Clay Projects for Middle and High School: A Ceramic My Favorite Things Box!

Hey, friends! 

A while back, I created this ceramic box in my clay class at the Clay Lady Campus. I have since adapted the making of the box to include the use of a template to make the whole process much easier. I thought I'd share the process and the template with you in case this a project you might like to do with your middle and/or high school students!

Before diving into clay with your students, you may want to offer them a bit of a crash course in clay. I created this video a couple of years ago...and I have heard from so many art teachers that it is a staple in their clay unit (which makes me so happy to hear!). Not only that...but this clay video buys you time! You'll have time to prep clay, refill those water cups or just take a sip of coffee while it's actually still warm. Cheers!

If you are new to clay and are looking for some supply recommendations, I got you. What I primarily used in my art room were clay mats (purchased from The Clay Lady; I had a set of 20 that I used for the 25 years of my teaching career...BUT you can only use them on the white side, NOT the blue), toothbrushes, cups for water and wooden skewers. For my supply list, visit here!

For the first version of this box, I made a rectangle which is totally doable. But, in the video, I decided to go with a square. The smaller size made it easier to flatten the clay in the method that I used. 

To make your life a little easier, I thought I'd create a template for you. You may need to print this on thicker paper or trace it to tagboard so it can withstand the damp clay and multiple uses.

Tap here for the free download!

Now, when I created my piece, I added these kiln fire safe 'hangers' to the back. I placed two into my clay piece before firing. They are made to withstand the heat of the kiln and will anchor themselves into the clay when fired. Then, after the firing, I have added wire to the back to hang the piece. However, they could totally be made to sit on a shelf as well!

Here is the piece that I created in the video. I know I mention it in the clip but...it is VERY important that these pieces dry slowly and on foam. For the first few days, I would dry keep these in a plastic grocery bag that is a little open to allow a small amount of air to circulate. Then, I would dry them for a few days on a foam block (or sheet rock, found at the hardware store) with plastic draped on top. Finally, I would remove the plastic and allow to dry on the foam. You'll know it's ready to go in the kiln when...you hold the piece to your cheek and it is not longer cool but room temp. Then you can fire away!

No kiln? No problem! Here's a piece I created with DAS clay, a fabulous air dry clay!

As for painting these, I truly think it's so much easier to dip them into a base color like I did with the brown paint. Glaze is expensive, it involves multiple firings...and it's hard to get into all of the knooks and crannies. So...why not try this method? I did it a lot with the projects in my art room. Especially our clay tacos!

Here's my finished piece! Have SO MANY ideas for this project so stay tuned! For now...I just wanted to share this super fun lesson with you and your artists!

Still want some clay help? I got you! I have TONS of my clay tips and tricks here!

Have fun!

Read more »

Let's Learn Shapes: Funny Face Geometric Shapes!

Recently, I shared a lesson on organic shapes. Today I thought I'd share one on geometric shapes!

Both lessons are inspired by my book Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes. You can check it out here!

And before I forget...I did create a BIG post of my top 12 favorite lessons on shape! You can check out all of those lessons here. 

Back to the lesson at hand! In this one, students will use watercolor paint and a wet-on-wet technique to create their jumble of geometric shapes! For my favorite watercolor supplies, you can visit here.  Here's the video lesson:

This lesson pairs perfectly with my previous one on organic shapes so they are fun to do together. And they are quick lessons, so no need for a lotta days set aside for this!

Transparency film is totally not necessary BUT...I have found that kids love to draw on the slick surface of a dry erase board. With that in mind, I thought of my stash of transparency film when it came to these projects. If you ask around at school, there is usually a ton under a pile of dust somewhere in the librarian's closet! Or you can pick it up here. 

OR students could simply draw directly onto their paintings!

This shape sheet can be found in the back of my book!

OR you could just totally leave 'em like this! I love the look of these with the watercolor dots!

Regardless, I do hope you and your amazing artists have fun!

Read more »

Let's Learn Shapes: Organic Shape Exploration

Hey, y'all! I'm coming to you this week with two new fun lessons with a focus on SHAPE! I'm super stoked about these and how they tie in with my book Alfred the Ape Knows His Shapes. Now, you don't need my book for the lesson as I share some images from the book in the video but...it would really suppliment the lesson for sure! 

For this project, you'll need the following supplies:

* Paper cut to 8.5" X 11"; I like to use 80 lbs mixed media paper

* Watercolor paint; I'm using Prang's new Color Wheel Palette!

* Cup of water (I love these no-spill cups!) 

* Paintbrushes

* Transparency Film (not necessary but fun to draw on!)

* Permanent markers

The focus of this lesson (and the one I'll be sharing in the next couple of days) is SHAPE. In particular, the difference between ORGANIC and GEOMETRIC shapes. In this lesson, the artists will be creating an organic shape painting while learning a fun watercolor technique called Wet-On-Wet. 

By the way, my book explores ALL things shape! I wrote it because...while there are a lot of books on shapes they seem to focus namely on teaching the names of shapes. Often, they seem geared to ward a very young audience. I wrote this book with the second grade curriculum in mind and all of the knowlege that children that age should know. To take a look inside my book, watch the video or...visit here!

I was recently sharing with some art teachers during a virtual PD (did you know that I host those? Yep! You can always contact me at cassieart75@gmail.com to learn more!) and we were talking about 'early finishers'. For this lesson, students who finish painting early can always...create another painting! I like to offer smaller papers for my early finishers. This saves paper and, if students are given a smaller brush, they are also forced to WORK smaller! 

Often, I'll ask my early finishers to be 'art helpers' and ask their friends "do you want some help?" before assisting them on their work. Some students love the help of their friends while others prefer to work independently. It's important that students have that choice. 

Just a couple of thoughts on those early finisher friends!

Going on a SHAPE walk, especially outside, can be fun when introducing organic and geometric shapes. Or! Just press pause on my video and let the students see if they can identify the difference between the two. 

Personally, I think the paintings without the lines are a lot of fun! My students LOVE the wet on wet watercolor technique. It's also great for teaching paintbrush control. 

Of course, a great book for that would be....The Paintbrush Ballerina!

Don't forget I have a TON of free downloads that go perfectly with this book!

Not sure about using watercolor paint with your students or looking for some tips on how to improve your watercolor game? Then...check out this blog post! I cover it ALL!

Now no matter what the thickness of paper, unless you are using watercolor paper (and who has the budget for that?!), it's gonna wrinkle. This is why I keep a thrift store iron in my art room to stack and flatten the artwork. Just a hot tip of ya, in case you too are a little wrinkly (I blame the children for each of my wrinkles).

Now, once the paintings are complete and dry, the kids could draw directly on their artwork OR...they could use transparency film.

I like the transparency film because the slick surface is super fun to draw on AND....if the kids draw something they don't like, you can 'erase' the lines with a dry erase marker! Just trace over the lines with the dry erase and wipe off with a tissue. Boom! It's gone!

WARNING! I made the error of not making my paper the same size as the transparency film...so don't make that mistake! Be sure and cut the paper to a 8.5" X 11" before letting the kids paint. Trust me! It will make things a whole lot easier.

Have fun and stay tuned for the GEOMETRIC shape lesson. 

Oh! And!

Just a reminder that I'll be at NAEA next month, signing and selling my books. Hope to see you there!

Read more »

20 Valentine's Day Themed Lessons!

Howdy, friends! I put together a blog post full of my very favorite Valentine's-y lessons just for you. These are perfect project for any time of the year but with Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I thought they'd be perfect.

However, if you are looking for winter-themed lessons, I packed a ton of them into this post here!

First up, printmaking! This is a lesson that the kids love...and I think one year I may have gotten a wild hair and done this printmaking project with first grade. They can do it...but it's a little easier with second graders.

Complete lesson details here!

Okay, now this project, believe it or not, I did with KINDERGARTEN! Yes, I swear! BUT then all of my classes saw these giant hearts and they asked to do it too. I'm a sucker for doing lessons with all of my classes if they work. The problem with that is...then the lesson has to be shelved for a couple of years to cycle through the students. Oh well! This one is wildly fun and, tap this link, a video lesson is provided. 

My firsties LOVED creating these critters! I got a wild idea to have each class create a different animal and I made a how-to video for each. You can check out the videos and details here!

Aren't they so cute!?

Looking for a fun sculpture project? My fourth graders created these with tagboard and plaster strips.

You can check out the details here, video tutorial included. For a follow up, check out this blog post. 

I created this lesson for my fourth graders who happened to be early finishers for the sculpture lesson. However, it also would work as a sketch for the sculpture too! Details here. 

A project that my third graders loved was this one! We used our tempera sticks, tempera paint and...PUFFY PAINT. This is the one time the kids could go nutty with the puffy paint and the results were so fun! Lesson and video here. 

This lesson, inspired by the artist Chris Uphues, has long been a favorite with art teachers and artists alike! I have this lesson and a free download that can be found here. 

Want to make it into game?! Free download lesson here!

The lesson for this optical illusion can be found here. Doing these is always a hit with my third grade and up!

Need a fast one day lesson? Then I think you'll love this one!

Looking for a clay alternative? My second graders created these with aluminum foil and celluclay! Celluclay is an air dry clay that I love. You can check out how I prepared it for my students and lesson details here. 

If you are looking to elevate the lesson a little with some plaster to add wings, which is surprisingly easy to do!, then check out this post!

I had always wanted to do this lesson but struggled with it until I figured out a solution! I have all the details on how to create these sweet beauties with your students here. 

If you are looking for a fun clay project then look no further than here!

Every year, I do a paper weaving lesson with my first graders. This one is perfect as it ties in with positive and negative shapes! We use the negative shape to act as a frame for our weavings. Lesson details here. 

Another first grade lesson is this one...we made these on HUGE pieces of tagboard and they were a show stopper in the the hallways. Check out how we created these with bleeding tissue paper here. 

Looking for a lesson that introduces students to artists who also love LOVE?! In this one, my fourth graders learned about four different artists who use the theme of love in their artwork and then they created their own! Details here. 

By the way, start saving those boxes of candy hearts! Turns out the plastic packaging that holds the chocolate makes for great molds! My third graders used the molds to create their own plaster chocolate. Details here.

Thinking now would be a good time to do a school wide collaborative project? I couldn't agree more! I have the details on how we created this big beautiful beast here.

Or how about this collaborative? My students created this one WITH A SUB while I was on jury duty. It helps to have videos, I tell ya! Find the lesson here. 

It's that time of the year when the messy mats are looking more like art than anything else...so why not put them to use!? You can see how my first graders did that here!

Thinking of introducing kindergarten to printmaking?! WHY NOT? I'll show ya how we did it here. 

And look what we created with their printing plates! 

And if you are looking for the perfect book to teach about shapes, since we are focused on hearts around here, might I recommend this one! I packed in to much from organic to geometric shapes, the names of shapes, what defines a shape and how to count sides and verticies and SO MUCH MORE! You and your artists will love it!

Have fun, friends! I'll be back with more brand new lessons super soon!

Read more »