Collage and Scrap Fabrics

One of my favorite ways of working with children and the creation of art is to introduce collage as the process. I enjoy presenting a theme or topic and have the child create the image and then paint some of it, layer words in the art and paint over it, and add tiny mosaics of paper and scrap fabric. The layering works especially well in large and medium sized spaces and the collage of paper and fabrics often is most successful for the background areas.

This is the method I used when we worked on Wild Cat collages a few years ago. A little 3rd grade artist created this piece from torn paper squares, yarn and blue fabric swatches! I just adore it. The lion went to several local art shows that year. Her mother just loved how nice it looked when it was framed in a simple black frame under a piece of glass.

This fall around the end of October, my fifth graders were making Jasper Johns style flags. The students were able to layer words and song lyrics from the patriotic songs being sung at the concert right into their flags. It was such inspiring work! I liked the way this artist chose to use a variety of blue fabric wedges scattered in the field of blue!

I am so thrilled to have Wanda of Exuberant Color offer to send our school some of her finest trimmings from her quilt studio! She had written a post about cleaning up after a scrappy sewing session and I happened to comment to her on how we use fabric scraps in my art room. Thank you Wanda!