Tissue Paper Faux Stained Glass Art Project

                                          

This is a faux stained glass lesson I have taught a few times over the past 15 years. Sadly, I am now seeing a decline in the ability of my junior high students to use X-acto blades. This was the first time I was super nervous using them with the class and might have to re-think this lesson in the future. The overall fine motor skills seems to appear generally weaker. I last taught this 3 years ago and had no issues.

Nonetheless, if you're interested in trying this out, check out my previous post HERE which has all the steps. Make sure you use really sturdy, good quality black construction paper for this project to be successful.

I store my tissue paper chaotically in drawers, lol.

Students sketch out a stained glass design of their choice on sturdy black construction paper. 

Then they cut it out using X-acto knifes on cutting boards.

Trace and cut out tissue paper shapes to glue on the back. This project took about 3 weeks to complete, depending on the complexity of each students' design. I laminate these once finished to help make them sturdier and protected.

Some finished artworks: Grade 7-9

Colour Wheel Snowflakes

This was a super fast lesson that only really took about 40 minutes to complete.

I wanted to review the colour wheel with my class and have them do an art lesson where they had to really concentrate using their fine motor skills- I'm finding my students the past five years have really gone downhill in terms of fine motor skills, and I'm not blaming covid!

I found the project inspiration HERE but tweaked it a bit. 

I have these awesome snowflake stencils from the brand Roylco.

Students chose one and traced it onto a square of cardstock in pencil.

Then they coloured each 'branch' using a different colour from the colour wheel (we skipped indigo).

You need to outline it three times so you have a nice thick band of colour/pigment.

Then, using a brush and water, paint over each marker line to dissolve it and create a soft shaded watercolour effect. If the line is too thin, it won't bleed much.

 

Birch Trees Watercolour Paintings

This is a very popular and well-known art teacher project- you can see variations all over the internet. 

I think it's so popular because there is a high student success rate with this lesson, due to using masking tape. I've posted versions of this project many, many times in the past.

I now normally do this lesson with my Grade 7-9 class. 

On heavy white paper, draw a wavy horizon line for the snow. Then students use different sized widths of masking paper and tear/cut tree shapes and put it on the paper. Some choose to add branches for extra realism.

Trace around the bottom of the tree trunks with a pencil.

Paint the sky using watercolours. Let dry.

Some add salt for texture.

The next class, carefully remove the masking tape. Mix up a cool toned light grey/blue and use it to paint shadows down on side of each tree trunk. |Then, using the same paint, add cast shadows from the bottom of each tree. Make sure you go in the same diagonal direction for each tree.

Final step is to add the signature black markings using a thin brush and black paint.

I always love how these come out- it's a real crowd pleaser!!

 

Handwritten holiday letters to senior citizens

This project wasn’t an art lesson in the traditional sense—but it may be one of my favourites this year.

With my homeroom class, I spent time teaching something increasingly rare: how to write a handwritten letter. Together, we wrote friendly holiday letters to senior citizens living alone in a nearby care home. It was simple yet meaningful.

Writing friendly letters offers so many benefits for kids’ development. It strengthens writing skills such as grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary, while also supporting reading comprehension as students learn how to communicate clearly with an unseen reader.

Letter writing also encourages reflection and emotional intelligence. Students have to slow down, think about what they want to say, and express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a thoughtful way. Writing to a real person—especially someone outside their own age group—fosters empathy and social awareness. They begin to consider another person’s life, experiences, and feelings, and how their words might be received. 

I thrifted all of the Christmas stationary from Goodwill. You know the kind—the holiday letterhead moms used in the 90s to send their annual family Christmas letters. Turns out, since almost no one sends letters anymore, there’s tons of it at thrift stores. I paid no more than $1 per pack, and I have so much leftover for other projects. I also luckily found a pack of red envelopes to complete the look.

We brainstormed ideas together before writing: family traditions, which holidays they celebrate (I have students from all faith backgrounds), favourite winter activities, hobbies, and small moments that bring them joy. For privacy reasons, students didn’t include their real names or school. They drafted their letters first on lined paper, which I proofread, and then chose their favourite stationary to write their final copy. Watching them carefully rewrite their words in pen—slowing down, concentrating, and taking pride in their work—was honestly a joy.

The letters turned out incredibly sweet. Thoughtful. Kind. Genuine.

I hope they bring a smile to the seniors who receive them—and I hope my students remember that their words matter, that connection doesn’t have to be digital, and that sometimes the simplest projects leave the biggest impact.