Visual Arts on a Budget

During the summer I put a link on my Facebook page to a Survey Monkey questionnaire about  the visual arts budget in classrooms. 

Most teachers (32%) have a budget of €100-200 euro each year. The top 5 resources bought from this money are paper/card, paints, clay, PVA glue and crepe paper.

With a strict budget, many teachers are looking for ways to cut down their art supplies bill so to ensure that they can bring the best variety of art lessons to the children in their class. So here are some ideas!

Certain supplies are worth investing in, as they can be minded throughout the years. Such examples are print rollers and pastels. 

Fabric and Fibre

Firstly ReCreate Ireland is a fantastic resource. 

Basically this is a warehouse full of reused art supplies. When a company is throwing out supplies they send it here. You can visit and fill your car with as much resources as you need. The school can join and everyone can access the supplies, and there is also an individual membership plan. 

There are loads of unused plastic containers that can be used as water pots/ paint trays also.

http://recreate.ie/galleries/

Another idea to collect fabric and fibre resources is to visit your local curtain suppliers. Sample books are often thrown out. They are great as the material is already cut to a nice size. Some thicker materials can be difficult for younger years to cut however. 

http://sampling-international.co.uk/

Ask the children to collect Christmas wrapping paper and Easter egg wrappers for you. We always did this for our teachers and loved to try flatten the tin foil from the eggs! 

http://beafunmum.com/easter-craft-and-activities/

Paint and Colour

Cereal boxes are great for making stencils from also. Cut out the shapes with a craft knife. 

In terms of paint and paper- there are often better deals when these are bought in bulk- it might be worth teaming up with another teacher in the school and going halves on some items. 

Have a cup at the back of your class for any 'lost and found' markers or crayons. I keep a plastic tub full of odd markers and crayons and the class love to use them as there is a good variety!

It may be useful to have an 'at school' pencil case and an 'at home' one to ensure equipment doesn't get lost as quick.  

Clay

Clay is a strand unit, yet a bag can set you back €15. There are alternatives to store bought clay however. 

Homemade salt dough is really easy to make and sets hard in the oven. 

http://theimaginationtree.com/2010/10/salt-dough-handprints.html

Natural clay is something that children can always access. That sticky wet clay is perfect for experimenting in manipulation play. How about creating some tree creatures from it?

http://www.wildheritage.co.uk/marvellous-mud-art/

Print 

Foam printing can be expensive, but foam plates (€1.49 pack of 20- Dealz) are a great alternative.

Use old CV covers (plastic part) to print on also. 

Buy PVA glue in 5 litre tubs as it will last. Just pour some hot water over the lid if it gets stuck! 

Construction:

Bring the class outdoors and explore creating shelters. They can be constructed on a small or large scale, depending on the resources available. 

Ideas for building shelters: http://www.mykidsadventures.com/outdoor-survival-shelter/

Responding to Art

There are some amazing sites to create art on that are absolutely free.

http://clairesprimaryschoolart.blogspot.ie/2015/08/websites-for-art.html

Some books that are great to inspire children are also available on Youtube. 

Many of these books may be in your local library also.

I hope these are useful ideas! Please share any tips of tricks that you may know! :) 

Blind Folded Painting

A colleague and a good friend took these photos and this is her lesson idea, but it was so good that I had to share with you all! Thank you Teresa! :)

Teresa did this lesson with her Senior Infants, but it can be used with other ages, my 1st Class loved it! 

One child is blindfolded and the other guides the painting. It puts the child back in the process and it's a very sensory experience. This lesson is great for Oral Language as well as cooperative learning.

Teresa displayed her work with these "Can you see what I see?" booklets. I love this idea to respond to visual art! 

Easter

Easter Art Ideas:

Last year we removed the centre of eggs and painted them.
This year I'm making a few changes!

Firstly, the paint didn't take to the eggs as good as I hoped, so I have invested in a "PAAS" Egg dye kit. They are quite expensive to buy on Amazon.co.uk, so I ordered one from Amazon.com- even with postage to Ireland it was cheaper!

http://www.amazon.com/PAAS-Friends-Egg-Decorating-Medium/dp/B000F5OWSG

There is also a homemade egg dye method. I will try this- I ordered the set as it comes with egg holders etc that can be used each year.

To make homemade egg dye:

1. For each dye bath combine 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 tsp vinegar and 10 drops of food colouring in a bowl. Start with 5 drops red and 5 drops yellow, for orange for example, or 6 drops blue and 4 drops green for turquoise.
2. Dip hard-cooked eggs in dye bath for 3-5 minutes, extend time for richer color. Try using tongs to dip only half an egg in one color, then dip other half in a different color.
3. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove eggs and place on wax paper to dry, blot any excess with a paper towel.
4. For tie dyed eggs, add 1 tbsp olive oil to the mixture and stir with a fork. Roll egg gently in bath to pick of streaks of color. Remove egg from bath and blot oil off with a paper towel, then dry on wax paper. Once dry, lightly dip in another color if desired.
5. For glitter eggs, brush dried dyed egg with a thin layer of craft glue. Spoon glitter over egg, allow to dry on wax paper. To put glitter on only part of an egg (half blue, half red for example), use masking tape over the un-glittered part (or use stickers for shapes) and once dry remove masking tape and glue/glitter the remaining area.
6. For letters, numbers or shapes use small vinyl stickers (office or hardware supplies) and place them on the egg before dying. Once slightly dry peel off stickers gently. You can also use a white crayon to write names or draw pictures.

If you plan to eat your easter eggs, never leave them unrefrigerated at any point for more than 2 hours.

(http://www.food.com/recipe/easter-eggs-egg-dye-160383)

Shaving Foam Dye:

http://www.craftymorning.com/shaving-cream-dyed-easter-eggs/

To take the centre of the egg out- make a hole on either end, blow through the top hole and the egg will come out the other side.

Alternatively, hard boil the eggs. They can play "Egg Tapping" with them then! 

This is an Easter game popular in central Europe. Players 'tap' their egg with their opponents. The winner has the egg that doesn't crack! 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_tapping)

Here are some more ideas that I found online!

http://www.2wired2tired.com/10-fun-easter-craft-ideas-for-kids

http://www.craftymorning.com/3d-paper-plate-easter-basket-craft-kids/

http://www.craftymorning.com/easy-fingerprint-cross-activity-kids/

http://www.thoughtsfromalice.com/2014/04/recycled-tp-roll-easter-bunny-and-egg.html

http://www.designmom.com/2013/03/diy-salt-dough-eggs/

http://www.craftymorning.com/mini-popsicle-stick-chick-craft-for-kids/

http://www.parentinghealthybabies.com/51-easter-crafts-for-kids/

Art 'Hacks'

After this photo created such a storm on my facebook page I decided to see if I could find some more useful 'hacks' for making art lesson organisation seamless!

This photo is from Greann sa Rang's blog (http://greannsarang.blogspot.ie/)  she uses paper bun cases in her paint trays so there's no washing up! 

Here are some more ideas I found:

Using rice to clean dirty chalk pastels

http://artprojectgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/tuesdays-tip-how-to-get-dirty-pastels.html

Clean brushes with conditioner:

http://www.scholastic.com

This keeps them nice and soft.

Keep wool in zip lock bags:

http://www.scholastic.com

Cutting sandpaper will resharpen scissors:

http://www.scholastic.com

Hanging Art:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/

Storing Drawing Materials:

http://mycasestudies.blogspot.ie/2008/06/copic-stuff.html

There are some ideas for bulletin boards here:

http://www.theappliciousteacher.com/2015/09/bulletin-board-hacks-to-save-your-sanity.html

I always use latex gloves when cutting clay. If there are no wire clay cutters in your school- use a wire hanger!

http://www.wirehanger.us/images/wire_hanger.jpg

Colour Mixing with Paint

Using oranges, we mixed colours to find the closest shades as possible. There were great discussions as to whether to add white or yellow to the orange. 

We then drew the outline of our oranges with chalk pastels. Sometimes you can still see pencil lines through the paint, chalk is a way around this!

They turned out really well!! Fair play to them! :)

Christmas Decorations

I always find it tricky to find Christmas themed art that isn't a real product based lesson. It is nice to send something home to hang on the tree for parents and that children will have as a keepsake. The problem is that we usually try to do this with the early years so we end up doing most of the 'art' for them!

Here are some simple ideas that I've used in the past, or have found online- sources quoted!

Seriously simple for early years:

Wreath:

Cut the middle out of a paper plate. They can paint and stick glitter and sequins on to it.

Candy Cane:

The first process in clay is rolling. The children roll the clay and then shape into a candy cane. Paint red and white strips.

Popcorn Santa:

How about sticking Santa's beard on using popcorn?!
http://www.craftymorning.com/popcorn-santa-claus-craft-christmas/

Still simple for younger ages:

http://www.creativefamilyfun.net/2014/12/paper-plate-christmas-tree.html

A friend recommended to staple the paper plate together!

Painting pine cones:

Children love to paint on surfaces different to paper- large packs of pine cones can be ordered from sites like Amazon, or collected outside if you have access to coniferous trees.
Simply paint and decorate the pine cones and they can be hung as decorations.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/impossibly-adorable-diy-christmas-decorations-641

Bread Decorations:

Using cookie cutters, the children cut shapes in fresh white bread. Make a hole for ribbon with a straw. Leave on a wire tray to harden for a day or two. Mix paint and PVA and paint and add glitter and sequins. When dry, thread ribbon through and hang from tree.

Potato or Sponge Print Wrapping Paper:

Printing a continuous pattern on an A2 sheet to use for wrapping paper.

Laminate decorations:

I stumbled across this online: http://123learnonline.blogspot.ie/2010/12/christmas-ornament.html

Texture Print Christmas Tree:

Another find online, love this! Alter this idea with other objects, fingers or hands.
http://www.bombshellbling.com/12-kid-crafts-for-the-12-days-of-christmas/

Bobbles:

Many pound shops sell seriously cheap bobbles. Decorate using a Sharpie. Add finger or hand prints to create sentimental keepsakes.

http://www.homedit.com/8-christmas-tree-ornaments-can-make-hour/

Jigsaw Piece Decorations:

http://www.redtedart.com/2013/05/08/puzzle-pieces-crafts-snowflakes/

Older years:

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/art.asp?id=7268724&exhibit=241965&gallery=y

Snow Globes:

In an old jar- create a character from 'Sugru'. Stick on the lid. Let dry. Fill the jar with glitter and water. Close and turn upside down. (https://sugru.com/)

Pine Cones:

Creating christmas characters from the pine cones- add cotton wool for a snow man, or lollipop stick for skis.

Creating crackers:

Buy the 'pop' part online, and using an old toilet roll, some elastic bands and crepe paper make a cracker!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tobar-Cracker-Snaps/dp/B000VKPRWU
This is a more complicated version: http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-make-your-own-gorgeous-christmas-crackers--craft-15811

Nativity Scenes:

A gorgeous keepsake: http://www.bombshellbling.com/12-kid-crafts-for-the-12-days-of-christmas/

Candle Holders:

Paint jars with glass paint- fabulous candle holders
Create a circle in clay, bend into an 'L' shape. Cut out a shape on the longer side and use the smaller side to sit the tea light.

Paint:

Creating a spherical shape using highlight.

http://www.homedit.com/8-christmas-tree-ornaments-can-make-hour/

Creating a meaningful painting with a special holiday message:

https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/166831254/rustic-holiday-decor-rustic-holiday-sign?ref=shop_home_feat

http://www.homedit.com/diy-canvas-art/

http://blog.creativekismet.com/2013/12/16/chalk-and-hanging-art/

There are also other Christmas ideas like a simple painting of Christmas time.
-Printing with tinsel or pine cones.
-Snow scenes- splat the white paint on with a paintbrush after for a snow like effect!
-Santa in the sky silhouette

This book had some great ideas:

Simply wrapping chocolate bars and decorating as snowmen-

Or decorating matchboxes to hide a small treat in!

Contemporary Art:

http://handmadekidsart.com/concentric-circle-christmas-art-projects-kids/