So excited to share this project with our budding artists in June! Check it out:
Artists will use sterling silver wire in two gauges to shape a bangle bracelet to the correct size. Once the metal is shaped, we'll use a wire-wrapping and beading technique to fill-in the design. Each artist will make one bracelet over the period of two classes.
Tools used: jeweler's pliers, small anvils, and hammers.
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We're making May Day baskets in the art studio day! We invite you to [PRINT our FREE May Day basket tags] and make your own May Baskets! Many people that I talk to remember celebrating May Day growing up, but we don't see it much anymore. At least, not in our Kansas City metro area.
Looking for new ART ideas for Earth Day? These are three of our favorites that focus on REDUCING, REUSING, and RECYCLING materials in a new way!
With Halloween around the corner, we're doing quite a bit of dress-up play in the Orange Easel studio. Wait...what? Dress-up? Is this ART??? Playing dress-up exercises the imagination through role playing, acting, and plot development. Done properly, the game of dress-up demands a large selection: garage-sale-treasures, out-dated accessories, old Halloween costumes, and dance recital dresses. But, we believe that the dress-up bin has the potential to include a variety of homemade (CHILD-made) items. There's the possibility for CREATION. And THAT is the Art. These are the types of invitations we're setting-up this month in the studio. Yes, there's still an Ironman costume, and a tutu, and a sword and shield. But where the supply is lacking there's the possibility of creation too. Encouraging the children to make their OWN costumes for play fosters an attitude of self-sufficiency, confidence, and independence. So, ORANGE EASEL doesn't have an Elsa costume? Let's make one! (And we're not talking about the picture-perfect one that you see on Pinterest that is a 24 page pdf pattern that Momma sew together. We're talking CHILD-directed, CHILD-created. It isn't going to look like something from the store. And that's okay. Actually it's better.)
Build your Dress-Up Bin
If your kids really get into making costumes, you can encourage this creativity and independence: keep a stash of recyclables, scrap fabric, old clothes, construction paper and craft supplies near your dress-up station!
What's the favorite item in your dress-up bin? Art-Making {Transition from School to Home}The first thing my kids want to do when they get home from school is get a snack and veg-out in front of the television. (Admittedly, some days, that exactly what happens.) But my favorite thing to do with them after school is paint. Paint is inviting. It's sensory. It's open-ended. Plus, they don't fight while they're doing it. AND, sometimes they actually tell me about their day while they paint!
I put together a collection of some of my favorite art invitations for after school. These are invitations that are require very little prep on your part. Some of these may seem "too young" for your big kids, but never underestimate the older kids' desire to finger paint. (And how GOOD it is for them!) Art InvitationsCheck some of these out. And, if you try one, or if you have your own favorites, tell me about it in the comments below!
A beginners tutorial
The bench block is important for making sure that you have a underlying surface that isn't going to "give" when you hammer on it. In absence of a stamping block, try hammering your washer on smooth concrete. We got our bench blocks from Hobby Lobby for around $11.00. The double-sided tape is optional but it really helped to stabilize the washer on the block; the process was tricky enough without having to worry about the washer sliding around on the block.
Step three: Hammer away. You have to hold the post really-really-really firmly on the washer. And then make sure it doesn't move. And, you have to hit the stamp post squarely and with a decent amount of force. In a perfect world, it only takes ONE strike. Ha!
Step four: Once you have your letters punched, use a sharpie marker to color in the grooves. Wipe the excess marker off so that ONLY the deep grooves of the letters are colored-in. Other Metals projects for kids: |
Orange EaselContent inspired by the artists and art created in our studio. Orange Easel began as a small art studio in my basement and continues to grow and serve our community. Read more about our story here.
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