have time before a class (sometimes happens but not usually), I like to lay out supplies ahead of time. So I laid out my paper placemats (large construction paper), 9 x 12" heavy white paper and styrofoam cups. Then I squeezed out black acrylic paint onto large plastic lids. Students dipped their cup into the paint and made overlapping circle prints.

They look pretty cool on their own!

The next class, students used watercolours to paint inside of the circles. Little kids LOVE mixing colours - they tend to go ham with this and mix all the colours together, hence the large amount of 'muddy' colours you'll see! haha! You can restrict the colours if you want, or tell them to choose warm or cool, etc. I just let them go wild with this project. 

Painting these took 2- 40 minute lessons to complete.

Some Grade 1 results:

Weaving: Ojo de Dios or God's Eye Craft

According to Wikipedia, Ojo de Dios or God’s Eye is:

“a spiritual and votive object made by weaving a design out of yarn upon a wooden cross. Often several colors are used. They are commonly found in Mexican and Mexican American communities, among both Indigenous and Catholic peoples.”

The symbol means the power to see and understand things. I used to make these as a kid and, like many crafts, they have come back into fashion! There are tons of talented Etsy artists making very complex and large Ojo de Dios's online. 

I showed my Grade 4 - 6 students various Ojo de Dios tutorials on Youtube- this was the most efficient way to show them a few different weaving techniques they could use. We used thin wooden dowels I bought at the Dollar store. Students also embellished the ends with pony beads and/or tassels. The kids enjoyed making this- more advanced students were able to watch more tutorials and challenge themselves with more complex designs which was great. A really adaptable lesson where all kids find success :)

Painted Paper Plate Heart Sewing Craft for Valentine's Day

This is a fun mixed media craft my Grade 4's and 5's created last week. I found the project HERE on the Red Ted Art website. I knew it would be a perfect craft for my Grade 4 and 5 class.

I altered the project a bit to involve some painting.  I bought plain white paper plates and the kids painted them using tempera. Some kept them plain, added glitter glue and/or created patterns.

The one below painted a galaxy scene.

This took one class.

Once dry, students folded a piece of scrap paper in half and cut out half a heart. They had to adjust the size so it fit on the inside of the paper plate. Not too big, but not too small. They traced this and then cut it out. This part was surprisingly tricky!  The paper plate didn't cut cleanly and had a tendency to tear. Perhaps the brand I bought was too cheap. 

So don't cheap out like I did if you try this!

Then, using a single hole punch, they punched holes around the perimeter of the heart.

Then the kids chose a length of yarn and, starting from the back, sewed the yarn in and out of the holes. Some did random, freestyle designs, others created a deliberate pattern.

I love the variety of creative solutions the students came up with!