Found art figures can be made with classroom students as young as second grade, with neighborhood center participants, in therapy sessions, as inter-generational and multi-cultural activities, at birthday parties, or with other groups. Classroom teachers can organize their own found art figure activity or have an artist-in-residence lead their class or school in a found art figure project of 1 – 3 sessions. Boys participate equally in making found art figures.

Begin to collect items which can be used to make your found art figures. Any small household or hardware item might be useable. Put a box in the office for donations of items. Sort your objects. Use plastic containers or shoe boxes to store similar objects together. Keeping items sorted is key to this being a successful project.

Construction methods can challenge student’s creativity as much as the variety of items that are gathered. Have volunteers to help with construction. Encourage students to have a plan in their mind…

A found art figure or creature is a figure that is constructed from various recycled or “found” items. A found art figure can represent a human, an animal, a creature or an inanimate object, such as a plane. A found art figure is usually about 10” – 18” long, but could be smaller or bigger. A found art figure is made from scraps of wood, cardboard, plastic bottles, spools, bottle caps, picture frame molding, various yarns, beads, and other assorted embellishments and found objects.

Found art figures are small scale human representations which can tell us something about the human condition. All cultures throughout the ages have made miniature representations of the human form. My inspiration for found art figures came from an artist in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who made fabulous found art figures out of scraps of wood and assorted common objects. All of his figures had names written on them. Many had bottle caps or plastic lids…

Fabric figures can be made with classroom students as young as kindergarten age, neighborhood center participants, in therapy sessions, as inter-generational activities, at birthday parties, or with other groups. Classroom teachers can organize their own fabric figure activity or have an artist-in-residence lead their class or school in a fabric figure making project. Boys participate equally in making fabric figures, and can benefit from the opportunity to create human representations – an activity often reserved for girls only.

If you are making fabric figures with more than 2 or 3 children at a time, you might want to pre-make basic figures. (See How to Make a Fabric Figure handout) Be sure to use a variety of skin tone fabrics to represent the diversity of people in the world. You can also pre-make skirts and pants on a sewing machine– this step will greatly simplify your project, especially for very young children.

Children can be taught basic sewing skills through the…

A fabric figure is a soft sculpture, a rag-type doll or “persona” doll. It can also be referred to as a puppet. A fabric figure usually represents a human person, but not always. A fabric figure is about 6” – 12” long, but can be made smaller or bigger. A fabric figure is made from scraps of fabric, batting, rope, trim, lace, yarn, other embellishments and assorted objects.

Fabric figures are small scale human representations which can tell us something about the human condition. All cultures throughout the ages have made miniature representations of the human form. Fabric figures or rag dolls serve as playthings for children, who learn life’s lessons through play. Children learn how to nurture other people by taking care of fabric figures, rag dolls or puppets. We give children fabric figures or dolls when they are about to embark upon important journeys, to give them a sense of security. When dolls accompany children, they carry a…

Fabrications can be made with classroom students, scouts or camp-goers. Each student can contribute a “treasure” to the composition. Depending on ages and skill levels, students can help construct the fabrication. Volunteers can help sew, too. This is a good way to teach basic sewing skills to children.

Be sure to have extra “treasures” for students who do not bring contributions from home. Another possibility is to take students without treasures to a thrift shop to choose a treasure there. All students can write a short piece describing why their contribution is a treasure, or what is meaningful to them about the item.

Fabrications can be made with other groups, too. Community centers and retirement centers can use fabrications as inter-generational projects and story-telling opportunities. Fabrications can be used to celebrate a common history, such as “Fabrications – A Celebration of Madison’s 150 Years – in Cloth” – a project I conducted in 2006.

A fabrication is a fabric collage which incorporates pieces of clothing and related items such as hats, gloves, slippers, belts and jewelry into a design. It can serve as a “memory quilt” in which families, classrooms or communities can create visual repositories for collected treasures and heirlooms. I believe that a human “essence” lingers on the clothing and related items that we use. My intention in creating fabrications is to evoke that human presence. Another intention is to create a pleasing composition, as with all art. Since a fabrication is hand-sewn, it connects us with generations of sewers, from many cultures, who create beauty with a needle and thread. By hanging these often anonymous bits of sometimes exquisite handiwork on the wall, we are saying “this work, often made by women, matters.”

To make a fabrication of your own, begin to collect items which you want to include in your fabrication. Organize your items. I usually do this according to…

Murals can be painted with classroom students, neighborhood center participants or other community groups. Each person can contribute to the mural at their level of ability. I have worked with children as young as 4. Depending on skill levels, students can help with various parts of the mural – younger children can help with priming and creating a background, while older children and adults can help with detail. One of the best things about painting a mural is that it fosters cooperation. I recommend NEVER break the mural up into individual sections – like a quilt – one per student. You will be missing a great opportunity to teach your students to develop a design and make a mural together.

If you are inviting a muralist to work with your group, it is best that your group develops a theme, not the muralist. The muralist will work with your group to foster a sense of community and further the goals…

A mural is a large scale painting. A mural can be painted directly on a wall or on panels or on canvas that can be attached to a wall. The first step in painting a mural is to develop a design. (See “Additional Considerations” for schools and community groups.) Murals can be painted in any style – hard-edge, impressionistic, realistic, abstract, or a mix of styles.There are various methods for turning a small design into a mural.

A design can be drawn on paper with a grid. Each square is enlarged to a corresponding square on the mural. For example, a 12”x12” design divided into 1” squares can be made into a 12’x12’ mural in which each 1” square is transferred to the corresponding 1’ area of the mural.  The design can be projected onto the wall or panel with a slide projector or opaque projector and then traced.

The design can be sketched onto the wall or panel “freehand”…