In every activity I program in the Makerspace, I want the participants to leave happy and excited about what they made, bonus points if they learned or tried something new. To do this, I have to make art accessible to every patron who walks in. Not everyone who tries these library programs are self-proclaimed “artists” and all come just to enjoy themselves. I am especially aware of the children who come to my programs, because I do not want anything to be overly complicated or the tasks needed to complete the end product be too overwhelming.
This is one of my favorite Makerspace activities and I do it at both libraries I work at. I always get a full roster of sign ups which I try to limit to 12 participants, but I always prepare extra “canvases” in case siblings or extra patrons pop in.
This activity was inspired by Laura of Painted Paper Art. I had to make do with the available materials and recycle what I could, but it was honestly a great idea and I’m glad I came across it. Art teacher blogs are so cool. Reading other teacher and librarian blogs really made me want to share my ideas and progress.
The way I modified this program was to create a base of a flower vase and background so the patrons can build their flowers out of clay and place them “in” the vase to create the bouquet. To create the bases for this project, I started off by cutting huge pieces of cardboard we had lying around into 8” by 12” “canvases” and painted them blues, greens, whatever mix of colors to create an interesting textured-looking background. Then I painted sheets of watercolor paper a mixture of red and pink, traced a vase-looking shape on the back, and hand cut them out. I could fit 2 vases on one sheet of watercolor paper. I painted everything in acrylic paint. Then I recycled scrap pieces of colored cardstock to create a tabletop on the canvas to ground the vase in space.
Here is an example of some of the bases I have made in the past and the general set up before the activity begins.
I set up by laying out newspaper to cover the tabletops and lay a base at the seat. Each seat gets their own paint palette, a cup of water to clean the brushes, and a small and large paintbrush. Once patrons begin arriving I give them a handful of Crayola white airdry clay to create their flowers with. I give the option to glue their flowers onto their bases, but many people just make their flowers on the base and press them in.
A sweet 5 year old patron working diligently on his flowers.
Once they complete forming their flowers, I ask them to pick 5 colors of paint to start off with. I always allow them more colors if they choose, but some people do not need more than 5 and it saves paint. We paint with acrylic paint while the clay is still wet, and I haven’t found that that affects the end product at all.
It is so awesome to see everyone hard at work!
This activity perfectly highlights how Makerspaces are about building community. I have seen brother and sister, old and young, all denominations, people who would never cross paths other than meeting in this exact circumstance and seen them sit next to each other, side by side. It is important for people to make art in groups, share their creative ideas and personal interpretations. That is how people grow, with encouragement and others insights into their world through their art.
Below is a gallery of some of the patron work! I feel so lucky to have had so many wonderful participants.
Thank you for making it to the end of this post. I really love what I do and am so happy to share it with the world. I am looking forward to posting more!! :)