Small & Mighty Activity #3
Spider Web Crafts
We have a lot to learn from some of the tiniest creatures that roam this planet...especially how spiders build strong, interciate webs!!!
Using spider webs as inspiration, here at 3 projects we made this week- String Art, Spider Web Watercolour Painting, and Zentangles Webs. These fun-filled activities are designed for any age range from small kids all the way up to teenagers , but we will admit we enjoyed making all of these ourselves!
String Art
What a beautiful way to use a spider web as inspiration to make piece of art that is any crafters’ dream!
Materials you will need:
-piece of wood
-hammer
-nails
-pencil
-paper (image printed for tracer)
-twine or string
-paint and paintbrush (optional)
Start by painting your board whatever colour you want. We choose to whitewash our piece of wood first.
Print off on a piece of paper a silhouette of the item you wish to trace. (Some fun ideas could be hearts, stars, a tree, a bolded letter, or an animal). Make sure it fits onto the size of board you have.
Use a pencil to lightly trace around the outside of the image.
With adult supervision, use a hammer to insert a steady row of nails on the outline. Each nail should roughly be the same distance apart from one another- we left about ¼ inch gaps between ours.**We recommend doing this outside on a picnic table in case a nail goes through the back of the board.
Next cut off a long piece of twine or coloured string and begin creating a web looping around the outside of the nails first and then randomly on the inside to create a webbed pattern. If your nails are perfectly aligned, you could also make a grid.
Make sure to securely tie the end off to ensure it doesn’t unravel.
Hang it up on a wall or display it proudly on a bookshelf!
Spider Web Watercolour
Is your child obsessed with their watercolour painting kit? I know we have a few of those little ones in our families and they love using them!
Materials you will need:
-coffee filter
-paper towels
-hot glue
-pencil
-watercolour paint
-paint brushes
Take a coffee filter and trace a spider web onto it lightly with a pencil. The secret to making the spider outline white is hot glue! With adult supervision, but a thin bead of hot glue on all the lines of the spider web. After that dries then you can use those treasured watercolour paints to fill in the rest of the web.
**Put paper towels underneath your coffee filters to soak up excess paint and not ruin your working surface.**
So many beautiful colours emerge as they mix together!
Side Note: This totally brought us a nostalgic moment thinking back to all of our tie dye days at camp.
Zentangle Webs
You may not have heard the word “zentangle” before , but you have probably seen it in some form or another.
A brief history:
Zentangle is an American method for drawing, which not only promotes concentration and creativity but at the same time increases personal well-being. Zentangle was invented by a monk named Rick Roberts and an artist named Maria Thomas. With Zentangle they created a combination of meditation and art.
Materials you will need:
-cardstock or plain paper
-pencil
-ruler
-black sharpie (fine tip works best
-markers/coloured pencils (optional)
Using a ruler to start, create a web on your paper. We started by drawing straight lines diagonally across our paper from corner to corner to make an X and then two more lines through those to make a star shape. Then we add curved lines that connect (see example). You can make each section as symmetrical as possible for a cleaner look or make them off-centered for a whimsical look.
Now begin to fill in each section with different types of lines, patterns, and designs. This is called zentangle- think circles, dots, spirals, zig zag or wavy lines. The more details you add the more interesting and unique your web will be! After you are finished with your design, you can outline it with your black sharpie to make it really stand out! You can choose to colour each section in or leave it black and white. You could even add in a drawing of a spider to make it look more realistic. Enjoy and let your imagination run wild.
