Christmas Cookie Decorating - Kid's Art Class

Back by popular demand...we decorated Christmas cookies in last week's art class.  Edible art, what's not to love?!  I used the sugar cookie recipe straight out of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook with powdered sugar icing.  The drizzly consistency allows for fun blending techniques (using toothpicks while wet) and of course we had lots of sprinkles too.  All 14 students got very creative with their cookies.  There were some beautiful results, almost too pretty to eat...almost.

 

 

 

 

Here is my morning home-school group.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of my afternoon class.  But I did get photos of the cookies.  :)  

Polymer Clay Snowmen - Kid's Art Class

My example

OK this may be my favorite project of 2012.  Of course that may have something to do with my fondness for all things snowman.  I started my collection in the late 1990's and it has grown quite large over the years.  

So I may have been a little biased when I chose this for this week's project in my kid's art class.  The kids did a fantastic job.  It was a great way for them to show their individuality.  I showed them how to do the basic construction and then let them pick colors for their buttons and scarves.  They also did different hat styles.  There were some definite themes that emerged and the kids were so proud of themselves. 

 The ARTISTS...

 The TRADITIONALISTS...

 The NON-CONFORMISTS...

Next week is our Christmas cookie decorating party.  Can't wait!

Easy Birch Trees - Kid's Art Class

 This was one of those projects that left the kids so proud of themselves afterwards.  Several of them said it was easier than they thought it would be.  We used different sizes of painters & masking tapes to make the tree trunks (the largest widths were put on first so they would come off last to get the right perspective).  Then the kids painted the backgrounds with two different acrylic paints, blending them in the middle where they met.  We used metallic paints to make the circles with different sized items (small sponges, jar lids, etc.).  Then we carefully tore off the "background" tree tape (the smallest widths that were crossing over the larger trees).  Using credit cards and black paint, they scraped along the tree trunks on either side to make their birch bark.  It is amazingly easy and the kids had a blast.  As each tree was finished we would tear off another piece of tape until all the tree trunks were painted.  Doing the trees in stages made sure that the perspective stayed true and kept it from being too confusing for the kids.  Kept me running in circles supervising though!

Here is my video tutorial for this project.

Our project combined a couple of different ideas from awesome pins I found on Pinterest  links are below. Gotta love Pinterest!

Source: cmae-adayinthelife.blogspot.com via Angela on Pinterest    

Source: afaithfulattempt.blogspot.com via Angela on Pinterest