Colorful Canned Mushrooms by Nichole Hahn

27-Apr-18

Lesson Plans, Casting, Colored Sand

ACTÍVA Products

As part of the ACTÍVA Products 2018 Art Teacher Mystery Box Contest, art teacher Nichole Hahn created this Colorful Canned Mushrooms project.

Art Teacher Nichole Hahn created this colorful canned mushroom art as her entry to the ACTIVA Products Mystery Box Contest.  Get the lesson plan in this post.

About the Art Teacher

"My name is Nic Hahn and I’m a K-8 Visual Arts Teacher in Minnesota. I love sharing the happenings of my classroom on my blog, on Instagram, and on Twitter.

For this project I was inspired by Contemporary Artist, Stephanie Kilgast who creates amazing mini sculptures in soup cans. She has a very active Instagram. I loved this idea of using a small, recycled can being the base of a mini environment. My goal was to take Stephanie Kilgast's extremely intricate works of art and make a student friendly version for future classes of mine to create!"

Supplies Needed

  • ACTÍVA Products Activ-Clay
  • ACTÍVA Products InstaMold
  • ACTÍVA Products PermaStone
  • ACTÍVA Products Scenic Sand
  • Tin can
  • Containers for mixing InstaMold and PermaStone
  • Water
  • Cups to hold Scenic Sand
  • Toothpicks
  • Wire
  • Mod Podge
  • Floral foam
  • Binder clips
  • Moss
  • Glue
  • Decorative elements like beach glass, beads, etc.

Instructions for Making Colorful Canned Mushrooms

1. Create the shape of a mushroom with Activ-Clay. Clay can dry or you can use it when still pliable.

Create a mushroom top shape with Activ-Clay.

2. Mix InstaMold into a container that is at least two times deeper than the tallest mushroom top.

3. Place the mushroom tops into the InstaMold until set. Remove to reveal the shape of the mushroom top in the InstaMold.

Place the clay mushroom top into the InstaMold.

4. Mix PermaStone and place it into the InstaMold mushroom top shapes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Place a toothpick in the PermaStone Mushroom Top and let harden.

Insert toothpick into PermaStone mushroom and let it harden.

5. Remove PermaStone Mushroom Top.

Remove mushroom top from InstaMold and pour in mixed PermaStone.

6. Cover toothpick with colorful wire.

Wrap a toothpick in colorful wire.

7. Dip mushroom top into Mod Podge. Dab excess Mod Podge off.

Dip mushroom head into Mod Podge and dab off the excess Mod Podge.

8. Place mushroom top into Scenic Sand and set aside to dry.

Dip mushroom head into Scenic Sand colored sand to create a colorful and textured effect.

Set mushrooms aside to dry.

9. Cut floral foam to fit into a soup can. You can use extra scraps to create ‘hill’ on the top of the foam.

Cut floral foam to fit into a soup can.

10. Add moss to the top of the foam.

Glue moss to the top of the foam.

11. Place mushrooms into the moss and foam.

Push the mushrooms into the floral foam and moss.

12. Add extras such as beach glass, beads, and other found objects.

Add extra elements like sea glass, wire, beads, etc. Click to see this free lesson plan that teaches students how to create beautiful micro-sculptures with every day items!  It also introduces them to casting and color theory.  #lessonplan #artlessonplan #artteacher

2018-04-27