Handmade Books

This was our last project of the summer. For the cover we used the handmade paper the students made in June. Then we stacked everything together and used Japanese binding to sew our books together. Using the awls to poke holes was the hardest part and everyone managed to do it. They turned into really nice looking books.

Glazed Ceramic Candle Holders

These turned out so beautifully! They look especially nice with the battery operated candles inside. They flicker like real  candles and the light shines out through the openings in the sides of the candle holders.

Painting Masks

The students really got into painting their masks. They had a great time choosing styles and colors and deciding what embellishments to add. I poled holes on the sides of the masks and tied elastic string across the back. That made them wearable.

Ceramic Candle Holders

On this day we were making candle holders our of ceramic clay. The students planned their designs and used tiny clay cutters or their own designs on the clay. Then we put them together and used slip to close them up the side. After we have fired them and glazed them we will put battery powered tea lights in them.

Finished pots!

All done!

Origami Ducks

We practiced a little origami today. We worked on ducks.

Masks

Today we made plaster masks. Some built the masks on their face and some used a balloon for the form. It took a lot of Vaseline and patience to get a custom made mask. Next week we will paint them.

Names with photographs

We had such a great time searching out things that looked like letters. We saw letters in everything. Each student found the letters in his/her name and took a very close-up picture of the item that looked like the letter. Then we mounted them on foam board. They look awesome!

Monsters Under The Bed

We used Sculpey to make some tiny monsters under the bed. I got the idea from a fellow art teacher during one of our trainings. I also got the template for making the match boxes from swap.bot. It's Rachel's matchbox template. They were very creative. We also did some photography and took pictures of objects that look like letters, so we can make name signs with our photos. I'll post those next week.

Pottery!

We had a blast making pots last week!

First project of 2011-Paper Making

We had so much fun learning to make paper! There were some very beautiful and creative creations. Don't they look fantastic? First they picked colored construction paper from the scrap box and tore them into pieces. We put the paper in a blender with lots of water and ground it all up. Then we poured the mixture into the paper molds which were sitting in tubs of water. They added decorations. After that they had to lift the molds out of the water and remove the deckle. Then they tipped the mold upside down on a towel and squished the water out of the paper with a sponge. Then they removed the mold and let the paper dry. Each student will save one paper to use as a book cover next month when we learn how to bind a book. I really love how these turned out!

Class Information

I teach arts and crafts classes in my home during the months of June and July. The classes are for children ages 6 and older.  We do different projects each month. This year’s projects include pottery on a potter’s wheel, paper making, painting, photography, book making, plaster masks and sculpture. 

Tuition is $45 a month for one child or $40 a month per child if you are signing up more than one. The cost includes all materials.

1 hour classes each week on Tuesdays or Wednesdays

Class times are 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, or 3:00 PM

June classes begin Tuesday, May 31^st and continue for 4 weeks. There will be no classes the last week of June.

July classes begin Tuesday, July 5^th and continue for 4 weeks until the end of the month.

If you would like to register or get more information please contact me at mrsdsouth@gmail.com

Projects From 2010