Posts Tagged ‘Art project’





A Fun Project For the Kiddos

Monday, May 9th, 2011





“Stained Glass Windows”



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Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of spending time with a precious group of home schooled girls who have formed a group called, “Keepers”. They are all ages and are polite, gentle, giggly and ready to tackle anything that is put in front of them. I was asked to do an art project with them that could be accomplished by all ages, even the very young, and so I decided that mock stained glass windows were just the thing. The beauty about this project is that there is no right or wrong to it and even tiny fingers can paint glue and tear paper.

I loaded up the car with supplies, including a roll of newsprint for covering the dining table where we would be working. Most newspaper offices will sell you their end rolls of newsprint which offer you a plentiful supply of the paper for everything from covering tables to long murals for tempera paint. Our office charges by the inch thickness of paper on the roll.


The supplies that you will need for this project for each child are as follows:

  • A plain wooden frame that is open on the back with no type of channel
  • A piece of 1/8″ plexiglas cut to the size of the frame that you choose to use. You can purchase plexiglas at any local glass company and they will cut it to size. It will run you anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on the size.
  • paint brush
  • Good quality, thicker tissue paper like you find at Hobby Lobby – lots of colors
  • A Medium or large black Sharpie Pen
  • Elmers glue
  • a small paper cup
  • tape
  • Stained glass pattern – you can print one from this site or you can draw your own. I drew these patterns just for this project. They would not be suitable for actual stained glass work because of the layout.


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    Cover the table with newsprint or an old tablecloth and place the stained glass pattern onto the table. Lay the plexiglas over the pattern and center. Place tape at either side of the plexiglas onto the pattern to hold the plexiglas in place. Using a Sharpie pen, trace the pattern onto the plexiglas. For thicker lines, go over the lines again. Remove the tape and pattern and turn the plexiglas face side down (side with the drawn pattern down).


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    Pour Elmer’s glue into small paper cup and add enough water to make it easy to paint – about 3 parts glue to 1 part water. Using a paintbrush, paint the glue mixture onto a portion of the traced pattern on the plexiglas. Tear pieces of tissue paper to fit shapes and lay onto the glue. Paint over the back of the paper, once on the plexiglas, with a thin coat of the glue mixture.


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    Offer lots of different colors


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    Continue painting each section of the drawing with glue and add different colors of paper according to what part is being completed. Be sure that the back of the papers are painted with the glue mixture as well.


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    This is one time that “staying inside the lines” has absolutely no application! Colors can overlap, glue can get splattered. It doesn’t matter.


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    Young children are really successful with this project because it does not have to be exact.


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    A dove is starting to emerge!


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    The youngest one has finished. A damp cloth easily removes any wayward glue. When the glue has dried, hot glue the plexiglass into the frame by placing little dots of hot glue in each inside corner of the frame. Display on a wire easle or add a hanger and hang in the window on a suction cup hanger that can be purchased at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Be sure and choose a window that does not have direct sunlight as it will fade the colors of the paper.


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    They all did such a good job, don’t you think?


    This is an easy and fun project for kids of all ages. I hope that you get a chance to try it.


    Happy Crafting!



    MB
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