How to Create a Collaborative School Wide Collage Art Piece

I teach Art with Tere Charney at Bel Aire Park International Baccalaureate World School Communications and Media Magnet Elementary School in Napa, CA. We share the Art curriculum and worked on this collaborative project together this year.


As we were planning this lesson we couldn't find any information about doing a project similar to this so decided to share our process with you in case you might want to try it.


We teach at an International Baccalaureate World School so decided to create a project with a World theme. Our students are part of a global network of learners around the world who share common goals to become lifelong thinkers and inquirers. An essential element of our Learner Profile is to "Be Caring". That's how we chose the Hearts. We've Got The Whole World In Our Hearts! Mr. Van Housen, a parent at the school, created the beautiful wood panel - it's very large, 8 feet by 4 feet. He stained it for us and then we applied the continents.

Materials:

Sharpie Colored Markers

Vellum paper

Poster Board

Glue sticks

Mod Podge Matte

Weld Bond glue

We began by having each student create at least one heart on a 1 1/2 inch square using pencil.  Then they colored in their hearts using the Sharpies.

We discussed using warm & cool colors, patterns, complimentary colors etc...

Using a photo of a very simple map of the world we projected the map onto the wood panel to get the scale correct.  Then we traced the outlines onto poster board.

Using the hearts the students made we collaged them onto the continents.  We used glue sticks to attach them and trimmed them as needed.

After we completed the continents we used WeldBond to glue them on the panel.

We brushed the WeldBond on the back of the continents sparingly then quickly put them where they belonged.

Next we added 2 layers of Mod Podge over the entire piece.  We let the first coat dry overnight before applying the final coat.

We are going to seal it with Acrylic Sealer once this has cured.

We hadn't done something of this scale before using these materials and were very relieved to have them dry flat without buckling from the application of the glue and Mod Podge.

The glue stick adhesive was completely dry before we applied any other glue. 

The stain on the wood was dry for at least a couple of weeks.

If you create a collage in this manner please send us a photo, we'd love to see it!

Easy DIY Rainbow Unicorn Frame

This is a fun project for the $1.00 frames at the craft store.  You can use it as a decoration as is - or clip your own photo into the clothespin.

You will need

Wood frames

Clothespins

Acrylic paint

Glue gun

Glitter and glue

Craft Foam

Card Stock and Markers

I used metallic paint in these colors:

I began in the center of the frame using yellow

Next I added green

I put some green paint onto my yellow brush and blended it a little into the yellow, then I added more green to my brush and went farther down the frame.

Working quickly to keep a wet edge I did the same steps again with the blue the rest of the way down the frame.

Now I turned the frame upside down and got a new brush.  I put more yellow on my brush and went about halfway into the yellow to create a wet edge.  Then I put some pink on my brush and blended up into the yellow and then more pink down the frame.

Then I repeated the steps above adding purple into the pink and the rest of the way down the frame.

While this dries you can paint your clothespin and add glitter.

Using a piece of card stock cut to the opening of the frame draw the eyes and nose of the unicorn.  You can draw it free hand or use a half and quarter circle as patterns.

I went over my lines with glitter markers.

Cut two rounded triangle ears out of craft foam or paper.  I used glitter craft foam just to make my unicorns a little bit more magical : )

Hot Glue them on the back of the frame.

Put the face into the frame.

Hot glue the clothespin on the frame.

Here it is!  You can dress it up even more with some paper flowers. 

Have fun!!