Art Curriculum- Week 22- Easter Crosses (Out of Egg Cartons!)

Week 22- Egg Carton Crosses

Category: Spring/Easter

What you will need:

-egg cartons
-blue, yellow, pink, purple, blue, white tempera paint (or acrylic)
-hot glue
-(as close to the same colors used in the paint) ribbons
-brushes
-paint palettes
-decoration (example: I used sparkly butterflies from Hobby Lobby to work as the center decoration)

Time: 45-60 minutes (we spread this project over 2 days so that the paint would have plenty of time to dry)

I found this project at Katie's Crochet Goodies. To view the original project click here.

Prep:

• I cut the egg cartons longways first, 6 in a row. Then for the "arms" I cut 3 in a row.

• Beware of tears or splits. These can easily be fixed with hot glue.

• Lay the row of 3 over the row of 6. Use hot glue to attach. Trim the egg carton so that the cross will lay flat.
• I taught the kids what each of these 6 colors mean (later this week I will share a blog post on my Easter Colors lesson). Before I allowed them to take their color I made encouraged them to repeat back to me what their color meant. Then they could paint. Remind them to be gentle, the egg cartons are very bendy.
• Allow the crosses to dry.
• The next day I reviewed the colors with them again and what they symbolized. Then while they worked on sign language (which involved signing the colors and their basic meanings) I called up one at a time.
• They could pick 3 colors. I tied the ribbons in the center to keep them from slipping all over the place. I used hot glue and let them press the knotted part of the ribbon into a glob of glue I laid down in the center of the cross. Then they each got to pick a butterfly and stick that on top of the ribbons.
• Voila! A beautiful Easter decoration!
  
  Look for my blog post later this week explaining the symbolism of the colors!

Related blog posts:

-Pointillism
-Steampunk Earrings

(logging 3 hours for prep and execution - includes lesson, not just the craft)