Art Explorers - Chihuly Chandeliers

I saw this idea a loooooong time ago and was just waiting for the time to implement it in the Art Explorers program. It was such a fun an cool project! 

PROGRAM BASICS

• For children ages 6 through 12 yrs
• Must register prior to program due to limited space. If space allows, children can walk in day off. 
• 1 hour in length

THEME 
Chihuly Chandeliers

PROJECT EXAMPLE 

INTRODUCTION 
Since Dale Chihuly is a modern artist I did not really have very many books to share with the children. We did have a wonderful color photo oversize from our adult collection at the Central Library. Some children were fortunate enough to have a field trip to the Dallas Arboretum when it had a Chihuly exhibit in their gardens.

HOW TO MAKE IT?
Supplies 

• Laminate scraps  
• Permanent marker
• Scissors 
• Hole punch
• Yarn  

 The children were given four or five pieces of laminate scraps (my library system as a laminating machine and after someone uses it I had them send me their scraps). They drew a spiral design with a sharpie then they colored it in any fashion they wanted with the markers. When they were done they had to cut out their spirals. I helped them hole punch the center of each spiral. The children then thread the spirals onto a length of year that had a big knot at one end. It is perfectly OK and encouraged for the spirals be of different sizes and to get tangled among each other. That is how it creates the cool curly-cue "glass" design.

HOW DID IT GO?
Attendance: 18 children, 4 adults
Everyone thought it was the coolest project! There were so many cool chandeliers to be seen. I did prop up my emergency door and had a fan going in the room because having 18 children using smelly permanent makers in a very small room had the potential to have some very giggly kids and adults or to have headaches.