Mexican Round Mirrors Art Project

This is an art project which was taught to several of the We Care Arts classes including Memory Units, Special Needs High Schools and Developmental Disabilities Centers. 

Mexican Round Mirrors is a mixed media project and a fun way to introduce students to Mexican designs, working in the round and metal embossing. A big thank you to Dynamic Senior Solutions in Beavercreek, Ohio Seniors and their Care Partners for the great art work!

The round design is drawn on a thicker paper, such as bristol board, tagboard or poster board. Find 3 circles that fit nicely with each other. You need 3 round objects such as plates or bowls in three sizes or use a compass. 

Trace around the three round shapes with a black Sharpie. In the center circle, write the words, "no color" in the smallest circle so the student will not make a design where the aluminum will be glued. The drawing of the circles was done by a We Care Arts Instructor beforehand, but older students could do it on their own.

Mexican designs can be found in textiles - clothing and molas and in mexican tile design. Samples of Mexican designs will help the students come up with their own.

In the first and second circle border, have the studet draw some 

 simple designs with black Sharpie.  More detailed black designs can be drawn now, or after the color is put in as is the next picture.

The colors used are bright and bold to mimic the feel of the Mexican designs. Use watercolor markers, such as Crayola brand to color the borders so the black line does not smear. Teach your students to use the side of the marker for faster coloring rather than using just the tip. The watercolor markers will not smear the black line design as permanent markers would.

 

 The center of the design is a round piece of 36 guage of alumminum. Trace the size of circe wanted on the alumunin with black Sharpie, then cut out with heavy duty scissors. 

With a sharpened dowel rod or a pencil draw a line design on the aluminum. Place the aluminum on a padded surface to achieve the embossing. Folded newspaper is a easy solution for the padding. The design can be embossed from the back, or just colored with the Sharpie colored markers.  Watercolor markers will just wipe off of the metal.

After both designs are done, use a hot glue with care to glue the metal circle to the base. Put the glue onto the poster board, then stick the metal circle to it. Quickly turn the whole circle over and press down. Be careful because the metal will get hot due to the hot glue applied.

Many of the artists chose to put their name of initial in the center.

These round Mexican "Mirrors" can be placed a wall for bright decoration.

Students are Falling into Space Self Portrait

Here is a fun project that the Beavercreek High School students created to make themselves look like they are falling in space. 

 

First they traced their shoe at the bottom of the paper and added the shoe sole pattern. Then we traced their hands on each side. 

An oval was drawn for their head and the students drew in their personal hairstyle and face.

Then the clothes were drawn in smaller to look further away and were filled in with the clothes they were wearing.

This is such a fun project to make a self portrait!

Delaney

 

 

Scrambler

 

 

 

Spring Flowers with Pastels

These beautiful flower pictures were drawn with pastels by the Centerville High School students who come to We Care Arts each Thursday morning for their art class. They were created on mat board scraps that were donated to us from a frame shop. The pictures can easily be propped up by a wall for display!

 

 

 

 

Easy Animal Drawings

 

 

Do you have a hard time drawing animals? Many of Diane's students do and she came up with a solution. She found large pictures of dogs from a book on dog breeds. Using heavy vellum paper, the photo was taped to the underside of the vellum.

 

 The students then drew an outline of the dog's features with a black Sharpie.  The rest of the picture was filled in with water soluble markers as Crayola.

 

 

 

 The students were encouraged to have fun with the colors and to put in an environment so the viewer would know where the dog was - inside or outside. Some students named their dogs and added their favorite dog dish and bone.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                      The finished art work can be displayed in a window since it is translucent or on a wall with white paper behind it.

Supplies needed:

 

        Heavy translucent vellum paper

Tape

   Black Sharpie

   Crayola markers

 Animal book or calendar



Simple Weaving for Special Needs

This is a simple weaving project for special needs students, seniors or anyone who wants to experience the technique of weaving. Several of the art instructors at We Care Arts have used cardboard looms with their students to create a weaving.

 
Diane recently led a class of Independent Living and Assisted Living residents at 10 Wilmington place in a weaving project.. She used mat board for the loom.  Many frame shops have a few scraps that they may let you have. Cardboard from a cereal box or a packing box can also be used.
 
The pictures are from the ladies at 10 Wilmington Place. Diane had the warp thread all wound so the residents just started weaving with the yarn. They had worked an hour and 15 minutes when the pictures were taken.
 
1. For the looms, Diane used a 12x9" piece of mat board. Especially for kids, the card board loom can be smaller. Mat Board is easily cut on a paper cutter.
 
2. On each end, Diane cut a one inch slit with scissors around every inch. Make an even number of slits. She said that she would cut the slits every 1/2 - 2/3" next time for a denser warp. She used Aunt Lydia's crochet string. Any non stretch string will work.
 

3. The string is started on the back and taped down. It will be straight on the front and look diagonal across the back. Tape down the end of the string on the back. For the seniors, she use medium to dark board for contrast to the white string.
 
4. To make the whole weaving process easier, Diane used tongue depressor with a hole drilled in one end. The yarn goes into the hole and is knotted. The wide tongue depressor is easy to move through the warp strings.
 
5. On the front, the weaving is started at the bottom. tie on the string to the first warp thread.
 
6. The tongue depressor then goes over a string and under the next string then over the next repeating until the row is done.
 
7. All the thread is pulled through, then the next row is started with the opposite motion. If the last string went over the last thread, the next row is started by going under the same thread, over the next thread and so on.  If the last string went under the last thread, it will go over the same thread, then under the next following the pattern of over, under, over, under.
 
8. To make it easier for your students, when wrapping the warp ( up and down string) you can wrap a light thread on every other slit, then a dark thread on the remaining slits. then the students could be told to put the tongue depressor under all the dark threads on one row, then over the dark threads on the next row.
 
9. To prevent the warp threads from binding in, the yarn can be pulled through at an angle, then brought down to the next row using the fingers. This concept is usually hard for specials needs so the weaving will most likely be drawn in at the sides which is fine.
 
10. Be sure at the end of the row, the student use their fingers to bring the rows of yarn together.
 
11. Diane used yarn to weave through the warp. The weaving is made interesting with different colors and thicknesses of yarn. Be sure the hole in the tongue depressor is big enough to easily put the yarn through.
 
12. When a different color or more yarn is needed, tie the end of the old yarn to the new yarn. Cut the old yarn from the tongue depressor and replace it with the new yarn.  Diane usually cuts around 1 yard lengths.

13. Have the students keep weaving until the top of the loom is reached. Remember that thicker yarn will make the weaving go much faster! The weaving can be continued in other class periods or extra yarn can be given to the student to work on their own.

 
14. To finish the weaving cut the warp strings on the back of the cardboard across the middle.  Carefully take the strings off the weaving in twos.  The first two strings are tied together next to the weaving, then strings 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and so on till the end is reached. The loom is then turned around for the other side.
 
15. If you want to put a twig or dowel rod through the top to hold it, leave some room when you tie the strings. Or the twig can be placed next to weaving when you are in the process of tying it.

16. Realize that mistakes will be made and many times will not be seen when all the rows are done. Instead of tearing out rows, it is better to just have the student continue weaving.
 


 
 
 

Mod Podge Bottles

Do you have bottles left over from the holidays? A easy craft for snow days is to cover the bottles with paper and Mod Podge. Any glass bottle or container can be used.

 

Diane, one of We Care Art's instructors, created this craft with a memory group and special needs artists.

 

1. First, the label needs to be taken off. Soak your bottles in a sink of warm water with vinegar and baking powder added.

 

2. When the labels have softened - peel or scrape off the paper. The glue residue can be scrubbed off or left on.  It really will not show under the papers.

The top label of the bottle can be left on for color, or taken off with scissors. (It can be metal, so watch for sharp edges)

 

 

3. Using a foam brush, cover an area of the bottle with watered down Elmer's glue or Mod Podge. This will dry clear - The bottles in the pictures were still wet.

 

Your first layer can be tissue paper or decorative napkins (peel so the napkin is one ply). Repeat this step until the whole bottle is covered. Put a layer of the glue carefully over the first layer. If the tissue starts tearing, let it dry some.

 

4. Cut out some images that you like. These images were glossy and taken from a Victorian clip art book. It is nice to pick out a theme such as the flowers shown above or the animals shown below.

 

5. To add the pictures, brush a layer of the glue on the back of the picture and place it on the bottle. Place a layer of the glue on top of the pictures. You may have to hold the edges of the pictures flat for a few minutes to stick.

 

6. Keep adding the pictures until it is finished.

 

7. On the top neck, you can wrap ribbon, small pearls, raffia, yarn, sequins or anything that will stick. As in the first picture, a bow can be made for decoration.

 

8. Lights can be added to the inside of the bottle for a beautiful light. There are many examples on Pinterest.

 

9. When making this project with special needs, it is easier to use pieces of napkins or tissue around 3 - 4". This helps the artist to handle the tissue easier and allows the paper to be put on without the glue drying out.

 

10. This project can done within an hour if the labels are taken off ahead of time. Be sure to cover the tables and let the students wash their hands during the project if needed