Marker Print Snow Globes

Well, hello there! As you can see, I am CLEARLY snow globe obsessed at the moment. I shared my first Snow Globe lesson here and then shared a floating chalk print version here. Today I thought I'd share a version of adding color the background with little marker and water.  As a teacher...or a parent who loves to create with their artsy kiddos, these ideas will give you three fun options for completing your snow globes!

Let's talk supplies:

* Pizza pan, a sheet of aluminum foil or any non-porous, flat surface

* Paper. I'm using a mixed media paper or one that's a little thicker than copy paper. 

* Black permanent marker

* Water-based markers, I prefer Prang Markers

* Spritz or spray bottle of water

Here's the how-to video:

Just a reminder that you can get my free snow globe downloads here.

What I did find is that the lighter color markers work best...as the darker color markers are a little too dark and may hide the drawing underneath. But the real fun is in drawing a lotta these globes so you can explore a lotta printing. Also...I have found that using one of those misting spray bottles is the best as opposed to a regular spray bottle. AND the pizza pan is from Dollar Tree! 

If you need some drawing ideas, I got ya covered. Tap the link to download and print!

I can't wait to see what you and the artists in your life create! If you do share to social media, please make sure you tag me here so I can see!

I've got a lotta winter videos coming to my YouTube channel soon. So if you need some inspo, the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe. You can do that here. Chat soon!

Let's Play Snowman Bingo!

I know what it's like this time of year...constant interruptions for programs, field trips, classroom parties and the like. It's nearly impossible to keep the kids engaged let alone...keep them on track or start new projects. I found that THIS drawing activity was perfect for my early finishers and for some Winter Centers that keep all kids happy and creating. I created a how-to video just for you and your students AND these two FREE downloads!

Let's start with the downloads! I used these in a sheet protector so that my students could draw on them again and again. I found that the best deal on these protectors was Amazon. You can get a ton of them cheap! However, the plastic IS thinner that the more professional grade sheet protectors made for the classroom. Just be aware of that. 

You can find this free download here. 

And you can score this free download here!

Here's the video:

Now, if you want to take the activity a step further, check out the end of the video to see how we make a work of art out of our drawing! It's super fun. 

And don't forget to check out my OTHER free downloads to create snow globes here!

Check out the kids in action here:

Of course...this fun activity can lead into this big project that I did with my kindergarteners! You can find all the video details and lesson info here. 

In other news...I think I know what some folks are getting for Christmas as I've been shipping out a lot of my books lately! If you are interested in receiving one of my books before the holidays, please consider ordering soon so that they MIGHT arrive in time. 

Art Teacherin' 101 is packed with everything-I-wish-I-woulda-known about teaching art. It has all of my tips and tricks for classroom management as well as discovering just who you are as an art teacher so  you can be your very best. If  you would like to kick off the new year with some new methods to try, this book is for you! 

My new book Find Your Way was written to read to my students as they work. I do this with my second through fourth graders (and on up would work but I only teach thru 4th) and it keeps them focused and working quietly. This book is a choose-your-own-adventure style book where you go on art adventures with 7 different artists! From Vincent van Gogh to Frida Kahlo, Money, da Vinci and more, the reader can decide what adventure to take with up to 32 different endings and over 80 illustrations! Find it here.

As a teacher, I could never seem to find a book on shapes that wasn't too baby-ish. All the books seemed to be simply getting children to recognize and name shapes which...most can already do by the time they enter the art room. However, many don't know the difference between a shape and a form, geometric and organic and how shapes can be used to draw. So...I wrote Alfred the Ape Knows His Shapes and I think you'll love it!

Larry the Line is based on a poem I wrote my first year teaching art. I've shared Larry in many blog posts...before writing a longer version of my poem, illustrating it and crafting it into a book! It's a rhyming book which are always fun to read to students...and, added bonus: they remember the names of lines much better this way! You can check out Larry the Line (and read the 175 reviews!) here. 

Have fun, y'all!

Floating Chalk Print Snow Globe!

YOU GUYS. I can't tell you how excited I am about this one! After I created my first Snow Globe lesson , I started getting all sorts of ideas on how to add color to the background. I thought...what about chalk prints?! 

I first shared the process of Floating Chalk Prints back in 2014 (that's wild!) and you can check out that post here. But really...not much has changed! You'll need:

* A basin of water. And, seriously, nothing but water.

* Freart chalk, found here. Sidewalk chalk won't work...and artist chalk is so expensive and little...this stuff is seriously the best.

* If you are looking for round paper, Prang just created some!

And that's it! Of course, you might want these free downloads from yours truly...

Get your Snow Globe download here.

And free winter drawing idea sheet here! 

Okay, now...let's get started. I promise...you and your students are gonna love this!

RIGHT?! Out of all the methods I tried for adding color to the background (and I have another fun one that I'll be sharing here and on YouTube soon...I always post to YouTube first so, please be sure and subscribe to be alerted!) 

Whenever I share the process of floating chalk prints, I always get the question "do you have to spray or set the chalk once dry?" NOPE! Which is what makes it even more amazing!

I hope y'all have fun! I can't open my comment section here on my blog, unfortunately, because I get spammed for days BUT...I am active on Instagram and Facebook! BTW...I recently had a fake Facbeook account created in my name and likeness. It's not me! The one I have linked here is my account. So...if you do this lesson in any way, I'd love to see! Please be sure and tag me. 

And...friendly reminder...that if you are interested in receiving any of my books for the holidays, you may want to order super soon! I sign all of my books before packing them up and sending them your way. You can find them here!

Should I Get an Art Room Elf?: Top Three Reasons You Should...and Shouldn't!

Hello, friends. It's that time of year...the time of year when we start seeing (and hearing) a whole lot about yee ole Elf on a Shelf.

I don't know how or where this whole elf thing started but when I saw it's popularity in stores and in the chatter with my students, I started thinking: should I? I mean, I love to have things that engage my students, get them excited, laughing and having fun...could an elf be just the thing? Especially for these dreary winter days. 

So, I did it. I got an elf. Now, not one of those branded ones because I'm a cheapo. No, I found a colorful one at Michaels and thought, yep! I guess I'm doing this!

For YEARS my students absolutely LOVED Esmerelda, our art room elf. I'm here to share with you the pros...and the cons...in case you find yourself contemplating whether or not you too should get an art room elf.

PRO: 

* THEY LOVE IT! All of my students absolutely adored the art room elf. It got them so excited to come to art class, even more than they normally are. During the first few minutes of art, I would greet my students in the hallway and let them know that Esmerelda was in the room. They were to go into the room and look for her...but they had to be quite (she's shy) and absolutely not run. My art room has a lotta space...which lends itself to the occasional sprint. This was a fun way to kick off class. Once they 'found' her, students were to meet me on the floor in our instructional area. 

* NOT ALL CHILDREN HAVE ONE! Students are always abuzz this time of year if they have an elf at home. And they want to talk about it! And then there are the children who don't have one...and often, they don't understand why. The premise is that they are magical...and students are left wondering why they weren't chosen to have one visit their home. So having an art room elf meant that everyone got one! Everyone got to experience a little of the magic. Those students seems to cherish Esmerelda the most. 

* IT KEEPS THE ART ROOM MAGICAL! I found a tiny door at my local Goodwill and added that one year. Students knew that when the door appeared, Esmerelda was not far behind. Some students would ask why I had an elf and other classrooms didn't. Because...art class is magical! Magical things happen here! 

CONS:

* ELVES ARE A LOTTA WORK! Look...having an elf means you gotta do something EVERY DAY. So...prepare your ideas ahead of time. Keep some simple like...drawing on the dry erase board or tipping over a box of blocks. Having a list of ideas really helps because you don't wanna get caught moving it around right as the students are walking in the door. My suggestion: do it the night before. Or...if this sounds like too much, don't do it at all!

* YOU'LL HAVE SOME NAY-SAYERS! Surprisingly, the older kids WANT to believe...or they just want to act wild the first few minutes of art class...but you'll always have some nay-sayers. Just have an answer ready to roll out and don't engage in too many back and forth's. I usually said, "if you don't believe Esmerelda is real, that's okay. Just don't say it too loudly, we don't want to hurt her feelings." And leave it at that. 

* THE KIDS GET A LITTLE TOO WILD! Let's be real...between programs and parties and interruptions to your schedule, you hardly have time to do your lessons. Now...adding an elf to the mix?! Look, if you aren't feelin' this, don't do it! You are the teacher, you get to decide. You do you and, at this point, you do what you can to make it across the Winter Break finish line. Know that I'm rooting for you either way!

Just a reminder: if you'd like my books to arrive in time for a Christmas present for a teacher, a young artist, an aspiring art teacher or a gift to yourself, please consider ordering soon! I'm signing each before popping them in the mail. You can find all of my books here!

My Favorite Art Lessons for Winter!

Hello, friends! With Thanksgiving break coming to an end, it's time to kinda-sorta start thinking about exactly what is gonna go down in the art room for the next (longest) weeks of your art teacherin' life. Well, have no fear! I've got a TON of projects here that will not only get you to the finish line but will also be projects that are appropriate to continue after Winter Break. Yippie!

Before we dive in, I thought I'd share my books with you! I've had lots of folks purchase my books for Christmas presents for teachers, art teachers and children...and now is the time to get them, if interested. If purchased soon, we can assume (hope and pray) that they'll arrive in time for the holidays. You can check out all four of my independently published books here. I have written two other books with a publisher...and those can be found on Amazon. Let me take you on a quick book tour: 

Art Teacherin' 101 is packed with everything-I-wish-I-woulda-known about teaching art. It has all of my tips and tricks for classroom management as well as discovering just who you are as an art teacher so  you can be your very best. If  you would like to kick off the new year with some new methods to try, this book is for you! 

Larry the Line is based on a poem I wrote my first year teaching art. I've shared Larry in many blog posts...before writing a longer version of my poem, illustrating it and crafting it into a book! It's a rhyming book which are always fun to read to students...and, added bonus: they remember the names of lines much better this way! You can check out Larry the Line (and read the 175 reviews!) here. 

As a teacher, I could never seem to find a book on shapes that wasn't too baby-ish. All the books seemed to be simply getting children to recognize and name shapes which...most can already do by the time they enter the art room. However, many don't know the difference between a shape and a form, geometric and organic and how shapes can be used to draw. So...I wrote Alfred the Ape Knows His Shapes and I think you'll love it!

My new book Find Your Way was written to read to my students as they work. I do this with my second through fourth graders (and on up would work but I only teach thru 4th) and it keeps them focused and working quietly. This book is a choose-your-own-adventure style book where you go on art adventures with 7 different artists! From Vincent van Gogh to Frida Kahlo, Money, da Vinci and more, the reader can decide what adventure to take with up to 32 different endings and over 80 illustrations! Find it here.

Okay! Let's talk winter lessons! If you are looking for something big that involves all your students then crank up those holiday tunes and let's make a big ole Winter Mural. Details here. 

If you are feeling adventurous, run a homeschool group or love working in small groups...OR just have kids who learned to stitch and don't wanna quit (which was the case here) then this project is super! I had fourth graders who had just finished a sewing unit and would come in during recess wanting to sew some more. I came up with this fast sewing project which you can find here, complete with video tutorial!

If you are looking for a project that really gets the kids drawing and focused, these Snow Glow Cities were the trick for me! Added bonus: it was a long project that took us all the way to the holidays! IYKYK. Video tutorial in the post!

Okay, lemme just say this: DO NOT start this project...unless you've done weaving (even just paper weaving) with your students first. Otherwise, you will curse my name and probably put a hex on me and my cats. And I don't want that! BUT you could start by spending a couple of days before break painting and prepping the plate before diving into weaving. I promise it's not HARD...but it does require patience which...who has that before break? Full lesson with video here. 

And if you are interested in more sewing and weaving projects, I do have TONS under the "fibers" playlist on my YouTube channel. I am getting ready to upload a ton of new content there so...I encourage you to subscribe! Also, if you'd like to see more of these type of projects, then check out my book: Stitch and String Lab for Kids.

Now let's chat about some fast -n- furious art projects that all your students will love. I put together several in this blog post, just for you! This Hot Chocolate Collage was a fun pairing with what we did after winter break...

And that was to make ceramic mugs for our Hot Chocolate Party! I do this every year with my kindergarten-fourth grade students. By the time they leave my school, they have a cabinet of five mugs at home! 

Another spin on yee ole hot chocolate is this bingo dauber lesson! I created a video to walk your students through the process and you can find it here.

Speaking of a little guided drawing...I created a video that will walk your students through a quick -n- cute cats and dogs drawing video that I promise they will love! 

If I may...offer a little advice during this time of year. Your schedule is going to experience so many interruptions that it's gonna be hard to know what to expect. SO...why not just do the same dang lesson with ALL your student?! Then the supplies can just stay out! ALSO...older students LOVE doing projects that are 'easy' every now and then. It builds confidence and they love doing younger kiddo style of artwork. This lesson is penguin perfect for this idea! Video lesson included!

Same with this lesson! Fun, colorful and easy. Full video tutorial here. 

This lesson is ALWAYS a hit and now...even better that Prang sells ROUND PAPER! I know, isn't that the best?! Full lesson with video here. 

A lesson I did every year with kindergarten that was always a hit is this painted and collaged winter landscape with a decorated frame!

I'm gonna add an update to this lesson so listen carefully before you cause yourself a whole lotta headache: don't make black glue. DON'T DO IT. You can still do this lesson HOWEVER...do it the way I share in this lesson and it will be so much easier! Tree lesson here. 

Looking for a fun and easy way to introduce pattern and printmaking? Check this one out! 

Oh, look, another penguin lesson! 

I just uploaded this tutorial last week! It's easy, low mess and low stress. Details here!

And stay tuned! I have lots of winter-themed projects that I'll be sure to share here and on my YouTube channel! Have a great rest of your break! 

My 12 Favorite Winter Art Lessons!

Need some fun winter art lessons? Here ya go!

Greetings, art teacherin' and art-lovin' friends!

I got such a wonderful response from my last blog post where I shared my 25 Favorite Lessons for Valentine's Day that I thought I'd continue to share. 

Today I'm sharing with you my very favorite WINTER lessons! Around here, we are just now experiencing the cooler temps with winter on the horizon. What better time to incorporate it into your art teacherin' world?

So I present to you my favorite winter lessons, ALL FREE! Just tap the link listed with each lesson and you'll find a kid-friendly video, handouts and lessons. Feel free to use in your art room but, please, be sure and give credit if you decide to post on social media. AND, of course, please do not repackage my lessons and sell on TPT. I know what you are thinking, "Cassie, people do that?!" 

YESSSS! All the time! SMH.

Anyway, let's get started!

If you are looking for one of those lessons that, let me be honest, takes a while (sometimes those can be a good thing!) this Snow Globes is for you! The kids do love it! Drawing buildings is their favorite part but we also do a lot of painting and, despite my custodian's protests, we do bust out the glitter. Here's the full lesson with video!

This lesson could totally be shortened with less painting! We painted these papers to draw on but you could always use colorful construction paper or copy paper to eliminate that step.

One of my most popular lessons both with teachers and students is the one inspired by Jen Aranyi! Just tap the link and you'll find a video as well as a handout! 

You'll notice we are working on cardboard circles here...one of my very favorite surfaces! You can buy cardboard circles at your local food supplier. I get mine at Gordon Food Services (GFS) where they sell them in a variety of sizes. I like the brand Circle King.

Ya know how "you live and you learn"? Well...after having done this lesson and others involving "black glue", I'm going to share with you a different and much easier way to get the effect of black glue without making it! 

But before I do that, you can find a video for this super fun and colorful lesson here. 

So, don't make black glue. Seriously. Unless you hate yourself and have more time than you know what to do with. Because, honestly, it's the worst and there is a MUCH better way!

When doing this lesson, for example, have students draw their trees with black washable markers. I prefer Prang markers (always! Trust me!). Then, using ELMER'S GLUE ALL (never EVER School Glue), have students trace over their black lines. Overnight, the waterbased marker and the glue will mix and mingle and create...a black glue line! Don't believe me? Check out this blog post and video where I share the process. 

So I've shared with you some lessons I've done with my older kids so let's now focus on kindergarten and first. Here's a lesson I did many years in a row! I love it because it teachers value. Students create tints for the snow and shade for the sky. We also practice our cutting skills with collage. Full lesson here.

Okay, kindergarten!

Another super popular winter lesson (and one that the kids love) is this Winter Penguin lesson I did with my first graders. All the details can be found, including a video, here. 

We kick things off with a painting review as well as warm an cool colors. The first graders painted the warm color papers while the kinder did the cool for their lesson, details below. We talked A LOT about holding our paintbrush and brush control. 

Using one of my favorite art supplies: the bingo dauber; we created these penguins! Again, the lesson has all the details so be sure and check it out!

And here's some kindergarten cuteness! Same method as the first grade project except we did snowmen instead. Full lesson with video here. 

We used chalk after drawing our snowmen to add the pops of color. 

Got that one class that's ahead of the rest and you need a one day lesson for? Well, here ya go!

Looking to dip your toes into some printmaking? This one is always a hit with my second graders. No printing ink? No problem! Tap the link and I'll show you how to do printmaking with markers!

Such a fun way to create winter selfies!

How about a cup of hot chocolate? In this blog post, I share with you this quick lesson as well as five other quick winter projects!

Don't you love a fast and effective art lesson?!

One of my favorite all time lessons is for kids to create their own mugs and drink hot chocolate out of them! For all of THOSE details, just tap here!

Speaking of printmaking: if you have Gelli Plates and have been dying to bust them out, here's your sign. And your lesson!

Now we took ours a step further by printing on fabric and stitching the into banners but...let's be real: how many of us have sewing machines?! So you can try it with a small group or just enjoy the printmaking process!

Tis the season to remember just how important collaborations in art can be! For that reason, why not try a big ole winter collaboration on for size?!

Look how colorful and fun!

What to do with all of those paper snowflakes you teach the kids how to make? Try THIS project on for size! Faux metal tooling with fourth grade -- stunning!

Thanks for checking out this post on my very favorite winter lessons! In case you haven't heard, I've written two new books and have self-published! You can take a closer look and find them both here. 

Thank you as always for all of the support, y'all!