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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!
 I'm thankful for... Create a collage that is uniquely your own! Include pictures of all the things you are most thankful for! This project is a fun way for kids to express themselves, and a great way to recycle, too.
Did you know that the word “collage” is a French word that means “glue”? Create a work of modern art with this fun project.
What You Need:
What You Do:
- Give your kids those old magazines that are laying around the house and have them look for pictures of things they are most thankful for.
- Use a scissors to carefully cut out each picture. Adults, please help young children with this step.
- When all the pictures are cut out, lay them out on an art board and rearrange as necessary, until you are happy with the placement.
- When you are ready to create your collage, use a glue stick to apply glue to each picture and place the picture onto the art board.
- Continue overlapping and gluing pictures until your collage is done.
- Make sure to sign and date the back of your collage. Hang your artwork on a bulletin board or put it in a picture frame.
Variations:
- A collage is a fun project for kids of all ages. For a variation on this project, create a collage using pictures of various items, all within the same color range. For example, find pictures you like that are all shades of blue. When all the pictures are glued to your art board, you will have a unique color collage. Choose your favorite color, and get started!
- There are many different styles that can be used to create a collage – some projects completely fill an art board, leaving no white surface showing; while other projects make use of the white elements of the art board. It’s up to you how much or how little of the art board you want to cover.
- Cut out interesting words or letters from the magazines and glue them onto your collage to form words, sayings, or poems. You could glue letters that spell “I’m thankful for…” on your collage.
- If you don’t want to keep old magazines laying around in your craft pile, spend an evening with your kids cutting out all the interesting pictures, letters, and words from a magazine, then recycle the discarded magazine. Keep these cutouts in an envelope or Craft Box for future use. When you are ready to use the pictures, just sort through them and choose the ones you like. (Note to adults: this is actually a very relaxing end-of-day project!)
- Don’t have old magazines to use? Create your own drawings! Use small squares of paper to draw the things you are most thankful for. Color your drawings with markers or colored pencils. When the drawings are done, cut them out and glue them to an art board to begin your collage.
- Recycle mail-order catalogs and “junk” mail for this project! The sample shown here was created mostly from mail-order catalogs. Be creative!
- TIP: We recommend using glossy paper print ads, as they work best for this project. Newspaper pictures and flyers don’t work quite as well, since the paper is so thin, the glue tends to soak through the paper more.
You Might Also Like:
All Purpose Art Board Set with Hangers – This set of heavy-duty art boards contains easy-to-use hangers.
Photo-Opoly – Make your own Monopoly-style game with this fun kit!
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Image from Fair World Gallery Worry Dolls are traditionally made in Guatemala, but here is your chance to make your own!
A Worry Doll is a small, colorful doll that is placed under your pillow before you go to sleep to take your worries away. Worry Dolls were originally created for people (usually children) who could not sleep because they were worrying too much. Before you go to bed, you tell your worry to your doll (one worry per night), then place the doll under your pillow. During the night, your Worry Doll takes your worries away.
This activity sparks imaginations, stimulates creative thinking, and enhances spatial thinking skills… and it’s just plain fun!
What You Need:
- 2 Pipe Cleaners (length is determined by how large you want your doll to be, we recommend at least two 4″ long pipe cleaners)
- Colorful Embroidery Floss or Yarn
- 1 Button, any size (button determines the size of the doll’s head, we recommend at least a 1/2″ diameter button)
- Colorful Scraps of Material
- Glue
- Black Permanent Marker
What You Do:
- Thread a pipe cleaner through the holes of a button, as shown above in the first diagram. This forms the head of the Worry Doll.
- Twist the pipe cleaner to form the body of the doll, then stop twisting to form the legs. See the second diagram shown above.
- Twist a second piece of pipe cleaner just under the button to form the arms. See the third diagram shown above.
- Once you have the pipe cleaner form of your doll, wrap a skin-color embroidery floss tightly around the button to form the doll’s head. See the fourth diagram shown above. Make sure to completely cover the button with embroidery floss.
- Continue wrapping the skin-color embroidery floss onto the neck, then loosely out to the end of one arm. Wrap the floss tightly to form a hand, then loosely wrap the floss down the arm, around the body, then down the other arm to form another hand. When the second hand is formed, again, loosely wrap the floss around the arm, around the body and down one leg to form a foot. When the foot is formed, loosely wrap the floss back up the leg and down the other to form the other foot. Loosely wrap the floss back up the leg and cut at the body.
- Wrap colorful embroidery floss around the body of the doll to form the clothes. Place the beginning of the floss next to the end of the skin-colored floss, then wrap both ends under the colorful floss for the clothes – this secures the ends of the floss.
- Continue wrapping colorful embroidery floss around the body of the doll until you are happy with the results.
- If desired, glue colorful fabric scraps to the doll to form clothes.
- Use a permanent marker to draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on your dolls head.
- Glue small scraps of embroidery floss to the head of the doll to form hair.
Variations:
- Worry Dolls are usually very small dolls, but you can make them any size you want using more than two pipe cleaners. You decide!
You Might Also Like:
Plaster Cloth – Make your own plaster models using this easy-to-use cloth!
Blank Book – Use this blank book as a journal to record the events of your days!
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #10: Create Your Own Tangrams
A tangram is a simple Chinese puzzle in the shape of a square. The square consists of seven pieces – five triangles, a square, and a rhomboid – which may be arranged to form thousands of different shapes.
Make your own tangram puzzles and create new arrangements and patterns! This activity sparks imaginations and enhances spatial thinking skills. It’s also a fun way to learn about shapes and geometry.
What You Need:
 What You Do:
- Use a ruler to measure a 4″ x 4″ square on a piece of cardstock or chipboard, then cut out the square. (If you prefer, click the Tangram Template link above for a free template you can download and print).
- Use a ruler and a pencil to lightly mark off a 1″ x 1″ grid inside the square to use as guidelines.
- Using the gridlines as a guide, use a ruler and pencil to draw the shapes as shown in the diagram.
- When all seven shapes are drawn, use a scissors to cut them out. Your shapes are now ready to use!
Variations:
- Make different size tangram puzzles! Use a copy machine to enlarge or reduce our tangram template.
- Create your tangram pieces out of a variety of colored cardstock paper. Allow your kids to mix the colored shapes when creating their puzzles.
- Make your own tangram magnets! Print our template on a sheet of Magnetic Inkjet Paper, then cut out the shapes. Let your kids experiment with the magnetic tangram pieces on your refrigerator – a great way to keep young children occupied while you are busy in the kitchen.
You Might Also Like:
Magnetic Tangram Pieces – This magnet set of tangrams is perfect for creating puzzles! It includes four different colors of easy-to-use vinyl magnets.
IZZI – Tease your brain with these challenging puzzles!
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #9: Spell Your Name With Nature
Kids love to collect things when going for walks in the woods. Here is a fun activity to use all the twigs, branches, leaves, nuts, seeds, and flowers they’ve collected. Express yourself!
This activity makes great Fall decorations for your home, too.
What You Need:
- A Variety of Twigs (different kinds of trees, and different lengths and diameters)
- Dried Flowers
- Nuts
- Seeds or Seed Pods
- Leaves
- Long Pieces of Sturdy Grasses
- Craft Wire
- Wire Cutter
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Hot Glue (optional)
What You Do:
- Cut or break twigs and small branches into lengths needed to spell your name. We recommend using twigs and branches in 8″ lengths.
- Carefully cut approximately 4″ of wire and twist it around several branches to join them together to form a letter. A needle nose pliers can be helpful when twisting the wires.
- Once your letters are formed from the twigs, embellish them with dried flowers, nuts, seeds, grass, or any other item from your collection – attaching these items to your twig letters with short pieces of wire.
- Twist small pieces of wire into interesting shapes and add these pieces to your letters as extra embellishments. For example, twist a length of wire into a spiral or other interesting shape.
- When all your letters form your name or other word, they are ready to be hung on a wall or in a window.
Variations:
- If you prefer, you could use hot glue (with adult supervision) in place of wire (or in addition to the wire).
- When you have created your name or desired word, use these letters on your dining room table as a unique centerpiece.
- If you want your letters to stand up, wire them to a short piece of log. The log can then be used as a centerpiece or seasonal decoration.
Please Note: We recommend using twigs and other items found on the ground versus cutting them from a tree or plant.
You Might Also Like:
Flower Press Kit – Preserve the flowers from your garden with this easy-to-use pressing kit.
Sharing Nature with Children – This book is packed full of fun, interesting activities to help you enjoy and explore nature with your children.
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #8: Shrunken Apple Heads
Last week, we shrunk fun decorations with shrink art – this week, we’re shrinking heads! Apple heads, that is.
Kids can’t resist making these unique shrunken apple heads!
This is a fun Fall activity – and the finished shrunken heads make great Halloween decorations, too.
CAUTION: Adult supervision is required.
What You Need:
- Firm, Round Apple – 1 for each head
- Small (Sharp) Knife
- Permanent Marker
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Salt
What You Do:
- Peel and core an apple to begin your shrunken head.
- Use a permenant marker to draw a face on the apple. Make sure to include eyes, a nose, and a mouth – ears are optional. Remember that the apple will shrink as it dries, so make sure to draw these features fairly large.
- Use a sharp knife to carve the apple flesh, following the face you drew as a guide. Please supervise children closely when using sharp knives!
- When you are satisfied with your “apple head”, soak it in a mixture of lemon juice and salt for approximately 30 seconds. The lemon juice and salt will help to preserve the apple so it doesn’t turn brown. After 30 seconds, remove the apple and gently dry it on a paper towel.
- Place the apple in a warm, dry area to begin the shrinking process. After several days, the apple will shrink and the facial features will become more obvious.
- If desired, insert a stick or branch into the bottom of the apple, and put the stick in a vase.
Variations:
- Click this link to read our complete article for this project, which includes additional tips and variations: Shrunken Apple Heads
You Might Also Like:
Grow Your Own Apple Tree – This easy to grow kit includes everything you need to start growing your own apples!
Pumpkin Nyokki – Grow your own plant pet with this limited edition kit!
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #7: Shrink Art
Extremely popular in the ’70s, shrink art is back! Kids absolutely love to watch their works of art shrink before their eyes! The shrunken artwork can be used for charms, zipper pulls, ornaments, window decorations, jewlery, buttons, and so much more!
This activity sparks imagination and creativity … and it’s so much fun to do!
Shrink art objects make great Halloween decorations, too! Make sure to see our pumpkin decorating ideas below!
What You Need:
What You Do:
- Use sandpaper or a sanding block and lightly sand a sheet of PolyShrink plastic. Sand across the plastic from left-to-right, then sand again from top-to-bottom.
- Wipe the sanding dust off the plastic, and use a pencil to draw a design on the sanded side of the plastic. If you are drawing words, make sure to draw them backwards, since you are drawing on the backside of the plastic. See additional notes below regarding templates. Make sure your designs are fairly large, because they will shrink to approximately half their original size.
- Once you have your design drawn, use colored pencils to add color to your design. Make sure to press hard to ensure good coverage.
- If desired, outline your design with a black permanent marker to make the design elements stand out more.
- Use a scissors to cut your designs out of the plastic sheet.
- If desired, use a paper hole punch to punch holes in your design. The holes will allow you to hang your finished shrink art, and are useful for making charms, jewelry, or ornaments.
- Place a paper grocery bag on a cookie sheet, and lay your designs on the bag, colored side facing up.
- Place the cookie sheet in a warm oven (about 300 degrees) for about 3 minutes. The plastic will curl slightly as it shrinks, but it will then flatten out again.
- After the plastic flattens, remove them from the oven. If your designs are still slightly curled, use the back side of a spoon to flatten them before they cool off. You can also reshrink any pieces that aren’t quite flat, if needed.
 Variations:
- Not sure what to draw? Download and print our Halloween templates to use as a guide for your designs. Simply place a sheet of PolyShrink paper over the template and trace the design onto the plastic.
- Have a favorite cartoon or color book image? Use them as your template!
- Use your shrink art designs to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween! Cut an opening at the top of your pumpkin and scrap the insides out – just like you usually do when carving pumpkins. When the pumpkin is hollowed out, carve slits into the pumpkin, as shown in the diagram to the right, starting just below the opening to the pumpkin and extending almost to the bottom of the pumpkin. We like to make these slits approximately 1-1/2″ wide. Draw and color shrink art rectangles and squares that are about 3″ wide before shrinking. Punch holes in all four corners of the designs before shrinking. When you are done shrinking the squares and rectangles, use straight pins in the punched holes to attach the shrink art over the slits in the pumpkin. When the pumpkin is illuminated from inside, the light will make your shrink art objects appear like stained glass! A classy way to decorate a pumpkin!
You Might Also Like:
PolyShrink Transparent – This transparent PolyShrink film makes your designs more opaque!
Glassine Bags – Our Glassine bags make perfect party favor bags – and a wonderful way to wrap your shrink art to present as a gift!
Here are some other shrink art objects we made for Halloween:
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #6: Clay Seed Pots and Waxed Leaves
Autumn is here and now is a perfect time to create works of art that help preserve the natural beauty of this time of year.
We have two activities for you in this post – one to preserve the seeds from your garden, and one to preserve the leaves of Fall.
Save Those Seeds! – Clay seed pots are a perfect way to save seeds from your garden for replanting in the spring. To read our article on how to do this activity, click Clay Seed Pots.
Preserve Autumn Leaves
Collect colorful leaves from your yard, coat them with wax, and use them for seasonal decorations! These wax-coated leaves will last a long time.
What You Need:
- Colorful Leaves with stems (leaves such as oak, maple, aspen, and elm make great decorations)
- Paraffin Wax (can be purchased at most craft stores)
- 1 Large Metal Soup Can (label removed and cleaned)
- 1 Small Metal Coffee Can (label removed and cleaned)
- Warm Water
- Stove (used with adult supervision)
- Newspaper
- Waxed Paper
What You Do:
- Cut off a portion of Paraffin wax and place it in a metal soup can. The amount of wax you will need depends on how many leaves you want to preserve.
- Position the soup can inside a metal coffee can.
- Fill both the soup can and the coffee can with warm water so that the water is approximately 1/2″ below the rim of the cans. The two cans together like this will act as a double-boiler to melt the wax.
- Place the coffee can on the stove over medium heat – adult supervision is required!
- Simmer the water until the wax has melted – make sure not to bring the water to a boil. The melted wax will float to the top of the water.
- When the wax has melted, use a pot holder to remove the cans from the stove – an adult should do this step! Position the cans on newspaper to contain splatters.
- Hold a leaf by it’s stem and dip it into the wax. Use caution not to get your fingers in the hot wax.
- Remove the leaf from the wax and lay it on waxed paper to cool. When the leaf has cooled, it is ready to be used for decorations.
Variations:
- Use your waxed leaves to create garlands. Use monofilament fishing line to string the leaves together and hang from a window for a seasonal decoration.
- Waxed leaves make a wonderful Fall table decoration!
You Might Also Like:
Flower Press Kit – Preserve and press the flowers from your garden with this easy-to-use Flower Press Kit!
DuAll Box – The DuAll box can be used for so many different activities! Perfect for collecting treasures and learning about the world around us.
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #5: Plaster Masks
Create three-dimensional masks with plaster strips – it’s fun and easy!
This activity gives children the opportunity to work with their hands and with a medium they may not have used before. Molding a mask that they can wear is very exciting to kids. Masks can also be hung on a wall as a special decoration. The possibilities are endless! Plaster masks are also fun for Halloween costumes!
What You Need:
- Paper
- Pencil
- 9″ to 12″ Balloon, blown up and tied shut
- Small Bowl (acts as a base to hold the balloon on the table)
- Scissors
- Plaster Molding Cloth (Plaster Bandages)
- Water, in a small plastic dish
- Paper Towels (for quick clean ups)
- Large Plastic Tray or Cookie Sheet
- Paints
- Permanent Markers
What You Do:
- Using paper and pencil, draw a rough sketch of what you would like your mask to look like. Will the mask be a full-face mask with eye holes? Or will the mask be a half-face mask? Masks can be of animals, people, aliens, monsters – whatever subject you would like.
- Prepare your work area by giving each child a tray to work on. Place a small bowl on the tray and put the balloon into the bowl. The bowl will act as a base to keep the balloon from rolling or moving. Place a small plastic bowl on the tray, and fill with warm water. The water will be used to dip the plaster cloth into. We recommend that you have a few paper towels nearby for quick clean ups in case of spills.
- Cut the plaster cloth into 1″ x 4″ strips. The smaller strips are easier for kids to work with, and allow more flexibilty in design. Set the strips within reach of the work area tray (you will want to keep these strips dry until ready to use).
- To begin creating a mask, dip a strip of plaster cloth into warm water, just long enough to get it wet, then remove the excess water by running your fingers down the strip. Lay this strip on the balloon to begin building a mask. Rub the strip gently until all the plaster is spread around and is covering the cloth completely.
- Continue adding strips of plaster, one at a time, until the basic shape of the mask is completed. Make sure to overlap the strips so they are connected. Don’t forget to leave holes for the eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Once the first layer of the mask is completed, continue adding up to three layers of plaster cloth. Make sure to place the strips in opposite directions to give the mask strength. Also make sure to keep the edges of the mask as straight as possible – this prevents having to cut and trim the mask after it has dried.
- If you want to build up shapes on the mask, such as a nose, use precut pieces of cardboard, crunched up newspaper, tin foil, cotton balls, or even molded strips of plaster to act as the base. Once the “base” is in place, cover with plaster strips to make it part of the mask.
- When the mask is completed, allow it to dry thoroughly before decorating.
- When the mask is dry, you might want to use a small piece of sand paper to smooth the surface of the mask or around the edges.
- Use paints and permanent markers to decorate your completed mask. If you would like, you can also use sequins, feathers, stickers – or other embellishments to decorate your mask. Be creative!
- If you would like to seal your completed mask, we recommend using a product such as Modge Podge or Acrylic Sealer.
- To wear the completed mask, drill small holes in the sides of the mask and attach a length of string or yarn through the holes, then tie behind the head.
Tips:
- If you are making a mask for a child to wear, you will want to measure where to put the eye, nose, and mouth holes before you begin creating the mask. This can be done by holding a sheet of paper up to your child’s face to get the approximate locations for these holes. Lay the paper over the blown-up balloon and use a marker to mark these locations. When building the mask, lay the plaster strips up to these marked locations, but not over them.
- We used a fairly thick balloon for this project, and it worked well. If you prefer, you can use a playground ball instead of a balloon. We recommend you cover the ball with petroleum jelly so the plaster mask can be removed easily.
- When using a balloon in a bowl, you may want to tape the balloon to the bowl on the backside of the balloon. The tape will hold the balloon in place and keep it from rolling when the plaster cloth is applied to one side of the balloon.
Variations:
- If you prefer (and have a child that can sit still for 15 minutes), you can create a mask directly on your child’s face. To do this, make sure to place a drop-cloth on the floor and have your child wear an art smock or towels to protect their clothing. Cover your child’s hair with a towel or handkerchief. Cover your child’s face with a thick layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Make sure to cover the entire face, including eyebrows and near the hairline. This layer of petroleum jelly allows the mask to easily be removed from your child’s face, causing no discomfort. Have your child lay down on the floor or sit back in a chair (we find that laying on the floor is much easier for a child). Dip the precut plaster strips in warm water, one at a time, and cover the area of the face you want to use for making the mask. Work very carefully around the eyes! Your child must lay very still during this process, without moving their face for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Apply plaster strips so that you have three layers of plaster, building up the edges of the mask or the bridge of the nose for extra strength. Allow the plaster to dry on your child’s face. Plaster cloth dries very quickly, so this step shouldn’t take too long. When your child feels that they can gently move their face without feeling “stuck” to the mask, it’s time to remove the mask. Carefully slide your fingers along the edges of the mask, working your way toward the center as you gently lift the mask off. Place the mask on a rack to dry. While it may be hard for young children to sit still long enough for you to create the mask, when they see the finished result, they usually want to model for another mask!
- Plaster cloth can be used for lots of other modeling projects! Create volcanoes, buildings, and so much more. Modeling clay works great as a model for the plaster creations.
You Might Also Like:
Plaster Mix – This bag of easy-to-use plaster is perfect for creating small plaster models from molds!
Lyra Skin Color Theater Face Pencils – Use these quality face painting pencils to create masks right on your face!
The Usborne Book of Face Painting – This is an excellent book to use as a guide for painting masks and for face painting. Lots of good ideas in this book!
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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!
 Art Works! Activity #4: Make Your Own Myriorama
A myriorama is an endless puzzle that was popular during the 1800s. The panels can be arranged and rearranged to form endless possibilities!
Create your own myriorama – our post shows you how!
What You Need:
What You Do:
- Determine what you would like your myriorama scene to look like. For example, country landscapes, city skylines, or even your own backyard or bedroom are fun ideas to start with!
- Print the size template you would like to use from this activity (see link above). The original myriorama’s were fairly small, but younger children may find it easier to use the larger templates. Cut out the desired panels.
- Use the small horizontal marks on the edges of the template as your guide. These marks will allow your myriorama to line up correctly, whichever way you arrange the cards. Use all three guide marks or just the marks you need. The lowest marks on the templates are perfect for creating foreground drawings, the highest marks are for creating a distant horizon, and the marks in the middle allow you to add additional elements to the center of your drawings. Regardless of whether you choose to use one or more of these marks, you must use the same marks on each card in your myriorama so that you are able to endlessly rearrange the cards.
- Use a pencil and begin sketching your myriorama. Add drawings of people, buildings, lakes, rivers, ponds, animals, plants – whatever you would like to add. Make sure to draw these extra elements within the borders of each card – only the horizontal parts of your drawing should touch the edges of each card.
- When your drawings are complete, use colored pencils, watercolor paints, pastels, or crayons to color in your pictures. Make sure to use the same color on all the elements of your drawings that flow from card to card. If desired, use a permanent black marker to outline your drawing elements to make them stand out even more.
- When your myriorama cards are completed, arrange them on a table, then rearrange them again and again. Have fun creating an endless landscape!
Variations:
- We recommend you create at least 5 myriorama cards to start with. You can always add more cards to your puzzle. The more cards you create, the more combinations of landscapes you will have!
- Need something to store your myriorama cards in? An old matchbox makes a perfect storage box! Cover the box with decorative paper, then place your myriorama cards inside for safe keeping. Makes a great homemade gift, too!
- Not sure what to draw? Here are several more of our ideas: Create an underwater landscape scene, complete with fish and maybe even a shark or two! Go abstract! Create colorful abstract art that flows from one card to another. Create a prehistoric scence from the land of dinosaurs! Get up close and create a scence of the minibeasts that live in your backyard grass! Be creative!
You Might Also Like:
Endless Landscape (Myriorama) – The Endless Landscape puzzle, called a Myriorama in the nineteenth century, is a set of cards picturing a landscape. The horizon matches on each card so that the cards can be changed in any number of combinations to portray different scenes. The Endless Landscape puzzle is based on one originating in Leipzig in the 1830s.
Blank Cards – Create your own game or activity with this quality playing card deck. The cards are coated on both sides, and look and feel like a regular playing card.
Chipboard – This sturdy chipboard paper is a blank slate, ready for your imagination! Chipboard is a recycled paperboard which can be cut, bent, pasted, laminated, drawn on or painted. The possibilities are endless.
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!
Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.
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