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December 17, 2015

DIY Art Cards for Montessori Learning

The world is a spectacularly beautiful place! And, I want to share that beauty with my children. Montessori living is all about introducing your children to real life experiences in the most concrete way possible. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say that again -- concrete reality comes first, and the abstract comes later.


When it comes to learning about fine art, I think the best way to do this is to immerse children in a world where they see fine art. We are fortunate enough to live in a major metropolitan area where we have access to a wide variety of museums, and we take advantage of those when we can. However, I still wanted something more concrete in our home. 


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So, I recently created these simple art cards to increase our exposure to a variety of popular famous artists. While nothing can replace actually seeing this wonderful art, these cards give us a glimpse at wonderful pieces of art. Plus, these cards were simple and easy to make! 


To make these art cards, you need: 



Then to make, I simply put the stickers on the paper and laminated them. I cut them into small cards and used the punch to round the corners. This turned them into beautiful little cards in the perfect size to attract both Nora and Henry. I had Henry look through the books and help me pick which stickers to make into cards. 


You can make larger cards and wall art in a similar manner using pictures from calendars. Or, I often use {as funny as it sounds} fancy coasters that I find at thrift stores as art. Many are extraordinarily beautiful and realistic, and can easily be hung on a wall with some picture hanging strips. 


While I made these more with Henry in mind, I've noticed that Nora is equally interested in the small cards. They are perfect for toddlers and can be used to create a variety of work. Babies and toddlers could use to: 
  • Simply appreciate the art and explore the cards 
  • Sort into the different artists 
  • Find and talk about common objects -- Nora particularly likes one painting with a cat
  • Picture to Picture matching -- if you had two sets of stickers 


For primary aged (3-6 preschoolers) you can have a deeper level of exploration. You could: 
  • Use them as a jumping off point for a deeper study of each artist
  • Sort them by artistic style -- impressionist verses modern, for example 
  • Talk about how each picture feels, what stands out -- we then sorted the cards by the color that "spoke" to us in each picture and ultimately made a rainbow of pictures
  • Recreate some of the art using different mediums 


One of my favorite things we've done with the cards so far has been creating an inspirational painting. Henry choose a card as inspiration, examined it with a magnifying glass and painted away! I even got into the painting fun -- although Henry said my rendition {below} of Renoir's painting looked more like a monkey then a boy! 


Have you studied fine art with your children? 

12 Months of Montessori! 

This post was brought to you as part of the 12 Months of Montessori series! This month's theme is fine art! Visit the blogs below for Montessori inspired fine art ideas, activities and thoughts! 


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Comments

Every Star Is Different
I love how you use stickers to create your cards. I'll definitely have to check those out. I also love the rounded corners on your cards, especially for little hands. It makes them so much more inviting and safe after being laminated.
Every Star Is Different
I love how you use stickers to create your cards. I'll definitely have to check those out. I also love the rounded corners on your cards, especially for little hands. It makes them so much more inviting and safe after being laminated.
Unknown
Unknown said…
This is great! I love making my own cards for the kids and you gave me some great ideas.
Unknown
Unknown said…
Gosh, you make stickers on paper look so beautiful! I agree that laminating is a must since it really brings out the vibrancy of the colours. Just lovely!
Mama's Happy Hive
I love these art sticker books! They are just perfect for young children to hold and examine.
Bess Wuertz
Bess Wuertz said…
That is a brilliant way to make cards. I love it! And now I must have a corner rounding punch.
Unknown
Unknown said…
This is brilliant and I'm going to have to make some! My daughter who has recently turned 1 loves looking at our van Gogh picture in the hallway it really seems to calm her but she eats everything in sight at the moment so I wouldn't be able to let her look at art books! My son age 7 would get a lot from these cards also as they often talk about artists at school. Thank you :-)
Unknown
Unknown said…
Did you use 3 or 5 ml laminating sheets? I've tried two corner rounders that won't cut through the second sheet. It sticks. What brand corner rounder?