Tissue Box Monsters

TISSUE BOX MONSTERS

Created by 1st Graders at School No. 2 

This school year I was really looking forward to a new fun art lesson that would be in the Halloween spirit.  While cruising the internet one day I came across the great idea to take ordinary tissue boxes and turn them into Monsters!  So I got right on it and got the troops started on collecting Tissue Boxes.  Luckily they all came through and I was able to do the project!  

To prepare the tissue boxes, I painted them myself with acrylic paint.  I recommend this especially if doing them with a young grade like first.  It's a messy process to paint the boxes and some require two coats to hide the patterns plus it allows for the kids to spend more time creating their Monsters!!  

I got the kids excited for the lesson by reading them the book, When  A Monster Is Born  and then the students went to their seats which they found covered in newspaper with a tray of paint with four oddly shaped wooden blocks.  I showed the students how we were going to take the blocks and stamp the paint onto their monster.  After a few minutes I flicked the lights off and the students rotated tables so that they were at a new table with different stamps and a different color paint.  The students did this two more times.  I reminded them to cover all sides (minus the bottom) and to make patterns.  The students did a great job with this! 

Next class, I brought the students around the demo table to show them a  variety of ways to create teeth, arms and legs for their monsters.  They could make all sorts of different kinds of teeth just by doing different line designs.  This let them think back to the skills learned in our first lesson of the year A-R-T and apply them here.  

We have 35 minute classes which FLYS by!  So this lesson took 3-4 classes to complete.  

Now it was time for the Eyes!  I gave the students Model Magic Clay and demoed how to roll it into balls to make eyes.  They were encouraged to make 1-2-3 or 4 eye balls.  We then reviewed the parts of the eye.  The students drew on the iris and pupil with marker and cut eye  lashes out of black paper.  

With extra time, the students were able to add tongues, antennas and tails.  

The last step was a short writing assignment that had the students describe their monster's personality.  

A habitat was created for the monsters in the Hallway.