An Art History Craft

What is Great About This Craft:

• It's inexpensive 
• This is a fun craft for older elementary and middle school boys or girls
• You can research Egyptian history

What You Will Need For This Craft:

1. A medium to larger disposable water or juice bottle
2. Glue or Modge-Podge - Learn how to make your own Glue: 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vinegar  
3. Newspaper 
4. 5 to 7 Colors of Acrylic Paints: White or Gesso, Bronze or Gold, and a few other colors
5. A container for glue and water
6. A medium and small paint brush
7. A small piece of cardboard
8. A pencil
9. Gauze or toilet paper

Here's How We Started This Craft:

Step 1: Have a disposable water bottle handy. Have an adult cut off the top.

Step 2: Cut strips of newspaper. Mix the strips in water downed glue.

Step 3: Wet the strips in the watered down glue. Then take a strip and run it through your fingers over the glue mixture. That way the glue is all over the strip + the excess was off of it.

I handed each strip off to Isaak to start to applying it to the water bottle.

Leave the glue handy. You may need more. It's a good idea to have the strips overlapping.

This is what the inside of the bottle looked like:

Step 4: Let it dry!

I usually let the project be overnight, or work on in the morning and come back to work on it some more in the evening. 

Paint it with white paint, or Gesso.

Step 5: Start an Art History lesson.

I showed Isaak images of Egyptian art. I had him draw a character on paper, then look at it to draw on his paper mache water bottle.

Step 6: Choose your colors to start to paint.

Isaak tried to color his drawing with gel pens. That wasn't successful. It's good to try different methods of working. We moved onto paint. We used the quickest drying paint: Acrylics. Tempera would would as well. We love the bronze, and gold that can be added - only those come in acrylic. 

Here's the colors Isaak chose:

Isaak got a little hesitant when it came to painting details. I helped him at times. Parent help really could very with each kid. I often paint with Isaak watching, then let him paint. He was much more confident towards the middle of the painting process. 

Use a brush that's the same size as the area you are painting. Try to not get paint in the metal part of the brush. That isn't always easy for kids.

Step 7: Parent - cut the bottle in 1/2 length wise. 

Step 8: Make the Mummy.

We used cardboard, a pencil taped to the back to keep it still. Then we wrapped it in gauze and toilet paper. 

 Step 9: Open your bottle and add the Mummy.

What's your favorite time in history?