Don't you feel embarassed about . . . ?

Question: Don't you feel embarrassed about being a fine artist who also posts crafty things?

Answer: Not at all! Crafting can be an enjoyable occupation for many people. Do professional, downhill skiers mind playing on the kitty slopes with their kids? Artists can become too sophisticated. Everyone needs to be open to simpler pursuits at times, in order to relax and appreciate the modest joy of living. Never apologize for spending time with children and family doing what they are capable of doing in order to talk, laugh and build relationships that will last.

stitch some felt coasters to protect your furniture

A sample of the snowflake design was
used to craft the felt coaster above.
(approx. diameter across, 3 1/2 inches)

Brief Description: Felt coasters make wonderful little, inexpensive gifts. Children may practice their sewing and cutting skills while producing a set for a parent or grandparent. 

• Supply List:
•    1. At least two contrasting colors of felt or a grab bag of felt scraps will due.
•    2. Sharp scissors
•    3. No sew if you prefer (I did not use it, but it can make this endeavor much easier. You will need an iron too if you go this route.)
•    4. Embroidery threads of matching or contrasting color.
•    5. Coaster templates
•    6. Black permanent ink marker or a very soft lead pencil

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the felt coaster templates provided below.
2. Trace around all of the details of the template on top of the colored felt you have chosen for the top part of the coaster. Children may prefer to use the permanent ink pen for this part of the process. It is easier to see on dark felt.
3. Then place your circular felt top onto a contrasting felt and use it as a template to cut two additional felt circles that will become the bottom half of the coaster.
4. Set aside the third blank felt piece for later.
5. Sew with straight stitches the fancy top to one of the back sides with a pleasing design. Children find it easiest to follow the outlines of the pattern. Remember to knot and backstitch in order to keep your work from unraveling.
6. Place the third felt circle on top of the first back side and either whip stitch the three felt circles together or use a blanket stitch, if you prefer. This third piece of felt will hide all of your knots!

Additional Suggestions: Some people may elect to craft this project with "No Sew."  Read and follow the directions given on the packaging of the "No Sew" instead of stitching the coaster together by hand.

Diamond design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Cross and fish design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Mum design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Snowflake design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

A wheel and spoke design by Grimm for a felt coaster.
All of these templates may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2017.

Assemble an embroidered bouquet wrap

You may wish to hang this bouquet
by a vintage dressing table.

Brief Description: I think this is a lovely way to give a simple bouquet of flowers. Baby's breath and red roses would look delightful tucked inside of this embroidered wrap. I used tissue paper flowers for the photograph because these were what I had at hand. Make something new out of something old. 

Supply List:

• embroidered pot holder
• embroidery floss, I used red
• embroidery needle
• scissors

Directions: 

1. Turn the pot holder face down and fold together two of it's opposite points to create the cone shape. Pin down the sides if necessary.
2. Thread your embroidery needle as thickly as you wish and stitch these two side together with a firm decorative stitch. 
3. Stuff the cone shaped wrap with a posy and give it to your sweetheart or friend.

Additional Suggestions: For those of you who still celebrate May Day, this little project would be quiet charming. There are so many of these little embroidered pot holders for sale in antique malls and flee markets for mere pocket change.

The cone shape allows for a charming little
package for rose buds and baby's breath.

An old-fashioned pot holder I picked up in a local antique shop.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

halloween silhouettes for paper treat bags

Brief Description: Decorate candy treat bags with simple silhouettes of a cat, bat, rat and hat.

Supply List:

• black construction paper
• yellow and black markers
• scissors
• prefabricated treat bags (I choose orange)
• white glue
• templates
• white led or wax pencil
• contrasting tissue or cellophane
• candy treats

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the silhouette templates.
2. Trace around these with a white led or wax pencil.
3. Cut out and paste these to the treat bags.
4. Fill with tissue or cellophane along with candy treats.

Black bat graphic by Kathy Grimm
All of these templates may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

Black hat graphic by Kathy Grimm

Black rat graphic by Kathy Grimm

cut sucker sleeves from outer space!

A rocket sucker sleeve decorated with
shiny foil paper and stuffed
with a lemon flavored sucker.

Brief Description: Sucker sleeves "dress up" party favors for classroom parties. When I was very young, if you received a valentine with a sucker attached to it, you were considered a great friend. Not every package of student valentines included more than just a few sucker sleeves with a bonus treat.

Supply List:

• a variety of construction paper
• tin foils or other alternative shiny papers
• white glue
• black permanent ink marker, thin tipped
• scissors
• sucker sleeve templates
• stapler
• suckers, of course

Directions:

1. Cut out the templates and trace around these on top of the construction papers.
2. Cut out and glue together the patterns according to your own tastes. You may choose to use tin foils for the spaceships as well.
3. Use permanent black markers to draw on top of the tin foil. This will keep the ink from rubbing off onto clothing and table surfaces. This ink does bleed, however, so remember to keep your work surfaces padded with old newspapers.
4. Glue around the edges of your front template and then adhere the back template into place. Let this glue dry before stuffing the sucker sleeve with a piece of candy.
5. After stuffing the candy sleeve, you may need to add a few staples to keep the sucker from falling out of it's wrapper.

Additional Suggestions: Teachers and/or camp crafters may elect not to cut and paste these candy wrappers with fancy papers. Small ones would probably be just as happy to color in the templates with colored markers or crayons.

The back side of our rocket sucker sleeve.
Teachers may choose to give students some
shiny tin foil to craft a more realistic
spaceship or rocket!

A sample of a submarine sucker sleeve
colored with a bright yellow marker and
stuffed with a sour cherry sucker

The rocket ship sucker sleeve template.

The submarine sucker sleeve template.

The spaceship sucker sleeve template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

cut and paste treasure chest candy wrappers

Treat your pirate to Palmer chocolate,
gold coins packaged in our treasure chest candy wrapper!

Brief Description: These little paper treasure chests are easy and inexpensive to make. They make the perfect candy favors for a birthday party or holiday celebration. 

Supply List:

• one sheet of brown construction paper
• black ink pen
• silver ink pen
• scissors
• white glue
• one netted package of Palmer, gold, chocolate coins ( there are other brands of chocolate coins sold in the U.K.)
• pattern for the candy wrapper provided below.

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the templates
2. Trace one of each onto a sheet of brown construction paper.
3. Cut out the patterns and fold/cut where indicated on the pattern.
4. Glue just the out edges only of the back of the treasure chest and adhere this to the front.
5. Color the candy wrapper with black and silver ink as I have shown here in my pictures.

Don't forget to decorate the inside
of the candy wrapper as well

The backside view of our treasure chest

A treasure chest candy wrapper template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

Read more about "How to host a vintage pirate party" at Thrifty Scissors.

short quiz for abstract/realistic portrait

The following quiz is a formal assessment of the Abstract/Realistic Portrait Lesson Plan
True or False. A selection of color pictures for students to refer to is provided for this quiz.

1. There are a total of five abstract portraits on the sample sheet? (1pt.) (true)
2. In a profile portrait, the artist includes a nose, a mouth, and two eyes. (1pt.) (false)
3. All abstract portraits depict the subject from a frontal view. (1pt.) (false)
4. Another word for realistic in artistic circles is representational? (1pt.) (true)
5. A realistic portrait represents a person as he appears in real life. (1pt.) (true)
6.  A sculpture of a person can be considered a portrait. (1pt.) (true)
7.  Color may be used to describe both an abstract portrait and a realistic portrait. (1pt.) (true)
8.  In order to paint an abstract portrait, an artist must strategically simplify the original information associated with the appearance of the person he is painting. (1pt.) (true)
9. A patriot is the person who pays an artist to produce a portrait. (1pt.) (false)

Short Answer.

1. Which one of these portraits is a profile? (1pt.) Picture number three.
2. Which one of these portraits is representational? (1pt.) Picture number three.
3. Which portrait do you like best? Why? (2pts.) Any answer will do. The student must explain the "why" of their choice.
4. What kinds of simplified strategy did these artists use? (3pts.) lines, shapes, and colors
5. Which portrait is the most simple or which painting has the least amount of information? (1pt.) Picture number two.
6. Which abstract portrait is most like a representational portrait and why? (3pts.) Picture number six is most like a representational portrait, why? Students may give two of the three following answers; the colors of the paint describes naturalistic color combinations, the multiple strokes shape the face realistically, or three-dimensional space is represented on a two dimensional surface.

Create a mind map on the back of this quiz sheet that is representative of our art assignment. Use words and ideas to represent two types of portraits, representational and abstract. Diagram the knowledge that we have discussed in class. Include at least five characteristics of each type of portrait. (10pts.)

The following jpgs. go along with the short quiz and would normally be projected or posted in the classroom during the quiz.

Grading Rubric for Abstract/Representational Portrait Project

____Your name and grade clearly written on the back of your art assignment. (5 pts.)

____Bring a magazine ad or a photograph of a person to class for this project I am looking for a frontal view and it would be best for you to use a large portrait that fills a 81/2 by 11inch space completely. Divide the head in half and staple the two half’s to the top of the artwork after the project is completed. There is an example of this available in class. (5 pts.)

____Students must demonstrate the use of two mediums. It doesn’t matter which two that you choose. Make sure that you choose a medium that can be kept clean. (5 pts.)

____Two Distinctly different approaches to a portrait must be drawn on one sheet of paper. Both a representational interpretation and an abstract interpretation of the same person must be included in the project. (10 pts.)

____A color version earns you more points. (10 pts.)

____Articulation of the media is very important. These points are attributed to how well you have developed your technique. (25 pts.)

____The project should be neat and clean. (5 pts.)

____Please hand in the project on time! (5pts.)

70 pts. are possible for the Art Project. Your total number of pts. are ___ /___

30pts. are possible for the Quiz. Your total number of pts. are ___/___

All lesson plans and photographs are copyrighted by Grimm 2011