This project is really quite simple to make, yet the results are all so unique. Using watercolors, each student painted two pieces of paper - one paper for the warm colors and one paper for the cool colors.
Once the paper is dry, children fold one of their papers in half and begin cutting on the fold until they reach a line that I have already drawn for them about an inch from the end of the paper. You know what would happen if they cut all the way through!!! Then they take their other paper and cut a strip off and begin weaving it. They continue to cut one strip at a time and weave until they have no room left. I have them cut and weave only one piece at a time so that the design on the paper they are cutting is put back together correctly in the weaving. Get it? I know what I mean, but hard to put in words. :)
To make sure the paper all stays in place, students add a dab of glue to each end of the strip. I mount these colorful weavings on black paper and display them horizontally.
Natalie | November 11, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I love these! Do you find paper weaving extremely stressful to teach? I just did it with black and white paper and can't tell you how many kids cut the wrong side or couldn't get that the strips have to touch! I teach in Houston and just started a blog www.elementaryartfun.blogspot.com