April 24, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - Taking Care & Appreciating






EARTH MONTH - OUR FAMILY'S EARTH DAY 
CELEBRATED ON SATURDAY...

In the early morning we rushed off to 2 soccer games (Try watching 6 & 9 year-olds play soccer, it is so entertaining!)

After the games, we spent a few hours picking up trash around our local NATURE PARK (aka "The Duck Pond"). Of course we played too and discovered things all over the many ponds. We spotted other people doing the same. (Then we did yard work ALL DAY!) It takes a little effort to take care of our EARTH.  We have so many beautiful things and beautiful landscapes around us.


What did you do to celebrate EARTH DAY?



Reduce. Reuse. Recyle.


Whenever you can.

April 20, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - Repurpose Material- Zipper Mouth & Rabbit


The Zipper Mouths

 The Rabbit

I couldn't help but post these 2 projects for EARTH MONTH from repurposed  materials. The special story about them is that the wool material is from my grandmother (86 years old and still quilting!) that she has collected since she was a girl. She has been saving and quilting with her and her sister's skirts, coats, shirts, pants and other random material. For a while she was reluctant to give the "scraps" to me, but after she was sure she was finished with all of her projects (how many years was that again?) she handed the few bags of material to me. What a great example she is.

Just where did it all come from? I love stories behind story...

I created these for my kids & family members- by making up my own patterns (so what I'm saying is, I don't have a pattern to pass on to ya!).

The Zipper Mouths:
wool & polyester material- from my grandmother (86 years old, remember?)
pok a dot material- from my daughter's baby blanket (her grandmother)
silver buttons- from my mother
zippers- from my old pants


The Rabbit:
wool material (body)- again from my grandmother
hand made pink flower- button from an Asian shirt from my other grandmother
button eyes- from my mother's button stash
wood button nose- from my button stash
purple rick rack- from my friend's stash



Share your ideas always!



Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

April 19, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - Bottle Snowman


Here is another EARTH MONTH repurposed kid project... maybe a little on the cold side, but we do sometimes get snow here this time of year. This quirky little recycled bottle snowman idea was introduced to me by my son's preschool class. I love it!

       Here's what you need:
  • knitted glove fingertip = hat
  • repurposed buttons or googly eyes = eyes
  • something round = nose
  • an old sweater = scarf
  • water bottle and lid = snowman body
  • cotton balls = snow

(Be creative, there are a million possibilities on this one!)


Share your ideas and projects, inside or outside...


Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

April 18, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - Pencil & Brush holders



EARTH MONTH: Here's another repurposed item that I use to help organize paint brushes (pencils, pens, art supplies) in the art room. It's fun to creatively reuse items without any effort at all! Simple. Share your creative & easy repurposed ideas...

Campbell's Tomato Soup Can= Andy Warhol Pop Art brush organizer



Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.


April 16, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - Lid Paint Palettes


Here's one EARTH MONTH idea I've been doing for a while: using large yogurt and cottage cheese lids repurposed as painting palettes for kids. They wash up great and you can reuse them over again.  





I've never really realized how many items I repurpose so I can use them in an art project or for my kids' enjoyment. 

As a much younger poor art student, I figured out in a hurry that art supplies are extremely expensive. One of my solutions: I used film metal canister lids for my oil painting palettes. I could close them and my paint wouldn't dry up. It was wonderful and free!

Ideas/items are all around us. 
Be creative.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

April 11, 2012

*Reduce *Reuse *Recycle - NEWSPAPER Abe {tutorial}

 During the month of April, EARTH MONTH (yay), I will "attempt" to post all of my current repurposed and recycled art projects. I'm a big fan of using repurposed items in my art projects and in daily life as well. What a great month of learning and getting into good habits!


Newspaper Abe 



This has been one of my most simple, collaborative, kid art murals made with elementary kids, but for all ages! I love the fact that we used the portrait of Honest Abraham Lincoln (one of my favorite presidents), repurposed newspapers, crayons, a permanent marker, and of course...  
almost 80 1st graders!

And... you can make your own newspaper art in a smaller form with your preferred portrait/s! Be creative.

(We actually completed this near Presidents' Day, but this is my life. Art projects are one story, posting them is another!)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Here's my quick tutorial:



(measure, cut, screw, spackle, sand, clean, gesso)




Materials for Wood Canvas:
  • 1" x 2"s
  • masonite board, 1/4" thickness
  • flat head screws, size 6x3/4
  • spackle
  • gesso
(Depending on your desired size will also determine how much of each material you will need.)
*Instead of making your own wood canvas you can use a pre-stretched canvas board, any size.



Materials for Newspaper Abe:
  • transparency sheet (and a projector)
  • newspapers
  • permanent marker
  • crayons
  • Mod Podge
  • plastic wrap

  • Use transparency and overhead projector - free images from openclipart.  


  • Tape newspaper seams together on the back side, trace, and fill in image with permanent marker on the front side.


 
  • On the back side, graph and number the amount of squares or "shapes" you want. I made a small model on another paper, labeling all of the outside squares just in case I was confused later-it helped! 




  • Cut the newspaper and then color each square with crayons. Be creative! (pattern art, theme art, color schemes, shapes...)
  • Reassemble your shapes back together. 
  • Apply a little more than a thin layer of Mod Podge to your canvas.
  • Carefully lay your colored squares on the Mod Podged area.






  • Lay plastic wrap over the Mod Podge newspaper squares to help smooth out. 
  • Stack books on top so the squares dry flat and do not curl. This helps protect the artwork and books. Dry time as directed on bottle. 
  • Repeat until complete.


Helpful Tips: 

  • Instead of adhering square by square, tape 2 rows together at a time, only using a small amount of tape on the reverse side. Then adhere on the canvas two rows at a time. This helps make sure everything will line up and it's fast! 
  • During each drying wait, wrap & seal your brush up in plastic wrap (so it won't dry out or have to clean it several times).



Make a funny face!

I see mine!

Honest Abe. Good person. Good president.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 




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