'80's Party Decorations: DYI Text Balloons for a Photo Booth

I'm getting ready for a big event where we are going to celebrate 1986, and the easiest and cheapest way to start the decorating process is with some photo booth props. I have beads, headbands, and a mullet wig...but I think people will have the most fun with word bubbles, laughing at some most excellent phrases kids were using 40 years ago. I just typed in catch phrases into a word doc, with some fun fonts and l printed them onto colorful cardstock.

I cut out the shape of a of a text bubble, two pieces of cardstock at a time (of the same color). Then I hot glued the pointy end of a skewer to the front, then used a glue stick to cover the back piece to attach it to the front, sandwiching the skewer in between.

I made a separate set for 2026 phrases. These change so quickly, that the kids are already over saying "six-seven" every chance they get, and the "skibbidy toilet" that I heard so often last year, is in the grave. I printed two of each phrase this time, because I'd hate to think of anyone posing with a blank back of their text balloon facing the camera. The chances of this happening are pretty high since a big percentage of the party guests will be blind. I had my students Braille the phrases so that everyone had the ability to read the phrases and choose for themselves. I have no idea what kind of crazy things kids will be saying next year, but we can freeze a couple years on film and enjoy the lingo of the generations while cheesing for a photographer. Party on, dude!

 

Doric, Ionic, Chorinthian Columns Made From Cardboard

My art class went from studying Ancient Egyptian to Ancient Greece. We watched videos and students turned in five facts about Greece that they learned. We discussed the contributions that the Greeks have made to western civilization, theatre, philosophy, and the Olympics. Our government buildings in the U.S. mimic the temples of ancient Greece because our government is modeled after their democratic system of government: one citizens, one vote. The symmetrical balance of the buildings brings with it the ideals of peace and balanced government. The columns are either  the simple doric style of the Parthenon, or the ionic with it's rolled scrolls at the top. The corinthian capitol is the fanciest of the three with it's carved carved leaves. The historical order of the columns can be remembered by the progression in the number of syllables for each name, as well as the level of detail.  The columns were made in drums and strung on a pole like enormous beads. Then the fluting was carved, making vertical shadows that change with the sun.

We were able to get our fluting by wetting a top layer of cardboard with a brush and water. After a minute or two it should be easy to peel off that layer the cardboard, revealing the corrogated center. Students painted using white acrylic or tempera paint, making sure that the strokes went in the direction of the creases to get it in the creases. Rolling and hot gluing the cardboard is the next step before adding the capitol with cut and paint cardboard. Hot glue works best.

I took ideas from the "5 facts" writing assignment and printed out the ideas in large print. Students Brailled clear sticker paper so that my low vision and blind students could both access the media. I hot glued the circles to a Venn Diagram as well as the edges of visual aids from our discussions. Students were assessed by where they placed  each word or phrase.  I don't want them leaving my class thinking that pyramids and mummies were part of Ancient Greece nor that Corinthian columns and theater were from Ancient Egypt. Three grades and entire civilization is not a shabby way to spend a week in Art class.

Dress like an Egyptian: Headdress Design Art Project

During our three week unit on Ancient Egypt my students tried their hand at a little fashion design with a headress assignment. 

I photographed and printed a photo of each student for them to collage to a 12" X 18" piece of construction paper. They chose from a variety of historical shapes to serve as their inspiration before adding pattern and color. Most of them added a color or neck ornamentation, and some drew Egyptian landscapes in the background, or filled the space with hieroglypics. They were also able to emboss some heavy foil to make a tactile cartouche. This was a great follow up assignment to help them to remember the symbols they had learned during our clay cartouche assignment. Since our first unit of the school year was media, I love that we can continue to learn how to manipulate different materials throughout the rest of the units. These portraits filled a bulletin board with a giant title "Our Students Rule!" and the standards we are covering that have to do with making art inspired by other disciplines and making personal connections to cultures around the world.

 

Clay Cartouche Project

Ancient Egyptian pharoahs and queens had their names carved into sarcophagi and palace walls in a language called heiroglypics. A small rope like boarder surrounded the name as a way to protect it from evil. The finished product is what is called a cartouche.

Students began the process of making their own personal cartouche by rolling a slab of clay,

They carved the pictures to represent their own initials or name.

Then they made a thing clay coil which they attached to the border using a score and slip technique, in which they scratched both sides, brushed watered down clay to each side, and then pressed them together.

They pressed a flat tool around the border coil to give it a rope-like texture. And finally, they poked a hole at the top so they could hang their piece on a wall. I love finding ways to make history come to life while simultaneously teaching processes and skills that will transfer to future art projects. I also love the idea that each of my students are important enough that they deserve a magic rope to protect them, as the pharoahs of old.

 

Canopic Jars Pinch Pot Project

The Ancient Egyptians used special jars as apart of the mummification project, one for each of the major organs (at least the ones they considered major). The brain was picked out of the head and thrown away, as it was considered useless. The heart was left in the body because the body because that's what you'd use to think and feel. Your heart is what makes you who you are. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestine were each placed in separate canopic jars, before the rest of the body was dried with a type of salt and wrapped in strips of linen.

The lids of the jars had lids that represented the appropriate god to go with each organ. A jackal, falcon, human, and baboon. Some canopic jars were carved from wood, but many were made from taracota.  My students made small canopic jars, not only as a way to remember what we'd learned about Ancient Egypt and their beliefs, but also as an excuse to learn the ceramics pinch pot technique, and maybe make something perfect for storing toothpicks or Q-tips.

every pinch pot starts by rolling a ball of clay and inserting a thumb. I tell my students to pretend their fingers are glued together and held straight like a paddle. The thumb presses gently towards the paddle fingers and turned a tiny bit at a time to make the hole bigger and the walls thinner and taller until a jar shape is made. In order to curve the top of the jar in, the fingers would be held at a 45 degree angle out from the flat jar bottom so that the thumb turns under and creates a shoulder to the pot and a smaller hole.

We added a little mini neck to the pot or a ledge a little down from the mouth of the pot by scratching the surface with a needle (scoring), and then making a coil which is also scored. Painting a little bit of wet clay or water creates the slip or "glue" needed to get the two pieces bound together. 

To make the lid, a smaller ball of clay is used to make a tiny pinch pot that fits on top of the coil ledge. Pushing, pulling, and adding bits of clay through more scoring and slipping helps transform the plain lid to an animal or human head. Be sure to keep the lid on the jar as it dries to keep things fitting together as it shrinks.

 

Students carved into the jar to make patterns or symbols, and after the bisque firing, they had the option of painting or glazing their jars. It was a fun way to bring ancient history to life and practice some ceramic techniques along the way. A lot of students who finished early made little ice cream or cupcake jars, which was just icing on the cake.

Wall Vase Art Project

One of my favorite art projects from my childhood was a ceramic wall vase. I used my hand to smash a ball of clay flat to make a slab, but a rolling pin or slab roller can get a more even surface. 

This is a perfect project for kids or adults who are just starting out with clay. My art students started by using a slab roller to make a slab of clay. Then they cut out a shape for the back of the vase and used objects to poke, and roll the surface of the clay to make texture. They made pockets with smaller shapes of clay by scoring and slipping to the surface. And finally a hole was made at the top to hang on a nail. Two holes work as well for a ribbon to make a hanger. Once the vases were bisque fired, my students choose a color to paint their vases. By not using too much paint, or over painting it, the clay can show through and reveal the terracotta color and emphasize the texture. Finally we found little flowers to place in the pockets. It's a fun and easy project that can be used for Mother's Day gifts or a springy look in the home. You know it's a good art lesson if you remember it nearly five decades later.

 

Flower Painting Project

Fluid, flowy flowers are easy to achieve in an a matter of hours. I recently handed my students each a canvas and let them experiment with squishy flower paintings made by gently pressing poured rings of paint with a balloon and rolling and lifting it up to make individual petals or a whole blossom. Follow the steps below and see what you can come up with.

Step 1: Mix a color and paint the canvas. I encouraged students to choose a background color that would contrast with the color they wanted for their flowers. I also reminded them that cool colors were a safe choice because they recede in space, creating a stronger sense of depth.

Step 2: create some kind of repeated mark to help add interest to the background. A subtle pattern can go a long way to activate the negative space around the main subject. Even simple brush strokes can take their painting up a level.

Step 3: Pour paint onto canvas into rings of color

Step 4: press down on circle of wet paint and roll or lift the ballon in one direction for petals. Or lightly squish and pull straight up for a more rounded flower.

Step 4: add leaves and stems as desired

Step 5: add details like the center to the flower or little dots for baby's breath or other small flower,