Perpetual Calendar with Button Magnets in 6th grade for our Art Auction!

One of my schools is a Catholic School that holds a Gala and Art Auction every year.  I am tasked with making a project during art class with all the kids for every grade.

I recently wrote about my cool resin and wood trays, that I made with second and third grade, and making a bowl from magazine's and newspapers with third and fourth grade.  

For sixth grade I concentrated on illustration.  I wanted the kids to draw pictures to visually commemorate the calendar year.  I have 22 sixth graders, and chose two holidays for each.  I included all the HOB's (you know, Holy Days of Obligation) and other religious holidays, Federal Holidays, and sprinkled in some generic day's like "Birthday!" and "Vacation Starts!"  

My totally thorough brainstorm list of holidays.

This project would not of been possible without my super-awesome, ultra-hardcore button maker.  I got the 1.25" button maker several years ago from American Button Maker.  Within the last few years, the list of things you can make with a button maker has grown exponentially.  It's not just buttons anymore!  Key Chains, Badge Reels, Pony Tail Holders, and even Magnets.

The catalyst for this entire project was when I saw that I could make magnets with my button machine.  

First, I made a page explaining the project and the general directions.  This is probably not necessary in most cases, but because the class has 22 kids this year - they are divided into two rooms due to Covid restrictions.  Everything I have taught this year is written out step-by-step or on video. Because, even though there are two rooms - there is only one art time.  I have their classroom co-teacher with me each week as we divide and conquer 🙄.

The second page  I made for my students is what they were actually going to draw their designs on.  I  had their names and their "Special Days" filled out before I passed them out. They had plenty of circles in case they messed up.

The hardest thing was getting the kids to understand that their design could not go past that inner circle.  The outer circle indicates how big the paper needs to be in order to turn it into the magnet, and should be colored.

Once the designs were drawn and colored, I photocopied every one with the color copier.  I did this just in case I spaced out while making the buttons and destroyed it.  It's happened before.

I cut the buttons with my 1.25" hole punch and went to town turning them into magnets.

I didn't make a video of making the calendar magnets, but here is a fun one showing how I made some buttons and magnets of famous artists.

Once all the magnets were done, I tried to put them in chronological order.  I purchased oversized tin boxes to hold all the magnets.

I also wrote what the holiday was, when it was, and the child's name on the back with a white paint pen.

I found a magnetic calendar on Amazon that came with dry erase markers. 

I'm pretty pleased with the way it all turned out.  I wish I had more time with my students each week, because I know we could've done a better job with some of the illustrations. And, even though setting up to make 44 magnets, writing all that stuff on the backs, and putting it all together was time consuming, I actually do love making magnets and buttons.  I'll probably do something like this again!

The calendar sold at auction for $190!

Ever-so-helpful Art on a Cart tips and tricks!

This year, like many art teachers across the land, I've been displaced due to Covid restrictions.  Once again I am forced to manage a days worth of art making onto four wheels.

Oh man, teaching art on a cart sucks.  I've written about that before, but I never really explored the actual tangibility and organization that goes into actually teaching on a cart here on the blog.  Here are my helpful tips and tricks from unfortunately many years of experience.

Things on my cart at all the time during Covid restrictions:

• Pencils (if they need one I let them keep it)
• Sharpies with two containers. They return them to the “used” container when they are done.  I usually wipe them with a wipe when I need them again.
• Tape
• White Glue (This is mostly for my demonstrations since I hate glue sticks)
• Glue sticks ( I have a million. I keep a box on the cart and if a kid doesn’t have glue I just let them keep it)
• Scissors  (I have adult scissors and an assortment of random kid scissors.  Again, I have a million, so depending on the kid, I just let them keep them.  So many times this year students will tell me they do not have glue and scissors.  This is rarely the case.  Usually their desks, backpacks, coats, and crates strapped to their desks are so full and such a mess that they don't want to look for them.  My response lately is, "I guess you just have to sit there then" and miraculously they find them.
• wipes/paper towels/Kleenex
• Magnets
• A few crayon boxes. (These are my plastic boxes of random crayons.  This time of year they are missing a lot of colors.  I will just give them the crayon to keep if they need it.)
• Sorted Oil Pastels with two containers - like if we are using white, I pass them out then have them return them to a “used” bin to quarantine for a few days
• A box of “Free Draw” paper. My kids have sketchbooks but since they have been with them all year in the classroom, they are mostly all filled up. I keep the shoebox of paper for early finishers.
• Regular 80lb paper and some construction paper for projects. (I try to bring what I need, but in case of emergency’s I have extra on the cart.
• Your computer, class rosters, water bottle.  These need a place on your cart, even though they probably go with you.  I got a water bottle with a pop up straw so I can just tuck it under my mask to drink!

I set up two carts at the school I'll be teaching at in April.  One for upstairs, one for downstairs.  Both of these carts are pretty small and not ideal, but we are hoping the situation is temporary!

Things in my apron

Over the summer I sewed an apron.  I edited the template a little and made big giant pockets.  It's been great, and now I realized I need another one for my other school beginning there art cart life... but I don't want to give up an entire day sewing another one.  So, I got this one off Amazon.  

• Pencil
• Notepad (for writing notes to teachers about stinkers, or more commonly writing words on if a kid needs to spell something 😂)
• Bandaids
• Sharpie
• Hand sanitizer/hand lotion
• White board marker ( I usually erase with a paper towel)
• Magnets
• Big rubber eraser. 
• Usually a pair of kid scissors too for easy access
• Keys or ID.
• My phone - my schedule is crazy.  I literally set recurring alarms for every class for when it is clean-up time.  Which, isn’t fun on a Monday when we don’t have school… But, it helps a lot. The kids know that means it is clean-up time and hopefully that gets me able to move to my next class in a timely fashion.  Although, it’s impossible to end one class at 11am, when the next one starts at 11am.  Especially when teachers are super slow coming back to the room.

Not to be a downer, because who knows how long this situation will last, but lots of people will try to convince you that art on a cart is fine.  It's not.  Delicately complain that your students are not getting a quality art program as often as you can.

Yes, kids can do amazing things while you are teaching off of a cart.  No, you shouldn't just sacrifice your skills and decide the projects are going to be crap all year.  However; you are going to make yourself crazy trying to do the same things you once did in your classroom off of a cart.  You will be disappointed and frustrated.  

Then you will get used to it.  Don't forget though, this is not how it should be.

More tips:

I still have access to my art room - which is great!  I do all my planning in there, eat my lunch, and use it as my home base throughout the day.  I have taught on a cart where I didn't have a "home base". I would shove my coat and purse in a storage closet or weird filing cabinet in the hallway.  That is definitely not ideal.

I use a plastic 10 x 13" sorting tray for each class to keep all of their project stuff in.  I have a little alcove of supplies where I park my cart.  If I’m not seeing that particular class, I will leave their bin in the alcove area.  I also put some milk crate things there that hold the other supplies we’ve needed more routinely like sorted cups of (like warm and cool colors), boxes of colored pencils (I have enough so they do not have to share). I also have a bin with watercolor stuff that I can pick up and take to a room.  It has my wc brushes, paint sets, a roll of paper towels, water cups, and a pitcher since we don’t have sinks in our rooms.  This is also a problem when a whole class has dirty hands from pastels.  I’ve been using the wipes and have them clean their hands then table with the wipes.  If I’m out of baby wipes or Wet Ones - I have given them the Clorox wipes and said they were for “Fingertips” and tables since they aren’t supposed to be used to wash up skin.  

If you do decide to water color paint - my best solution so far has been to pass everything out then walk around with the water pitcher to fill cups - like a waitress filling up drinks.  When they are done I have them “carry their painting like a pizza” and put it on the dry rack I have in the hall.  It is a small stand alone rack and I have it centrally located in the hallway outside the younger kids’ rooms.  I let the big kids just walk to it when they are done. Then I can clean up their stuff.  I dump all the dirty water back into the pitcher and stack the cups etc.  None of my classrooms have a sink.

Passing out other supplies, or letting kids choose things has become pretty much nonexistent.  I have spread papers out and try to call them up individually to pick a piece- but they touch everything. They can’t make up their mind, then they want to change it, etc…. With the little kids, if it’s random colors or something- I just past them out randomly.  I don’t even let it be known that they have a choice.  With the older kids I’ve walked around and made them tell me what they wanted and I gave it to them and tell them they can’t exchange it.  For a few construction paper projects I’ve actually divided papers and things into baggies or clipped them, and passed them out like that.  Then I know they all have the right sizes/colors.

Another not so flexible thing is if kids have been absent.  I have more unfinished projects than usual because I may not have the supplies with me they need and there isn’t extra time for them to finish.  My older kids who have had to quarantine have been good about doing their work at home since it’s on their google classroom anyway.

When I taught on a cart before, each classroom teacher had a box in their classroom for all of the projects we had been working on.  Like a large flat portfolio box.  This was nice because I could also keep resources and things in it and had a little more control with what was going on.  I didn’t want to be touching or passing stuff out this year at all so I got the kids these 11 x 17” folders to keep next to their desks.  They all have crates strapped to their desks to hold stuff since we are not using lockers.  The folder fits good between the crate and desk.  At the end of the year they will just take them home with all their stuff inside.

Because the desks are spread out you will probably not be able to wheel the cart into the room and you will probably not have any counter space, and everyone’s technology will be set up differently in every room.  

And one last thing...If you haven’t been with the kids too much when they are wearing masks, you might find that you do not know who is talking to you- like ever. I still hear a question and look directly at the wrong kid to answer it. 🤷‍♀️

Paint a Woodland Animal on a Slice of Wood!

 Here is a video I made for my third graders.  I teach them how to paint a cute little woodland animal on a small slice of wood.

We are using these slices of wood for our annual class auction project for the school gala.  I am going to put these slices of wood at the bottom of a wooden tray and cover with resin. 🤞

I made two "How to Draw" pages of woodland animals that we are using for this lesson.

The first is "Draw Woodland Animals" like portraits.

The second is "Draw Sleeping Woodland Animals".

Here are the Wood Slices I got.  I actually purchased three different packs of three different kinds, and that link takes you to the best ones. 👍

Make a circle weaving on an Embroidery Hoop!

In this video I teach you how to use an old embroidery hoop as a loom and make a circle weaving.  

 I have a lot of old, large embroidery hoops that I once thought I would use with kids for screen printing... but never did! I came across a few interesting pictures of embroidery hoop weavings on Pinterest and decided to try it for myself. It was fun!  Plus, I got a new theme song for my videos, so this was it's premier! 

Filling Miniature Paint Pots for Second Graders

 

Here is a little video I made showing how I used miniature paint pots I got from Amazon to make custom palettes for a project my second graders are working on.  If you want to see the project they are doing, here is a video about that!

Here are the Paint Pots I got for this project.  They have worked well for teaching on a cart this year, but they are hard to open when you have to do all of them at once.  My hands started hurting opening and closing them for filling, and the second graders were completely distraught about it.  Third grade however, did fine.

Artsonia After School Art Club: Paint a Peacock with Me!

I spent some time this summer making more videos... but this time not for my awesome YouTube Channel... but for Artsonia's.

My first video was the one I sent in as the "audition" I guess... and you had to introduce yourself and it seemed weird.  I talk in weird voices and make faces all the time to a group of kids and never have to watch myself doing it.  The project is good though.  I wanted to teach a nice simple concept, and I wanted to make sure that I was catering to kids doing art at home.  It works. And I'm hilarious.  It's also the only one that has a cool soundtrack, because they told us not to add music to the rest ☹️




The videos get more and more embarrassing after this one! My daughters are looking into the witness protection program.  I can't wait till they publish more. 😶😃

Keeping Track of a Million Paper Scraps - easier prep for elementary projects in the long run.

You know how you are getting supplies ready for that one project, for that one grade - and you have to cut some 3" x 6" black, and 5" x 5" orange, and 6" x 17" this etc... and this-size-this etc.. and you end up with all these weirdo scraps of paper? I used to throw all those weirdo pieces into a box and use it for scrap.  Or I had boxes for different colors. Or I had boxes labeled "squares and rectangles only!" Or I'd say I'd use it for another project at some point- but digging through it to get enough of the correct size, or the colors I wanted wasn't worth the time.  I would just cut new pieces. The box would sit, and grow.  Usually the black and yellow strips would take over and at some point I would recycle everything because I was sick of seeing it.

I kept cutting papers for projects over, and over, and over, year, after year, after year. I was always getting weirdo scraps and I was always wasting paper. I realized it was time to stop the insanity.  So, I got crazy organized instead.  

I started simply cutting my scraps into strategically sized pieces that I know I frequently use for other projects.  Like - right away.  Don't put them in a box and say you will do it later.  

I had to cut a bunch of black pieces for these little kindergarten crows.  When I was done, my paper trimmer was full of a random assortment of strips and rectangles.  I cut them down into 2"x 2",  3" x 3",  or 4" x 6"... you get the idea.  The common sizes you repeatedly use over and over.

Then here is the anal retentive part.  I have all these beautifully labeled boxes that tell me where to put those sizes.  Beautiful = cardboard boxes from fruit snacks, Amazon, and Costco that I painted yellow on one side.

The next time I have to prep a crow, pumpkin, clown body,  or notan leaf, some of the pieces will be ready for me!

I even save the  1" strips for paper weavings, and seemingly other random strips too.  This is also a handy method for those crazy hectic days when you are passing out supplies and you're like, "Oh shoot, they need purple squares too...!"  Although, that never happens to me.  I am always prepared for my five back-to-back classes as soon as they walk through the door.  

I love to move art supplies around in my art room and label things with my Dymo printer.  I even wrote a whole book about it.

Art Teacher Stickers!

I opened a Redbubble store and put some of my illustrations on stickers!

It's been very sad, because they send you emails that tell you to check out your dashboard, and then you go there and it says things like:

TeachersPayTeachers is way cooler.

Anyway. Check it out. I'm self-promoting.

Succulent Still Life Junior High Art Lesson

Basically - I bought a whole bunch of succulents last year and managed to kill most of them before we even had a chance to get to this lesson.

Kill succulents?  Yeah.  I don't know. Too much water?  Not enough sun?  Not enough water? Too much sun. No idea.

I wanted each eighth grader to have their own, then for our second project we would make a clay pot for the succulent - but they got too dead for that.

The succulents, not the eighth graders.

Here is the lesson directions and rubric.  Its on TPT, but it is free. I did not actually follow the directions that I had written out though.  I wrote the directions thinking we were going to be looking at photographs of succulents, and not have the actual succulents in front of us.  The directions we actually followed are in this video.  The rubric included is also a little generic, and I altered a few things after I taught this to my actual students.  But it gets the main points across.



One of the coolest things that did happen with this lesson was all of the students using their music stand lights from Uncle Jon's Music in beautiful downtown Westmont.  I highly recommend investing in a set for yourself. 

Here's a lesson about making 2D circles into Spheres with Oil Pastels

I've done this lesson a few times with paint with my third graders and up - and this year I changed it to using oil pastels and had much more success!  The biggest issue I've had is continually saying spheres and avoiding the word "balls" until it becomes painfully awkward.

I got this lesson idea off of Pinterest from KatieMorrisArt.com.  She had her students draw balls and make them look 3D.





Here are the directions I made for this lesson.  My students are practicing first, then we will take our 4-6 best spheres and putting them on top of a woven background.














Here is the handout I made of all the different "How to Draw Balls" pages from KatieMorrisArt and some I drew.









And here is my YouTube Video demonstrating the color mixing and blending tints and shades. Enjoy!

Shaded nutcrackers in time for Christmas! With Directions and a Rubric.

I finally got my nutcrackers in a project that I actually like!

Several years ago I came across the tutorial on Art Projects for Kids on drawing nutcrackers.  I varied the lesson each time I taught it, but was never happy with the results.  I would like the children to personalize their nutcrackers, but they would come out looking like mutant robots.  I started adding shading with oil pastels to the mix, then we had these nutcrackers with no background and a mystery light source... or worse, A CORNER SUN!

This is my daughter's.  It is a mutant robot dancer "nutcracker" floating in the abyss.

I passed out the directions to my fourth graders, as well as the nutcracker tutorial from above.  In the directions, I ask the students to follow the instructions on the tutorial, but before they start drawing too many details  I stop them.

I pass out the Nutcracker Brainstorm page next.  We talk about how the artists who designed these nutcrackers wanted them to all look unique.  Some had occupations, some were royalty, some had beautiful patterns and designs on them (the handout is 2 sided).  We talk about ways we can turn our nutcracker into a me-cracker.  Which - quite frankly - is hilarious, because the rest of the hour I have kids asking me if their project is a "me-cracker," and I respond with, "yeah, that's a you-cracker!"

When the you-crackers are drawn and traced, and colored with oil pastel, we actually DO draw a corner sun on the right side of our papers.  I make a huge deal about it and pretend like I am having a heart attack and my hair is falling out because of all the corner suns, but alas - for our art - I carry on! I tell them about the corner sun being the light source and how we are going to add shadow to the other side/left of our nutcrackers.

I demonstrate how to smear their oil pastels, and we talk about which parts, cracks, and crevices might have a shadow and which might not.

Once their is a shadow, there may be a glare. The nutcrackers are probably wood and lacquer so they might have a shiny spot!  We add that with our white.

Here is the genius part of this whole lesson.  I printed photographs of burning candles on 11 x 17" paper.  I just downloaded some stuff I found on the web, and printed on the Xerox machine in black and white.  Now, these are Christmassy, and the one is an advent wreath (I teach in a Catholic School 2 days).  I printed 6 of each and let the students choose which one they wanted.

Finally, students cut & paste, and we had our finished product.  I was so pleased to have finished looking nutcrackers for once!

Finally, students completed the Rubric for this project.  See the rest of the class at Artsonia.com

Alma Thomas Radial Design Rainbows with Slideshow and Directions

First grade learned about the color spectrum and the colors of the rainbow by looking at the art of Alma Thomas. I started by sharing this little slideshow about the artist and her art. We discussed her color paintings and specifically what colors she used, and sometimes what colors she used them in. We started our own Alma Thomas inspired rainbow collage with construction paper. To mix it up a little bit, I told them they could start in the middle with one square, like it says on the directions... but it didn't have to be red. For whatever reason this made the place go bonkers. I said if they didn't feel comfortable mixing it up, they should use red, but if they were up to a challenge they could use a different color. It was a sneaky way to differentiate. Then on the board I wrote:

Roy G. Biv   and we talked about what each one of those initials meant.

Then I wrote:
Oyg B. Ivr
Ygb I. Vro
Gbi V. Roy
Biv R. Oyg
Ivr O. Ygb
Vro Y. Gbi

The pressure was on doing that in front of a bunch of 6 & 7 year olds and not making a mistake.  I did in fact make a mistake and a kid caught it.

The students just had to look at the rainbow order that they actually started with to complete the rest of their collage.  I had the strips of paper up front in traditional rainbow order as well to help them.

Here is the link to my artsonia gallery for this project. And here are some great ones!