The Coolest Cardboard Sculpture Lesson Yet!

So I admit, the title of this here blog post is a little self-congratulatory but...WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS SCULPTURE?! And tell me that it's not super duper fun!

This lesson is one I came up with while i was playing around with cardboard for THIS cardboard sculpture lesson. While tinkering, I realized I could connect the cardboard to make faces...or busts. Then I even made little people (lesson coming soon!) and just had so much fun.

This lesson is perfect for the start of the school year when you are learning all about lines! It's a great pairing with Larry the Line, OF COURSE but also a book by my friend Barney Saltzburg, Crazy Hair Day!

The prep for this lesson involves the same supplies I used in my sculpture lesson. You'll need to cut some cardboard...but that's really about it! For links to the supplies I recommend, visit here. 

Ready to dive in?! I share some trouble shooting tips in the beginning of the video just for you. You'll see that I did struggle using cardboard squares for the head that were larger than 6" squares. That proved to be too heavy for the pipecleaner, as you can see. That's why my guy has no neck! So...when working with your young artists, keep your cardboard at 5" squares or smaller!

If working with young children who struggle with cutting the cardboard, just have a ton of bits cut for them! Allow them to glue and I really recommend Elmer's Glue All for the best stick. 

Of course, painting these would be fun (I do have a lesson on that coming soon!) but I chose to focus on lines. You do you! I'm sharing this lesson for you to take it and run with your artists!

If you are looking for the line sheet I use in the video, it's a free download! You can find it here!

Just a gentle reminder: I share these lessons because I want your students to have fun...and you to have a break! PLEASE do not recreate and/or sell my lessons on TPT. You do not have my permission and, sadly, it happens a lot. I mean, c'mon. That's just not cool.

Have fun and happy creating, friends!

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Let's Create Line-Inspired Cardboard Sculptures!

The other day I was brainstorming LINE-themed lesson ideas because I know so many of us use line as our inspiration for our first lessons of the new year. AND I GOT SO MANY IDEAS! I'll be sharing them over the next couple of days so be the first to see them, you might want to subscribe to my email list! 

This project was inspired by one of my VERY favorite lessons: Line Paper Sculpture! I've done that project every year with my kindergarten...and one year, did it with the whole school. It's always a hit!

They always look so amazing. I love having these big, colorful sculptures all over the hallway walls. It's perfect for Open House.

It's made even more fun with a Getting to Know You sheet on hand so parents and family can 'read' the artists sculptures! You can find these free downloads here!

Now for this sculpture, you'll be using cardboard, ink-filled bingo daubers and pipe cleaners. There is a little bit of cardboard cutting that will need to take place on your end...so for that, at the start of the video, I chat you through the process and the tools I recommend:

The first thing you may want is one of these badboys. They are not cheap BUT...I use mine all the time and wish I would have gotten it sooner! It's a cordless cardboard cutter and I love the thing. You can find it here.

I love these cardboard scissors for cutting the notches. In my art room, I was able to get one pair per table. This would mean less notch cutting for you! But it really does go by quickly.

If you can't get your hands on that cordless cardboard cutter, than this Canary knife cuts through cardboard VERY well. I have one of these and love it!

Bingo daubers are my favorite art room tool. I talk about them and all of the lessons I use them with here. To find these, you can visit this link.

And any ole India ink will work. I found this one to be priced well. 

Of course, the inspo for this lesson was my book Larry the Line! You can find it as well as the downloads featured in the video here. 

I can't wait to see what your students create. I know they are gonna love these sculptures. So save those boxes...if your school is like mine, they are all over the hallways this time of year!

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