I've been seeing lots of posts looking for help with teaching crafts classes. I've been typing out the same couple of responses to each then decided to post it here to more easily share with pictures.
There are two basic approaches. There is teach a technique or design for an end product. I did technique. My predecessor did end product (everyone design a chair, birdhouse, etc using any media). Here are a list of ideas of things I think qualify as "craft" and are able to be taught in a high school art classroom. One last disclaimer: we have a strong ceramics program, so we don't do traditional ceramics in this course.
One of the things I love about this course is that it can be the "catch all" for any of the new interesting things you want to try. For example when I heard about the Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project, it was easy to slip that experience into this course. I ordered a teaching tolerance kit and students chose their media following the museum's call for artwork guidelines. A wonderful example of how artists really work. Other classes are much more rigidly defined by elements and principles of art or your art history.
Sometime around 2008 I inherited our school's "contemporary crafts" class from a retiring teacher. I didn't really know what that would include (a blessing and a curse) so I went to the local book store and found some great magazines. One of my favorites for inspiration was American Craft. I also purchased DVD's of the pbs series Craft in America (And now your sub plans for this class are done!)
I'll be honest. Teaching elementary for the past 8 years has gotten me out of the zone, so I'm also looking for fresh ideas this summer as I return to the high school this fall to teach that course again.
I'll be honest. Teaching elementary for the past 8 years has gotten me out of the zone, so I'm also looking for fresh ideas this summer as I return to the high school this fall to teach that course again.
There are two basic approaches. There is teach a technique or design for an end product. I did technique. My predecessor did end product (everyone design a chair, birdhouse, etc using any media). Here are a list of ideas of things I think qualify as "craft" and are able to be taught in a high school art classroom. One last disclaimer: we have a strong ceramics program, so we don't do traditional ceramics in this course.
- Mosaics
- Jewelry Making (we used wire wrapping, magazine beads and polymer clay)
- Felted Beads
- Weaving (Loom)
- Weaving (Non-Loom: Macrame, Knotting, Coiling)
- Stitching
- Papermaking, Paper Casting, Pulp Painting
- Altered Books
- Beadmaking (polymer clay ) and magazine beads
- Sculpting with found objects or multiples
- Rust Printing (we make identity flags/banners)
- Mask Making
- Magazine Bowls
- Advanced Origami (design ideation, creating your own pattern)
- Scherenschnitte, Kirigami, papel picado (cultural paper cutting)
- Starched String & Fabric Sculptures
- Paper Marbling
- Felting (Wet Felting & Needle Felting)
Things I didn't try but that would work:
- Fabric Dying / Batik
- Wood and.or Soap Carving
- Beading
- Papier Mache
- Quilling
- Crochet
One of the things I love about this course is that it can be the "catch all" for any of the new interesting things you want to try. For example when I heard about the Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project, it was easy to slip that experience into this course. I ordered a teaching tolerance kit and students chose their media following the museum's call for artwork guidelines. A wonderful example of how artists really work. Other classes are much more rigidly defined by elements and principles of art or your art history.
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