Lion Face

Lion Face
Created with repurposed paper egg cartons, fabric, old buttons and paint. The students had lots of fun creating animal masks from recycled materials.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

kids learn to Upcycle in a fun way!



Picasso inspired "Wild Cats"- created by first and second graders  using: fabric, pencils, pens, markers, crayons and glue.




"Stylish dogs" - first and second graders drew a dog face and used construction paper, fabric  magazines, crayons and markers to add a little personality to their dog.





          













Star created using fabric.

Kids Learn to Reduce Reuse Recycle in a Fun Way!


Ever wonder what to do with the "stuff" that is left-over when you finish a craft project. Stuff like yarn, felt, fabric scraps, snippets of scrap booking paper, or old buttons collecting dust in a tin - those things just a bit too small to use. Well, here's an idea! Why not donate them to a school. Teachers, like me, are always looking for items to incorporate into their lessons. Varying the materials that are used to teach will provide a full sensory experience and make learning more hands-on and fun. I have often wondered what happens to all those beautiful ribbons and bows that are left after the baby show or wedding is over. What happens to all the beautiful tissue paper and wrapping paper our guest carefully selected for that special gift? Even the greeting cards that accompanied the gift can be recycled. These are all items that can be recycled, reused and even "up cycled" to create lasting art.I currently teach at a Fine Arts public elementary school where we believe that, if it is "safe" and not nailed down our students can turn it into art. Most of the students at my school live in low-income households and can not always afford to purchase school supplies. Hence, it is so important for our teachers, who often reach into their own pockets, to think creatively when taking on various projects.I try to recycle on a daily basis and teach my students about the importance and merits of recycling. Any items I have left-over from a completed project are donated to my school. It's my way of doing something for our environment - it reduces the cost for the teacher and the kids have fun. If you are interested in donating unused craft items, which can be used by primary teachers, please contact me at: Bagitup4me@gmail.comFinally, here is a quote I hope inspires you:"Landfills don't need school supplies, books and computers - teachers do!"Cheers-Neko

7 comments:

neko said...

B. Armstrong donated his moms old buttons. He wanted to honor his mother's memory buy doing something special to help kids. Dr. Mildred Armstrong taught for 38 years and was an assitant principal for 15 years. BRAVO!

Tina said...

Great job! Looks like the kids are having fun and you are inspiring them to think carefully and reuse things. I am a scrapbooker and truly do use ALL the scraps! My friends make fun of me...but hey, why not!!
Have a wonderful New Year!

LT said...

Hi Neko!

I love your projects and the blog! Thank you so much for stopping by my corner of the Blogosphere and sharing your very kind comments. :) I absolutely love using re-purposed materials and showing students the value of being resourceful artists.

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Love your projects. The animal mask is amazing. Thanks for sharing your blog.

Laurel Alanna McBrine said...

Hi, thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving your comment. I totally agree with reusing things for art projects (I don't know if you noticed my other blogs, but I am also an artist) and it pained me greatly to not have the time to find good homes for everything when clearing out my parent's home. Your projects look like so much fun, great ideas!

Colleen said...

Teaching kids to do the right thing the fun way is the best way to have the biggest impact on them. They will take these lessons away and be better people for it. And hopefully they will share those lessons with their friends and families. The planets need more people like you and them.

Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs) said...

Thanks for sharing this fantastic art work. Congratulations to you and your students