Alesia’s Art Activities
Alesia Lacina has a long history of arts education in Grinnell. Here are some of her favorite art activities for you!
Current Event Collage
Express feelings about current events or something you have experienced. (There are no mistakes!)
Supplies: Glue stick + scissors + magazines + newspapers
How to:
1) Find a picture you like as a background
2) Cut out images that communicate / illustrate a current event.
3) Arrange them and glue them down.
Emotion Cylinder
How are you today? Express how you feel through the language of drawing. Make a changing emotion cylinder (or just free draw on paper!). Examples: Happy, Sad, Sleepy, or Angry (just draw--there are no mistakes!).
Supplies: Glue stick + clear tape or masking tape + scissors + heavy paper or cereal box cut open + markers + Optional: Magazines
How to:
1) Lay out two sheets of heavy paper or two cereal boxes cut to 11 ½ x 8 ½ inch rectangle.
2) On one of the pieces of paper, draw a small (about 2” diameter”) circle in the upper third of the paper. Make the circle using a circular container cap or by free hand.
3) Cut out the circle.
4) Draw a figure or glue a figure from a magazine around the cut out circle, pretending that the circle is the head.
5) Use the paper with the figure as a pattern. Lay it on top of the second piece of paper and draw a circle where the cut out circle is. Repeat this twice—once to left of your first circle and once to the right of you first circle so you have 3 circles about 1” apart.
6) You now have 3 circles. Draw your feelings or find faces from a magazine and cut out and place in the circle.
7) Attach a small tab to the top of the page with the three faces. This will help you turn the inside cylinder later on.
8) Make the first cylinder with the page with the faces and tape.
9) Make a second cylinder with the page with the figure by going around the first cylinder. Tape it.
Set the cylinder somewhere so everyone can see. This will warn them as to how you are feeling today!!
3-D Collage Helmet
Supplies: cereal boxes + masking tape + invisible tape + glue stick + scissors + X-Acto knife + straws + magazines
Build a helmet using the “How to make a helmet” instructions below, then:
1) Collect pictures from magazines.
2) You will be placing pictures on the back and front of helmet with tape.
3) Find pictures to attach to straws with tape.
4) Place them in the middle and sides of your helmet with tape.
5) Use as many pictures attached to straws as you would like.
Take a photo and post them, send to friends or to me!
How to make a helmet:
1) Open top and bottom of two cereal boxes. Find the side seam on each box. Open up and flatten.
2) Cut off extra flaps.
3) Overlap the two boxes about an inch. Tape the seam with masking tape on both sides. This makes one large piece.
4) Take the piece and wrap it around your head to make a cylinder. Overlap at least 1 inch. You can cut off some if you have too much overlap. Tape with masking tape inside and out. (For larger heads you may need more that two boxes.)
5) Cut out one long or two short rectangles for eyes. As an option, you can cut a piece of clear plastic and put it inside the helmet over the eye openings as a shield.
6) Measure circle for top of helmet using the cylinder you just made. Add about 1/2 inch extra all the way around the circle.
7) Cut out circle.
8) Go around the circumference and make 1/2 inch cuts into the circle. This will make tabs all the way around.
9) Fold the tabs down.
10) Fit circle into the cylinder. The tabs will go inside. Tape the tabs inside the cylinder with masking tape. This forms the helmet.
Jumbled Drawings | Paper Weaving Day Five
Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving. The lengthwise warp paper strips are held stationary in a frame while the weft strips are drawn through and inserted over-and-under the warp.
Supplies: Glue stick+two drawings
How to:
1) Make two drawings!
2) To make the Warp: Begin by folding one drawing in half to make your frame.
3) Measure the width of the warp strips and cut, leaving edge uncut.
4) Unfold paper. You now have your frame.
5) Cut drawing two into weft strips. Jumble or keep in order.
6) Begin weaving.
7) Finish by gluing strip ends to frame.
Paper Weaving - Day Three | Collage Weaving | Two Photos Together
Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving. The lengthwise warp paper strips are held stationary in a frame while the weft strips are drawn through and inserted over-and-under the warp.
Supplies: Glue stick+colorful magazine pictures or photo.
How to:
1) To make the Warp: Begin by folding picture/photo in half to make your frame.
2) Measure the width of the warp strips and cut leaving edge uncut.
3) Unfold paper. You now have your frame.
4) Cut a photo/picture into weft strips. Keep them in order.
5) Begin weaving.
6) Finish by gluing strip ends to frame.