Art Works! is a series of blog posts created by the staff at www.EscapadeDirect.com that offer children of all ages and abilities the opportunity for hands-on art activities that allow them to explore, discover, and express their individual creativity.
We encourage parents to join in on the activities, too, and create their own Art Works!
Completed bowl before top edge is trimmed.
Children of all ages love this very hands-on activity to create a work of art that is uniquely their own! The completed Fabric Bowls can be used to hold toys, fruit, bread – and even make wonderful holiday gifts!
What You Need:
- White Glue
- Water
- Colorful Cotton Fabric Scraps
- Scissors
- Plastic Wrap
- Mixing Bowls (to use as forms)
- Cookie Sheet or Art Tray
- Small Bowl
What You Do:
- In a small bowl, mix three parts white glue with one part water. Stir well.
- Cut fabric into 2″ squares. This is a great opportunity for kids to use a scissors!
- Place a mixing bowl upside down on an art tray or cookie sheet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Dip squares of fabric into the glue and water mixture, then squeeze off the excess water by slipping the squares between your fingers.
- Press the fabric squares onto the plastic wrap-covered bowl.
- Continue dipping squares of fabric into the glue mixture and adding them to the plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure to overlap the squares. Continue this step until you have three to four layers of fabric over the bowl and until the entire bowl is covered.
- When the entire bowl is covered in fabric, let it dry overnight (or several days, if necessary).
- When the fabric is completely dry, remove the fabric bowl from the plastic wrap.
- Trim any jagged edges with a scissors.
- The fabric bowl can be used as a basket or container. However, the bowl will not hold liquid or anything moist.
Fabric bowls drying on their forms. Black and white bowl created by a 12-year old, green bowl created by a 10-year old, and red and orange bowl created by an 8 year old.
- When placing the first fabric squares onto the plastic-covered bowl, lay the fabric so the colorful side of the fabric is facing down. These first fabric squares will create the inside of the bowl when it is done.
- When placing the last fabric squares onto the plastic-covered bowl, make sure the colorful side of the fabric is facing out. This provides a colorful outer layer for your finished fabric bowl.
- Experiment with different size bowls and different shaped bowls. For example, use square glass bowls, round mixing bowls, and rectangular cake pans as your forms.
- When the fabric bowl is completely dry, you may want to apply a clear coat finish to the fabric to help it retain it’s shape.
You Might Also Like:
Classic Loops and Loom Craft Kit – This classic kit is fun for girls and boys, and allows kids to make simple potholders, as well as many other woven projects.
Keramiplast Modeling Clay – An air-drying modeling clay that dries like ceramic! Can be painted when dry.
Share Your Art Works! Activities!
If you have an Art Works! project that you would like to share, email us a digital picture (or scan) of your project , and we will post it in our Kids Gallery. If you would like, include the artists first name, age, and your state. It’s fun for kids to see how other children interpreted the project!
As always, encourage your children to come up with their own new ideas for art – and make sure to check back next week for another Art Works! activity in this series!
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