Learn how to draw a ladybug with more detail than just a red body and some black spots. There’s a lot more to them than that. Mix a little science and art by drawing a ladybug with all her cool details. For starters, did you know her seven black dots are symmetrical, and her legs have sections and curved feet? … Read More
Once you learn how to draw a shark with this step by step tutorial, add some realism with a little watercolor paint. If you paint his top a shadowy black, and then the sides a watery gray, you end up with a very dimensional, and striking, shark painting. Make sure you have a good small brush and use just a … Read More
Learn how to draw a cicada and then paint its fuzzy body and transparent wings. Simple crayons and watercolor do the job amazingly well. Cicadas are known for the loud buzzing that males make to attract females. I grew up with them in the midwest, and nothing said summer more than listening to cicadas as I fell asleep each night. … Read More
Learn how to draw a fossil, and use some of today’s newer art materials to make the process as fun as possible. Paint markers and brown paper do the trick. Granted, these fossils drawn with some special art room supplies (paint markers) but if you can save for them, they are just THE most fun to draw with on any … Read More
Use your old CDs to make a simple color wheel. It involves a bit of “eyeball” measuring, which works fine for this purpose. • View and download Divide CD Tutorial MATERIALS Old CDs Ruler Sharpie marker, black, fine tip Sharpie markers, assorted, fine or brush tip DIRECTIONS Print tutorial for each student. Students use a ruler to divide the … Read More
Learning how to draw a sphere can be lots of fun if you use an outer space theme. Just add rings to make lots of planets. MATERIALS Heavy mat board or chipboard for circle templates Die cuts for making circles Black construction paper Chalk pastels DIRECTIONS Die cut presses and heavy mat board were invaluable for making quick circle templates. … Read More
Try growing grass in a CD case and turn them into gifts instead. Here’s an idea for a birthday or Mother’s Day. They make great little terrariums, especially with a message for special occasions. You can watch your plants grow and make a special gift at the same time. MATERIALS • CD case, the kind that is about 1/4″ thick … Read More
My favorite thing about this winter snowflake art is the plastic trading card sleeves that instantly make the art look laminated. Hides any imperfect gluing too. MATERIALS Watercolor paper Art Trading Cards Liquid watercolor paint Salt Card stock paper, white Snowflake punch, vintage Glue stick Scissors Plastic trading card sleeves DIRECTIONS Use liquid watercolor paints on watercolor paper cut to … Read More
These snowflakes make great zentangle patterns for beginners. They may look complex, but are made from just adding lots of arrows to my star template. I tried out some new Stabilo markers for this drawing, and totally love the pointMax set. The tips are nice and firm, so it makes them a pleasure to draw with. The company makes other … Read More
Traveling soon? Make the trip more fun and educational with my pretend passport template. I started making them for students at my school, years ago, and have polished them up ever since. I saw too many bad ones online and knew they could look better. My version includes a box to draw your own self-portrait, maps to note where you … Read More
Quilt art for kids connects to other studies in so many ways – history, math, patterning, even teamwork. I like how this project requires little prep work and can result in one very large and beautiful quilt in about 45 minutes. MATERIALS Finger paint paper, cut into 4″ squares Protractor Large piece of butcher paper Glue sticks Markers, I used … Read More
There is a brand new STEAM book coming out full of fresh, new fun ideas that will keep your kids engaged (and learning!) all summer long. Most kids are familiar with slime, but have they tried making potions? Or volcanoes? Or circuits? This book, “Steam, Play & Learn” by my friend Ana Dziengel includes all that and more is now available for … Read More
I’ve found that if I just precut some house shapes for a corrugated cardboard craft class, students as young as kinder can easily “build” something and learn how to construct and decorate a house. This adorable house was made by a talented kinder named Audrey. I believe she is six years old but has the focus of someone twice her … Read More
Tessellations for kids have much to teach about art and math, but need clear guide lines to keep students from jumbling up their cut out shapes. My tessellation process shown in my diagram comes from many hours of figuring out how to work with a large group (35 or more) students and have as many as possible understand that they … Read More
I was looking for STEAM art projects for our school event, and was happy to find some spinning CD inspiration. Just a little prep, little expense, and lots of recycling of old CDs made this a winner. MATERIALS Old CDs Sharpie markers Imitation pearls Bamboo skewers Paper cutter or other tool to cut skewers Hot glue gun DIRECTIONS PREP: Cut bamboo … Read More
Start with a geometry art lesson, and then add some water to create organic shapes. The fun part is the tracing of all the little knubby shapes the water helps to create. MATERIALS Multimedia paper Cardboard templates of triangles, circles and squares Waterbase markers Cup of water and brush or eye dropper Thin permanent marker DIRECTIONS Students used cardboard templates … Read More
Here’s a simple flower painting project, one that is pretty AND educational for students studying plant life. I’ve used it for years with kinders, when they study root systems in the spring. The jar makes a nice frame for the artwork, and the root technique is a nice introduction to what I call, the “white crayon trick”. Terrarium Template … Read More
Did you know Chinese New Year crafts can come from office supplies? They helped me make this project with about 400 first through fourth graders for about $45. For the advanced origami lover, my sample snake above was made with two long strips that had nine 11″ lengths glued together as shown in the photo. If you like the gradated … Read More
My pack rat tendencies paid off when I figured out how use old watercolor trays to house this Model Magic skeleton. How many themes can this project touch on? Let’s see. Fun Halloween project? Check. STEAM approved (study of bones)? Check. Recycling old art supplies? Check. Backpack (portable) proof? Check. Not bad for one project! SUPPLIES Old watercolor tray Black … Read More
I’ve been experimenting with more dimensional after school classes, and am happy to report that my kids seem to love it. When my students made these tree houses, they got so involved in decorating them they worked right through the last minute of class. MATERIALS Cardboard Paper cutter (heavy duty type) Corrugated cardboard Craft sticks (narrow and long type) Match … Read More