More Duct Tape!

I needed a new wallet...

Now that the school year is over, I figured it is time to catch up on some of the personal projects for myself that I have been putting off.  I purchased this awesome penguin duct tape a while back and didn't have time to make anything. Whoever thought to make penguin duct tape was obviously thinking of me. Now all they have to do is make the penguins red and we're all set. Anyway, I needed a simple wallet for my essentials that would fit in my back pocket. This way I don't have to carry around a purse when I'm out.   The following is a tutorial of what I came up with.

Like I said in my last post, if you don't have a cutting mat you can use a kitchen cutting board. I've been using this one for years and it has served me well. While making this project, I also discovered that a utility knife works well for cutting the duct tape.   

 First, I started by making a 5 x 14 inch swatch.  As I was working with the pattern duct tape, I realized that it looks much better when the pattern is lined up.  To do this, start by laying out one 14 inch piece.  For the next piece make sure it overlaps the first in such a way that the pattern lines up.  As you do this you may have to use extra tape.  Below you can see the difference in length between the first piece I cut, which is on the bottom, and the last piece, which is on the top. Continue this until the swatch is 5 x 14 inches. I had to use 4 pieces.      

 Cut of the excess that you have to use to make sure the pattern lines up. Peel this off and put it aside.   

 Now for the other side.  I decided that this piece was going to be the inside, so I wasn't concerned with lining up the pattern.  As you can see the pattern is not continuous.  In order to make the same size swatch I only had to use three 14 inch pieces of tape.  

Stick the front and the back piece together.  The best way to do this is to lay one side sticky side up and hold the other piece above. Line it up as best as you can.  Start lowering the piece in the center first and work your way to the edges.  If it is not perfect, don't worry, there's a way to fix that and i'll get to that later. Put the outside face down and fold in both sides so there is a small space in the middle.   

These folds will eventually become the pockets.  Now, take a piece of another color duct tape and cut it to the length of the edge of the pockets.  I like to use a solid color that is in the pattern.  I thought using the entire width of one piece was to large for the edging of this project so I cut the piece in half longways. 

 Use these two pieces to cover the edges. Half should be on the inside and half on the outside.  See how it covers up the rough edges that you may have had on there before? I told you we would get to fixing the edges up.   

 Now reinforce the inside of the pockets.  To do this, cut a piece of duct tape that is the same as the top and bottom of the pockets.  Again, cut this piece in half so you can use it for the top and the bottom of one pocket.  

 Open up the pocket and stick one piece so it is halfway on the edge then fold it over.  This part can be a little tricky, but luckily you're not sticking it to another sticky piece.  So you can easily remove this piece if you are not satisfied. Close the pocket, then repeat for the bottom.

Repeat for the other pocket.  Now for the outside edging.  Measure a piece of duct tape that is the entire length of the wallet and cut that piece in half.  Take one piece and stick it on one side so half of the piece is hanging off.  I was more concerned with the length of edging on the outside of my wallet so I first stuck my edging piece there.  I wanted it to be shorter than half of a piece.  

Almost done!

 Here, you can see that the edging on the inside is thicker.  

 This last step is optional but I wanted a fancy clasp.  I measured a piece of duct tape that was about 4 inches in the same color as the edging.  Then I cut that piece in half lengthwise.  I folded a third of one side over so there was a sticky part left over.  

 I put the sticky side on the center of one side of the wallet and put velcro on the other side. I use the kind that you can cut and peel off the backing to make it stick to your surface.  I find it helpful to peel off the backing on one side, stick it on the clasp, and then fold it over as if closing to wallet to ensure accurate placement of the velcro.  

This is the view on the other side.  

I can whip one of these out in 10 or 15 minutes.  Of course I've had a lot of practice, but I definitely recommend this for a beginner.  It may take a little time at first but it's so worth it, especially with all of the awesome patterns that are out there now!

Woven Duct Tape Purse

Duct Tape Season is Upon Us!

As the school year winds down, it's time for camp.  I always have to go through a few orientation days before the campers begin their summer.  Since i've been there as an art specialist for so many years, I use a lot of my time during these days to come up even better projects for the campers.  After a few years, I finally convinced the director to try out duct tape as an art elective for the first time last year.  It was a huge success and the campers all went crazy over it.  This year I wanted to take it up a level since they already made basic items like shoelaces, rose pens, and wallets.  


I decided to make a smaller version of the woven purse (Shown at the top of this blog).  I used the one of the awesome pattern rolls of duct tape that are new to the camp for this year. As a duct tape enthusiast since way before duct tape became popular, i'm super excited about this project.  The 6th and 7th grade campers are going to love this.  The following is a walkthrough of the project. Surprisingly, it only took about an hour and a half to throw together.


First, gather your supplies.  You'll need an exacto knife, a cutting board and a measuring device.  Cutting boards like the one shown below are perfect because you can measure everything out right on its surface.  However, an old cutting board from your kitchen and a good old fashioned ruler will work just fine.  Lastly, and most importantly you'll need two colors of duct tape. I like using a solid color and a pattern.  

 Now, its time to begin creating the strips you will weave with.  This purse ends up being 9 x 6 x 2 inches.  Don't worry I give you the exact measurements for all the pieces you need so you don't have to do math. To make a strip, you measure out a piece of duct tape face down on your cutting board. Next, you peel it up and put it sticky side up. Then, you fold it in half long ways.  Its a little tricky at first, so you might need some practice.


Now that you know how to make a strip, lets begin.  Choose one color and make twelve, nine inch strips.       

Now, make two, twenty-one inch strips. My cutting board was too small so I had to maneuver two boards to measure these larger pieces out.  

 There, half way done with the strips! Now, onto the other color.  Make nine, fourteen inch strips. Again, a single one of my boards was too small to create these strips. 

 Now, make twelve, two inch strips with the same color.  

Strips are all done! Now for my favorite part, the weaving! The small zebra strips are on the sides.  The two longer purple strips are in the middle and go all the way across. See how the edges are a little uneven? Don't worry, its an easy fix. Just cut a strip of duct tape to cover each side and cut it in half long ways.  For example, for the top you will need a nine inch strip and if you cut it in half long ways, you can use it on the bottom as well.  Take one of these pieces and arrange it so it covers the edge, but it hangs about halfway off the edge. Then, fold it over to the other side.  Now you have a clean edge.     

Now construct the purse by folding up the sides and attaching them together with two, six inch strips of duct tape that are cut in half long ways. Make sure each piece is touching the two side you want to connect.    

 The last step is to make the straps.  Cut two strips to a little longer than desired length. I made mine about fifteen inches.  Put those strips sticky side up.  Now, measure two strips that are that about three inches shorter and stick them on the longer strips so the sticky side of the longer strips is sticking out on both edges.   

 Use the sticky parts of the strap to attach them to the purse. All done! The woven duct tape purse is complete!  

I think this project is going to be very successful with my campers.  I'll be sure to post about their progress.  

     

Kindergarten Seahorses!

Eric Carle Inspired Seahorses

This project is actually inspired by a "mishap" while my kindergarten class was in my room.  One student who is more difficult to keep on task than most of the other students decided to go beyond the paper I gave him.  He ended up scribbling all over the table with the crayons.  Of course the student, his homeroom teacher, and I had a talk about vandalizing school property.  We had him stay inside for the first few minutes of his recess time to clean the table to the best of his ability. He understood that what he did was wrong.    

Of course I think learning to respect school property is a valuable lesson.  We have to learn to clean up our messes.  I can't have students scribbling all over the tables, or can I?  I found myself thinking, "This student was obviously not engaged in the project I assigned." What can I do to engage learners who seem to enjoy moving around like my student who scribbled on the tables? What if not cleaning up our messes meant the creation of authentic art? 

For the next class meeting, I covered all of the tables in white paper and put out various crayons.  I read the book Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (2004) to the students and paused after reading a few pages.  I explained that each group is going to make on ocean scene on the paper in front of them and that they are going to create their ocean scene by scribbling all over the paper.  The students were so excited! They had to ask a few times if they really were allowed to just scribble on the whole paper.  It seems like they have never been allowed to create like this.  As students quietly began to scribble, I finished reading the story.  Next, we used watercolors over the crayons to create a resist.  Some of the watercolor marks ended up looking like splashing water.   

During the next class meeting, students began with a small seahorse to color while we reviewed the artwork featured in Mister Seahorse (Carle, 2004).  Then students began working on their large seahorse.  While I had them use a template to create their seahorse, I let them decide on details such as how many spikes their seahorse would have and how big the mouth should be.  Students colored their seahorses and decorated them with colorful squares and decorative buttons for the eyes.  Lastly, while they were finishing up their seahorses, they came up, one group at a time, to the painting station I set up to paint their names.  I allowed them to write their name however they would like. (Some letters came out backwards, but who knows, maybe thats how they will write their name when they are an artist!) Below are pictures of 2 out of the 6 murals that the kindergarteners created.  

I love the free form scribbles and shapes!

The elevators at my school feel like you are in the ocean!

The students really seemed to enjoy working on a large scale. I thought it allowed them to be free in their art making.  I noticed less students complaining that they "messed up" and none of them asked to start over as they often do.  As I was saying before, maybe our messes are a work of art in itself.  Students should be allowed to discover this through guidelines that can be stretched instead of being limited to a tiny space with very specific directions.  


Carle, E. (2004). Mister Seahorse. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

4th Grade Umbrellas

Umbrellas!

One of my favorite projects that I have completed this year with my students was done with my 4th grade class. Everyone loved this project! My students got so many compliments on them.  

In this project, students were able to learn about one point perspective and were exposed to a different viewpoint. Students started off with a blank umbrella shape.  Then they were directed to create a different design in each section of the umbrella with sharpie markers.  Students were then able to color in these sections using crayons and colored pencils as they desired.  Next, I discussed one point perspective with my students. I demonstrated how to create a sidewalk using one point perspective.  We also looked at various pictures that demonstrate one point perspective.  Students were given a piece of paper and used crayons to create their sidewalk.  Students drew a puddle on the bottom of the page and were given the option to add in details like drops of water and grass.  Students went over their sidewalk scene with watercolor paints to create a resist.  At some point while students were working, I took a picture of their legs.  Once the project was complete we constructed the pieces as shown.  I just love how each project features an actual picture of the artist's legs!

What really worked well about this project was that the students loved that they were a part of their artwork. The students had a lot of fun posing as if they were splashing through a puddle.  It got the students up and moving around.  They also did a great job with coming up with unique patterns to fill in the different umbrella sections.  Below is a picture of a handful of the final projects on a bulletin board.  They look so colorful all together!  

4th Grade Umbrellas! 

 Overall, I was very happy with the results of this project and the students loved it too. The only thing I feel didn't work out as well was the fact that my students wear uniforms so most of the students' legs are not distinguishable.  Next time I use this lesson I would definitely have my students bring in whatever shoes, socks, or other leg accessories they would like.  I think that would make the projects even more colorful than they already are.  Plus I think the students would have a lot of fun trying to figure out who is who in each piece.  

Introduction

Hello readers!

 I'd like to use this first post to briefly introduce myself and let you know what to expect in future posts.  My name is Miss Imhof, and I have been teaching art to students in grades K-12th in various settings, such as camp, internships, and charter schools for the past 5 years.  Currently I am teaching art grades K-8th.  I have found that the biggest challenge in teaching art is finding a balance between providing the students with a finished sample and directing them to precisely follow every step, and letting the students work completely independently without having to follow specific directions. Oftentimes, students get frustrated by a samples because they cannot copy what is in front of them, and other times they have no idea of where to start if a sample is not provided. It is my belief that students should be guided without being smothered with steps that are too specific because this leaves no room for individual creative discovery.


As Eliot Eisner says, "The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling" (Eisner, 2002). I try to teach my students to embrace their experiences with art and I acknowledge that all student's have their own unique experience and should not be treated the same.  


In my upcoming posts, I will be posting many of my lesson plans that I have conducted with my students.  I will provide reflections on what worked, what didn't, and what I would change about the lesson.  I will also discuss findings and student responses that are specific to each project.  


I will also be using this blog to post the progress and completion of my own creative projects.  It is very important for one who teaches art to practice it as well. Plus, my students enjoy art so much that I can't resist joining in on the fun.  A few projects i'm currently working on are a bag crocheted out of hemp, a crocheted christening dress for my goddaughter, and something made out of my new penguin duct tape.  


Well, for now here's a few pictures to get stated: 

Duct tape purse I made for my mother: 

Fish I crocheted for my goddaughter: 

Diaper cake for a friend: 

View of a wall from this year's student art show!

 Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind, In Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). Yale University Press.