Papier Mache Hearts

I made these papier mache hearts with Grade 3 last year and did not get a chance to post them.

They turned out surprisingly well.










MATERIALS NEEDED:
- white glue
- recycled container
- kleenex
- wax paper
- cereal or cracker box (chipboard cardboard)
- scissors
- red, pink, or purple card stock
- white tissue paper
- red, pink, or purple liquid tempera paint
- yarn for hanging
- large sewing needle (tapestry or larger)
- awl, or sharp pointy scissors and a knitting needle
- hand written or printed text

PROCEDURE:

Take your cereal box and cut out a heart shape.

Mix some white glue with water in a recycled container.  I mix it at a 1 to 1 ratio.  Tear some kleenex into strips or pieces.

Working on a piece of wax paper, dip kleenex into glue mixture.  The kleenex will clump.  Place these clumps onto your cardboard heart.  Add some dry pieces once and awhile to soak up the excess glue mixture.

You are making the heart appear 3D.

Leave to dry for a day or two.




This is the 'cheap' method with supplies you have on hand.

Last year I used celluclay with the kids as I was testing the product.



You can buy this at your local craft store but the 'cheap' method is just as good.

The celluclay comes dry with the paste already mixed in.  You place in your recycled container, add water, and mix.  I find the celluclay very sticky!



You could also use paper clay or drywall medium to achieve the same result.

When the heart has dried cut a set of wings out of the remaining cereal or cracker box.

They kinda of look like a big moustache.  You will have to measure with your prepared heart to get the sizing right.

In the classroom I set up a painting station with a few art boards.  Use liquid tempera to paint the prepared heart.



Set aside to dry.

I gave each student a piece of coloured card stock.  They had to trace around their wings and then cut the card stock slightly larger.  This was glued to the coloured side of the cardboard.



They also received strips of white tissue paper to cut into squares.  They then smooshed these into loose balls.

They applied tacky glue to the cardboard wing shape and started filling in the space with the tissue paper.  I asked them to leave some space in the centre free of tissue paper.

When the hearts were dry we glued these into place.

When the glue had dried I took my awl and punched a hole at the top thru the heart and wings.

I threaded a large needle with yarn.  This made threading the heart much easier.  I passed the needle thru the hole I made and then tied off a loop for hanging.

We now added text.  The kids typed in sayings onto the computer and then choose a nice font and printed them off.  You could also just use your nicest handwriting.  Some common sayings were "You make my heart soar!" and "You give my heart wings."

Glue these into place on the heart and you have a great Valentine gift.

I know lots of Moms last year who were quite taken with their special valentine.

LOVE Canvas: In the Style of Robert Indiana

So I have been meaning to come up with a semi sculptural piece as a nod to Robert Indiana.

With Valentine's Day on the horizon I got my chance.

All of us have seen this "LOVE" arrangement at some time or another but do not realize it's Pop Art origins. Indiana continues to build on and explore use of his iconic work.  Last year he created a version for Google (search page) to display on Valentine's Day.

Now I didn't tilt my "O" like Indiana as it just didn't work with the canvas as well as the fact that my "O" is quite circular.  An oval "O" would tilt better.























MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- air dry clay, I used La Doll
- pre primed canvas, (I get mine by the 10 pack when they are on sale at Michaels) or you can use a piece of heavy cardboard
- paper towel
- small amount of water
- acrylic paint
- white gel pen
- fine black sharpie
- Aleene's Tacky glue
- Mod Podge

PROCEDURE:

Before sculpting I took a piece of cardboard and cut a square that was the size of the letter I wanted.  This help me measure as I went along.

Pull a chunk of clay from the package. ( You can also recreate this in natural clay and fire it in the kiln, making a slab for the letters to rest on.)

Form your letters.  use a small amount of water if needed to help smooth out any cracks.

For this project my letters were about 1 cm or 1/2 an inch thick.

Once you have all your letters completed leave them to dry on a paper towel.

Drying time will vary but air dry clay will take about 24 hrs.

Paint your canvas or cardboard substrate.


I used acrylic paint.

Paint your clay letters.  I wanted mine to have a bandanna type design so I basecoated them in different colors.

Once dry I used a white gel pen and a fine black sharpie to make my designs.

Glue to your canvas or cardboard with tacky glue.

Finally you can add a coat of Mod podge to help seal and really secure those letters to the canvas.

That's it.  This project can be easily modified into a paint and paper composition if you are short on time.  Pop art is always a hit with the kids and be sure to check out more of Robert Indiana"s work.








See you next time.

How to Make a Heart Book

I was busy today working on lots of new art projects....most are still drying but I thought I'd show you this Heart Book.

I apologize for the dark photos but unfortunately in Winter we have very short days...I'll try to get some natural light photos tomorrow.

See Below



I love shaped pages and any shape that is symmetrical works well with this application, pumpkins, apples, fir trees, snowflakes, etc, etc.

NEW PHOTO

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- thin cardboard or chipboard
- heart template
- assorted papers
- glue
- scissors
- paint
- colored paper
- hockey tape
- embellishments
- needle and thread

PROCEDURE:

Trace out a heart on thin cardboard.  This will be your template when cutting out your pages.

You can make the heart any size you want.

Trace and cut hearts out a variety of papers.  I used vellum, wrapping paper, painted paper, book pages, wax paper, etc.

You need at least 10 hearts to make a nice book.  Fold them in half, they should all fit nicely together.

You want to bind these papers together separate from the covers.

I'm using thread but you could sew them on the machine or use a stapler.  Just make sure the binding runs along the fold line.

Now you want to make your front and back cover.  Cut these out of thin cardboard or chipboard.  I wanted mine quite a bit larger than the heart pages.

Paint or add color/decoration to the inside of the covers.  I'm staying with my heart motif.



You might want to outline where the heart pages will be when planning your design.

Turn the covers over and set them side by side.  We are going to join them together with hockey tape which makes a great binding.  It's very flexible, easy to use, and widely available.
Leave a little gap between the covers.

The gap helps the covers move freely when opening and closing.

Take a piece of hockey tape and tape the covers together (leaving the gap in place).

Trim off the ends of the tape with scissors.




Press down on the tape to make sure it is stuck on thoroughly.

You should be able to open and close the covers quite nicely.

Now you can finish the covers.  I went with paper but you could use fabric or paint.

I measured out a rectangle of paper slightly longer than the length of my covers.
Coat with some glue, leave the fold line free of glue.
Fold your cover paper in half and put into place, close the book so you leave slack in the fold line, let dry folded.

Open the book and put some glue where the heart insert is to go.

Put the heart pages in the book.  Pull them up a bit in the middle before the glue sets up.  This enables the book to be fully open.

Now you can leave the heart pages as they are....use them to add text or illustrations but if you are not adding anything to them here is a tip to get them to fan out nicely.

Starting on the first page add a little glue to the top of the page, turn the next page gluing the tops together.

Now  put a little glue at the bottom of this page and then turn and glue the next page to it.


Keep up this alternating pattern, gluing top then bottom thru all pages.

This will give you a nice honeycomb type effect like those tissue decorations we have all seen at showers and weddings.

Add text.  I used the computer and then added some color to my words.

Glue your words into place and now embellish as you see fit.


I added a few sequins and some more hearts.



That's it.

Valentine Suncatchers

Here is a quick Valentine project.  In December, Cassi over at the Crafty Crow posted a Poinsettia Project as part of her Advent series that I just loved.

Using the same technique you can make these Valentine Suncatchers.

If you have any leftover hearts you may also want to check out these necklaces over at filth wizardry.....also amazing.  I saw her hearts after I had already created mine...great minds think alike!

Valentine Inchies: Classroom Results

A few posts back I presented a Valentine Inchie idea and I wanted to show the results with Grade 2......Click on picture to see larger.

I know, I know there is a space but it's that last kid who has been away and just finished hers, we are letting it dry and then the board will be full!