Snowy owls

As we are wrapping up some of our winter projects this week, I can't help but to wish for some snow to go along with them!  I know they're getting a ton of it in the Northeast this week, so maybe they can share a little with us? :) It doesn't snow often here in the south, but when it does, it's like Christmas all over again!  At least for me it is!  Here are a few of the snowy owl trees 1st grade is finishing this week. I found this one on Pinterest a couple of years ago and I was happy to try them this year!

Lantern instructions!!

Before Christmas break I sent my 4th graders home with a little homework task.  

They cut the pieces for this lantern out during class but we ran out of time to finish, so I gave them a little challenge... To finish it at home and bring it back for a prize! I had some students finish it at school but if you haven't quite gotten it, hopefully these step by step photos will help!  Remember you need 10 strips to put it together... 

Start by interlocking the top of two strips..

Continue this pattern...

...alternating colors as you choose until you get them all in place.  Then evenly space them out.

Then carefully flip the entire thing over...

 Pull one piece up to the middle...

...and interlock the next strip into the first...

Continue this pattern, one strip beside the next until all pieces are interlocked into a peppermint swirl pattern like the bottom of the lantern.

If all the pieces are put together correctly, it should stay together when you're finished! :)

Light it up!

This is the last week before Christmas!! Woohoo!  It really is the most exciting time of the year!  We've had so much going on and I've had several classes missing art to practice for their annual Christmas program, so we haven't had much time to do an in-depth project.  I am glad to have them back for this last week so we're doing a quick but cute little project for Christmas!  I found the inspiration for this one on Pinterest of course!  Here is the beautiful in-depth version: http://www.artwithmsgram.com/search?updated-max=2013-12-01T13:21:00-05:00&max-results=10&m=1

We used crayola color sticks, a little less messy, although I would love to do them as she did above when I have more time with them!  They are beautiful!

Had a very shiny nose!

I'm enjoying seeing these reindeer come to life as they're finishing them up!  Each one is different and unique, and has their own personality!

Value pumpkins

 These pumpkins were a great opportunity to study value and practice shading with paint in 5th grade.  We started with the white pumpkin so that they only had to work with two colors, white and brown.  Then we used yellow, green, and brown on the green pumpkins.  By the time we got to the orange pumpkins, where we used orange, yellow, and brown, they were getting pretty awesome at painting value!

Last few pumpkins and scarecrows!

I have a few pictures that I'm just now getting around to posting from November.  These adorable scarecrows were done by my 1st graders!

3rd grade Spiders

I'm a little late posting these!  3rd grade finished these last month and they turned out great!  We used color sticks for the spiders, water colors for the background, and white crayon to trace the web for a dewdrop effect. :)