More sewing

"It's a little tiny pillow for my head."

Funny creatures made by two fifth grade boys.

"It took me a while, but I made this purse! And I used a ribbon for the strap, so it's soft."

"I made a stuffy! I glued on the face."

"It's a bunny, and I'm making him a house from a box."

"It's a pillow and a creature. I seweded [sic] all the buttons on myself."

Respecting the artist

This student explores colors, how they change when placed next to other colors. I could have come up with an assignment to teach this concept, but it would have had little impact. Not to mention that that level of color theory is quite advanced for a six-year-old.

This mixed media piece would make a much nicer father's day tribute than some of the pre-designed templates usually created in classrooms. 

Can feathers be limbs AND hair? Why not?

These first grade girls, in response to their male classmates statements that, "boys are better at basketball than girls!" created their own basketball team, complete with uniforms (made from butcher paper) and cheerleaders. Pictured here is the team flag. No written curriculum can better teach empowerment. (Interesting side note: the boys wanted cheerleaders for their team, too. "No way!" said the girls. "If you want cheerleaders, you can  find your own. We're cheering only for OUR team!")

Blocks. Yes, they do have a place in the art curriculum. Blocks enable artists to create temporary sculptures, to work on three dimensional designs without having to commit to their placement. They are often a collaborative venture, requiring teamwork and negotiation skills. Of course, engineering and balance are important factors as well. 

Construction center sculptures

.

"It's a little house, and that's the creature that lives here."

"It was hard to get the string to stay in place, and make it strong enough to hold the spider."

"She has sequin eyes, and a feather skirt, plus she has a feather in her hair."

"She's a hula girl!"

"I'm going to put him on my desk, 'cause there's a compartment on the back to hold pencils."

"The hardest part was making the curving part attach to the sides."

Fiber Creations

This fifth grader used a favorite drawing as a pattern for a stuffy.

Another fifth grader created this pillow using a favorite logo.

"He's a sock monkey! I have a collection of them at home."

"Penguins are my favorite."

"It's for my American Girl doll."

(This student went on to make a full size skirt for her sister! She sewed it by hand, painstakingly, over the course of six weeks.)

"This is going to be a present for my friend. I chose this fabric 'cause she likes pink."

A second grader crafted these simple kittens from a rectangular pillow. (Idea from http://www.kids-sewing-projects.com/stuffed-kittens.html )

Simple felt doll, created by a second grader, "She's got brown hair and blue eyes, like me!"

"It's a present. I think she'll really like this pillow. It's not a pillow to sleep on, it's for decoration."

"I made a whale for my little brother! I sewed the eyes on very tight, 'cause I think he'll grab 'em and I don't want them to come off."

Kindergarten collage artists

"This is me, 'cept she has pink hair, and I don't"

"I got these different materials here, and found this red shiny stuff for legs."

"Look! A feather! I just glued on things I liked."

I'm fascinated by the symmetry of this piece. Many children create symmetrical pieces, most of them unintentionally.

"Well, I drew it, then I'm filling in the clothes."

I switched to cardboard as a collage substrate with this class; many young children (especially those who haven't been able to use glue at home) enjoy making thick puddles of glue.

"It's a robot. And it's in three pieces, so I can fit it in my cubby."