Create an Eye-catching Face Shield with Creative PaperClay!

                                    

Teaching in the age of COVID has taken on an interesting list of "must-haves" to stay safe in the classroom.  None is more interesting (to me) than the face shield.  I teach in a private Catholic School, and we have returned to school 5 days a week, in-person.  The administration gifted every member of the staff with a God-awful ugly face shield to be worn whenever we cannot maintain a 6' distance between the students and us.  As an art teacher, that distance is basically impossible as I roam the aisles between the desks (6' apart), obviously getting in much closer than recommended.  With the reality that the shield would be a regular part of my outfit, I set to work accessorizing the accessory 😉

Materials:

Creative PaperClay

Plaid Folk Art paint in colors of choice plus a brush or sponge 

Aleene's "The Ultimate" tacky glue

assorted flexible molds

flexible face shield

tape (optional)

Procedure:

  
 

Decorating the face shield began by painting over the blue "FACE SHIELD" logo and directions (I think I am capable of figuring it out).  I mean, seriously, who needs directions on how to put the face shield on?!?!  For this, I went to my stash of paints and pulled 3 of my favorite Plaid Folk Art paints: #6313 Tanzanite Multi-surface Metallic, #5882 Purple Glitterfic, and #2797 black Extreme Glitter.  I painted the blue stripe with Tanzanite first, using multiple layers (drying between each layer) until the writing was hidden.  Next up, a thin layer of the Extreme Glitter.  I wanted bling, but I didn't want the black glitter to overpower the beautiful purple (obviously my favorite color).  The final paint applied was the purple Glitterific.  After all, everything is better with bling!!

NOTE:  Before applying paint, be sure to tape off a straight edge.  Trust me, I speak from experience that you cannot paint a perfectly straight line without it!

A few thoughts about painting the plastic:

1) A sponge works better than a brush for applying the metallic paint.  Using a sponge will add a texture to the color, which in turn will capture the glitter paint when applied.

2) Use a brush for the Extreme Glitter paint unless you want it to show more than the color behind.

3) And finally, use a sponge to apply the Glitterific paint.  A sponge will quickly disperse the glitter fibers into an even, blingy coat.  Both the Glitterific and Extreme Glitter paints will cover nicely with one coat.

I recommend removing the tape as soon as the painting is complete.  

Next up, decorating!!  I have a considerable stash of flexible molds in my studio and classroom.  I decided to go with faces and flowers for this mask (I am sure there will be more if in-person teaching continues since only one would be so dull!).  I chose Creative PaperClay for the dimensional components because of its weight...super lightweight!  Open a package of Creative PaperClay and pull off a small bit.  Wrap any remaining clay in plastic wrap or a Ziploc baggie (be sure to press all of the air out).

It doesn't take much to fill the designs in any of these molds.  Pull off a small bit of the clay, roll it into a ball, and then press it into the desired recessed area of the mold, flattening the back as you push.  To remove the component, simply flex the mold. 

Repeat until you have a variety of clay components to decorate the painted area.  

Allow the clay to dry overnight.  If you are an impatient person, they can also be placed in the oven (275 degrees) for about 10-15 minutes to quickly dry.  Arrange the clay components on the painted area, rearranging as they speak to you. 

Just a thought: Be sure to leave spaces between the pieces so the shield can still flex around your head.

 Once you are happy with the arrangement, apply a bit of Aleene's "The Ultimate" tacky glue (my favorite) to the back of each piece and press it into place.  Allow to dry and then go WOW your friends and co-workers with your unique face shield revamp!

Optional:  Creative PaperClay can be painted or powdered or inked easily.  If desired, components can be detailed before gluing to the face shield.  

Written and created by Linda Hess

Holiday Fun with Delight Air Dry and Creative PaperClay

Anyone who follows my blog posts knows that I am an Art Teacher to ages PreK-8th grade.  the students LOVE when I pull out the clay for a project!  For today's blog post I will highlight some mixed media art projects that can be created with a variety of ages.  Of course, any of the projects could be amped up by older children and adults, but I don't think there is anything better than appreciating the talent of youngsters.

First up, Day of the Dead Shrines that I created with my 8th graders.  This project took 3-4 weeks (1hr class periods) to complete.

Class 1: Students began the project by creating a box bottom (with tabs) from thin cardboard (cereal box, breakfast bar box, etc.).  An Altoid tin was used for sizing.  Once the base was completed, decorating the inside of the shrine began.  Students used scrapbook paper, recycled book pages, washi tape, and other materials to decorate the inside and give the figure an interesting backdrop.

Class 2: Delight Air Dry day!  Students were given the same amount of Delight Air Dry Modeling Compound to create the figures for their shrines.  They were shown how to dab the surface with watercolor markers and mix the color into the clay to add color where desired.  Many of the students left the clay white since they were creating skeletons, but look closely at the projects and you will see color details (a rose, a hat, a bow, etc.).  I have only chosen a few examples to share.  Other details (eyes, facial details, mustaches) were added to the figures with ultrafine Sharpie after the pieces dried. 

The figures were set aside to dry until the next class period.  Then students continued work on bases and began creating the lid (or top) of the shrines with any remaining class time.

Class 3:  Students completed the shrines: Finetuning the details, gluing figures in place, gluing the lid onto the tabs, and adding glitter glue details (is there anything better than bling?!).  I was thrilled with the results and all of the students seemed pleased.  

 

 

 

 
I lied...had to share all of them 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Is there any wonder why I couldn't share just a few??  I love the humor that many students added to individual shrines (please notice that even Star wars made an appearance).

Next up, my 6th graders created Nativity scenes featuring the Holy Family.  These students completed the project in three 45 minute class periods.  They began by painting canvases using watercolors.  Once complete, we sprinkled salt onto the wet canvas and set them aside to dry until the next class.  Next class, they were given Delight Air Dry clay and directions for adding color (just like the 8th graders).  With that, they were off and running!

 

I forgot to mention that some of the students added "sand paint" to the bottom of the canvases.  What is sand paint?  Literally, sand mixed into the paint.  Students used a popsicle stick to spread it onto the bottom of their canvases to give added dimensional detail to the finished pieces.

The final touches came in the 3rd class as students completed the scenes, glued figures to the canvas, and added glitter glue star details (you knew the bling had to creep in somehow).

 

 

Final class to share: My Kindergarteners
For the Kindergarten project, we took four 35 minute class periods to complete!  In the first class, they created value paintings using white and one other color of their choosing.  We had blue, black, purple, and red skies!  Value painting started with the students painting a white moon somewhere towards the top of the canvas.  Then the brush was dipped into the darker paint and mixed into the white before painting around the moon.  The step was repeated until the whole canvas was completely painted.  As you can imagine, some got it while others just enjoyed the process of painting.
Class #2, the students were given popsicle sticks to color and glue in place to form a stable.  I love kindergarten technicolor stables!  Not a brown wood stable anywhere to be found.
Class #3, the kindergarteners were given Creative PaperClay.  I chose Creative PaperClay for them because I thought mixing colors into the delight would end up with "mud" rather than individual colors.  It also allowed focus on fine-motor skills of rolling, shaping, and squashing.  Pieces were left in place on the canvases to dry.
Class #4, the dried figures were taken off the canvases to paint and then glued back in place.  Of course, glitter glue stars were added.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my talented students at work and learning that these amazing products (Delight Air Dry Modeling Compound and Creative PaperClay) are perfect for use in the classroom setting.