Clay Trinket Boxes and Pencil Holders

I love to go into a classroom full of young minds and engage them in a creative activity using their hands.  Without fail, I am always amazed. Skill levels will vary in any classroom but its not skill that I’m particularly interested in.  Its more the way the brain works to guide the hand to create something.  Clay is a perfect medium to get those minds thinking in experimental and inventive ways.

Last fall I went into a Grade 3/4 class and we made trinket boxes and pencil holders with paper clay.  This was left to dry and painted at a later date. 

Very little equipment is needed for this project.  A rolling pin, a canvas mat, a little water and by far my favorite clay tool for teaching - a bamboo skewer.  Looks like this:

This bamboo skewer has been the handiest little tool. When I go into a classroom of 25 or more this is what I bring - one end for a point, to prick and poke holes, scratch lines, and cut clay - the other end is great for smoothing and flattening, scooping out clay and making interesting marks.  I buy a package of these at the dollar store and use them over and over. They are good and strong and wash up nicely.

You can have all kinds of fancy tools but it doesn’t guarantee you will create a great piece - the greatest creativity lies in the hands, any tool is just a helper.  With less tools more emphasis lies on problem solving and using your creative mind to determine how to realize your vision in a way that will work both structurally and visually. 

Here are some of the amazing creations that came out of that class.  Can you spot the skewers?

The bits and crumbs can be easily cleaned up with a wet sponge when the clay is dry.

Glue and Salt Watercolour Paintings

This is amazingly fun for kids and adults alike. 

There is a sort of addictive quality to watching the paint travel along your salt covered glue line as it absorbs the colour straight from your brush.  The colours are so vibrant with the white substrate and against a black background.  

Easy easy easy project.  

All you need is black paper, white glue, salt and watercolour paints. 

Squeeze your squeeze bottle of glue to form lines and designs on your paper.

  

Now pour generous amounts of salt all over and then move and shake your paper around so it covers all of the glue. 

Dump off the excess glue (you can save it to use on your next one). 

Fill your water colour brush with plenty of paint and simply touch it to the glue salt lines and watch as the paint is taken from you and soaked up by the salted glue lines. 

Try it!  I am certain it will brighten up your day.