Art Curriculum for Any Holiday

Need an enjoyable and low-cost activity to celebrate a holiday or engage students in a theme unit? Get out the glue and the tissue paper for two no-fail craft projects. Each of the following lesson plans can be used with preschool or elementary students. The complexity of designs can be modified to accommodate student age and ability level.

Tissue Paper Mosaics

Materials: Different colors of tissue paper, large holiday stencils, white glue mixed with a small amount of water, small containers to hold mixed glue, paint brushes, card stock

Core areas: Fine motor skills, crossing-the-midline, scissor skills

Preparation:

• Before class, create holiday or themed stencils for your students.
• Mix glue with a bit of water ahead of time, and place in containers for student use.

Suggestions for Thematic or Holiday:

• Easter egg, Easter Bunny or crucifix for Easter Activities
• American flag for the 4th of July
• Jack-o-lantern for Halloween
• Turkey for Thanksgiving
• Tannenbaum, Santa, wreath or candle for Christmas
• Star of David, Dreidel, or Menorah for Hanukkah
• Heart with Cupid's arrow for Valentine’s Day
• Shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day
• Tree for Arbor Day
• Mother Earth for Earth Day
• Caterpillars and butterflies
• Planets or the sun
• Flowers for a garden unit
• A log cabin for a colonial unit

Activities:

• Model for students how to trace the stencil onto the card stock.
• Once the stencil has been traced, ask students to cut out the shape.
• Ask students to tear tissue paper of their choice into one-to-two inch squares.
• Using a paint brush, show students how to brush glue onto the stencil a small portion at a time (4X4” or so at a time, so that the glue will not dry before the project is completed).
• Ask students to wad up each piece of tissue paper before applying it to the stencil. The different colors of tissue paper will create a mosaic-style picture.

Tissue Paper Collages

As an alternative, students can create beautiful collage designs for just about any thematic or holiday unit using cut out tissue paper shapes.

Materials: Different colors of tissue paper, beads, buttons, glitter, Rectangular card stock, white glue mixed with a small amount of water, small containers to hold mixed glue, paint

Core areas: Fine motor skills, crossing-the-midline, scissor skills

Activities:

• Ask students to plan out a design that can be made with various layered shapes.
• Students will use a paint brush to apply glue to each piece of tissue.
• Then students willapply each tissue shape to a piece of rectangular card stock in order to create the desired image.
• Next, lightly brush glue on the top of the applied tissue paper and add glitter, beads, or buttons for added interest. The resulting design will have a colorful stained glass appearance.

Don't forget to take pictures for your class newspaper!

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