Paper Bead Necklaces

In a tent city called Delmas 33 in Port au Prince Haiti, workers were busy creating beads from garbage papers they had found.  On a recent trip there, HOPE Art was lucky enough to learn how to make them and watch as they turned trash into necklaces, bracelets and earrings to be sold in the states which would in turn provide income and employment to Haitians.  I made the ones in the picture using a combination of magazines, postcards and food packaging.  


Collect your materials and  cut them into long skinny triangles.  The widest width of the triangle will be how wide your bead is and the length will determine thickness of your beads.  The thickness of the material you're using will also change the thickness of the bead.  Experiment with a few different sizes to gauge what kind of beads you want to make.  Next using a skewer, start to wrap the paper around the skewer tightly, starting with the widest part of the triangle.  When you get to the end, use a bit of glue to keep the bead from unwrapping.  Continue making your beads this way, you can keep them on the skewer if that's easier.  Once you have all your beads made you'll want to coat them with a clear lacquer to protect the paper, you can use clear spray paint, clear nail polish, modpodge, what ever you've got on hand.  You'll probably want to do a few coats and just keep the beads on the skewer the whole time until they dry.  Once dry, use some fishing line and other colorful beads to assemble your found art jewelry.   

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Recycled Reef Fish

Upcycling old plastic bottles and containers into a recycled reef is a fun way for students to learn about cleaning up the oceans and protecting the earth.  Have students bring in lots of plastic bottles and encourage different shapes and thicknesses of plastic. Rinse out the insides and peel off labels first.  Then from your collection of bottles have students choose one that they will use for the body of their fish.  The water bottle in this photo works well for a small shark, but a large laundry soap bottle might work better for a puffer fish.  Have students plan out where eyes, mouths, fins and tails might go on their bottle.

Next students used flat plastic pieces to cut out their fish parts.  Scissors will work well for most of the work but you may want to have a few utility knives or x-acto knives on hand for adult use too.  As they worked on the details, I worked with each student to attach on the fins and tails.  Make a slice with a utility knife into the body of the fish and slide in the fin, they will stay pretty well if the cut isn't to large, but I also reinforced the attachment with a little hot glue.  Next, I let students choose what color they wanted their fish and I spray painted each bottle completely.  Once the main spray painted color dried, I gave students a plethora of different colored sharpie markers  to color in different parts of the fish, making scales, faces, details etc. HINT: Most plastics don't take paint well, but if you want to avoid the spray painting aspect of this project:  build your fish as described and then cover them in a layer of paper mache and then let students use acrylic paints to decorate their fish.

To display our reef, I hole punched a hole in the top fin of each of our fish and attached a string to hang them.  If you set them up at different levels they will look like they are swimming!

!!! B CR8IV!!!

Day of the Dead Shadowbox

Inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, this year my students made nichos or shadowboxes with clay skeletons.  This was done in a two day workshop.  I show students lots of examples of day of the dead folk art and we discuss the events of the holiday.  On the first day, we made our clay bones, all of the parts are hand built separately except for the spine and ribs which are scratched-to-attached together.  Some students added hats to their skulls and some added guitars or dresses to add to the festive skeletons.We also painted the box on the first day with acrylic paints.  I used cardboard boxes but you can use any interesting box or container you find.  Cigar boxes, wood packing boxes or even small drawers will work great.  Once the bones have been fired in the kiln and the paint on the box is dry, you are ready to decorate.  Each student will need a good tacky glue to use to glue the bones in position to the back of the box.  They other elements can be added using found objects or other materials.  I used glitter paper, rickrack ribbon, cut copper foil, beads, found plastic pieces & cut fabrics.  You could also use sharpie markers to decorate on top of the painted box or right on the clay bones.  Wall paper or wrapping papers with festive colors or flowers would be a great addition too.  As students finished their nichos I punched two holes in the top of the box and pulled a ribbon though tying knots on the ends so that they could hang their shadowboxes on the wall for decoration.  There are so many colorful and creative options for this project, so enjoy and B CR8IV!!

Create a Bottle Bug!

You can recycle and make a great looking insect for your garden!
Check out these step by step directions...


Description: Create an imaginary insect using a recycled glass bottle that is decorated with colorful patterns and designs using glass paints. Add wings, legs, antennae and stingers using a variety of wires.

Sessions: 2-3 One hour sessions to complete

Ages: Grade 3 and up

Materials:

Glass bottle

Variety of wires: steel, brass, copper in a variety of gauges

Glass Paints

Brushes, Water Containers and Paint Rags

Pliers

Variety of mixed media materials for insect accessories (beads, washers, springs…)

Steps:





1. Choose a bottle; look at the shape, color, size and texture of it. Try to imagine where the head, tail, wings, legs etc will go on your bottle.

2. Clean and remove the labels from your bottle using warm soapy water and let dry completely.




 3.  Using glass paints, create designs on the bottle that you want your bug body to have.  For example, polka dots, stripes or swirls.  Leave some areas of glass still showing.  Use the glass paint outliner, which has a thicker texture to enhance your designs or create smaller details.  Try not to smudge your designs as you work around the sides of the bottle.  Let your paint dry for 24 hours. 

4. Bake your painted bottles in the oven at 300 degrees for 35 min or according to the directions on the glass paints you use. Once baked the paints are permanently on the glass. (Dishwasher safe too!)

5. Using an 18 -20 gauge wire, create 3 rings; use your pliers to twist the ends together tightly. One ring should fit slightly loose around the neck of the bottle and two should fit loosely around the body of your bottle.

6. Cut 3 lengths of wire (the same as you used in the rings or a different wire) longer than the length of your bottle and twist the ends of the each of the lengths around the neck ring spaced out evenly. Slide the neck ring with the 3 lengths attached over the neck of your bottle and loop each length around the rings created for the body of your bottle. Then pull all 3 lengths tight at the opposite end of your bottle and twist together tightly; use pliers as needed. You will use these wires to connect all of your parts onto your bug.

7. To create the wings, bend a long length of wire into shape and twist to hold it there, use the loose ends to attach it to the body wires.

8. Cut two lengths of a thick gauge wire to make 4 legs (add as many legs as you want too!) slide the wire under the body wires and use smaller gauge wire to twist around and hold in place. Shape the legs as desired; knees, feet or add beads etc…

9. Be creative finding spare hardware parts to create eyes and antennae, use small gauge wire to connect and twist it into place. Add on colored wires, screen or other decorative items to enhance your bottle bug, and then find him a good spot in the garden to hide!