Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: How to make Custom Frames !

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: How to make Custom Frames !: How to make custom picture frames and paint them for  any occasion. The other day, I was looking at professional  photos of famili...

How to make Custom Frames !

How to make custom picture frames and paint them for  any occasion.


The other day, I was looking at professional  photos of families and friends and noticed some great picture frames  made with wood frames.

Here are some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a great idea of using these in my classroom and wondered if I would make these.

 

 

So , I decided to be cheap and go find some old 16 X 20 wood picture frames and see if I could develop my idea.

 

 

I took off to the goodwill  store and sure enough I found several picture frames like this for  a couple of dollars each.

 

 

 

 

I got some of my milk carton poster board out from my roll at the paper mill paper mill donated to my school. You can even get some poster board from Wal-Mart or card stock of 22 x 24 at staples or Hobby Lobby.

 

 

 

I started with a glue gun, ruler or yard stick and pencil. These are my supplies.

 

 

I measured my sides and noticed each one was 16 x 20 inches.

 

I measured to rectangle pieces of  22 X 3 inches on the card stock or poster and I drew them on the card stock and then cut out.  This I did 6 times because I had three frames.

 

 

 

After I cut out the 22 x 3 inch rectangles I  took one side of the 22 inch length and made a swirl pattern. I used this pattern on all my 22 inch rectangles on one side.  I cut these designs out of the card stock and started on the smaller sides.

 

 

 

Next I took my poster board or card stock and made  3 rectangles

18 by 3 and 3 more 18 x 2.    I then made.different curved patterns on one side to create  an elaborate frame style. The thinner 2 inch rectangles will go on the bottom and the three inches will go on the top of the frame.

With each 18 x 3 inch rectangle I drew an elaborate curved point on the top to create a specific design for the top of my frame.

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the point at the bottom the picture is  upside down and would be placed at the top.

 

 

Also notice that each side I rounded off or cut with a curve to round off the frames

 

 

The easiest way to do this is to draw  one rectangle with  the curves on the one side and copy it on the other rectangles so they will be symmetrical.

 

Then you start gluing the card board or card stock on the wood frames with the glue gun.

 

Each end   of the card stock is cut with a curve. Then when you finish you will trim up the ends to match.

 

Remember always place the two inch rectangle on the bottom of your frame. This creates an optical image to draw the eyes to the center of the frame.

 

 

 

Last after you have everything glued  you can decided to paint what you like on your frames.

 

You can paint  polka dots, chevron, or just stripes on  your frames.

 

Also , you can paint Christmas themes , such as Christmas ornaments or lights.

These are great for Photos  and any occasion . You can reuse these custom frames over and over, Even create your own  versions.

So go for it and get your creative skills going.

Good luck and have fun.

 

Christmas time and being an artist! Sales or no sales!

Well , it's Christmas time  for artist .
And as an artist you are  either very busy creating on the spot artworks for people, and don't have time for all the merriment  , or you have managed to create all year and  have a beefy  inventory of art work on demand.


No, well  a good way to enjoy the holiday schedule  is to for see the sells of the holidays and increase your inventory for  projected sales.

And , how do you do this with out being a fortune teller.

What I do is monitor my sales items from last Christmas and then again at  the beginning of  September for this year.  


If you have a hot seller in September of this year you can possible expect people, that did not have time to buy your item ,most genuinely going to buy your item.

 Let's take a specific item as an example, lets say you sell a lot of themed paintings. Like horse painting, truck paintings, sports logo paintings, mascot paintings, girls rooms painting, boys room paintings.  
These are your highest marketing items for craft fair season beginnings in September or online.

They should also be able to produce sales in Christmas and  you will need to paint or increase your painting inventory in what ever area your sales are high.
What ever kind of money you made during your sales in September , you need to re paint that  item and a few more.


Choose your numbers wisely and be sure to estimate accordingly to the amount of customers you already have or your marketing techniques .  
Think about the number of people you are going to sell to if you market at a craft or online.

 And once again that is why you need to have an email list of all your clients if you can get one or make one. I have talked about that in on of my past post.

Also look at your past  Christmas and see what item you sold the most for that year.


Did you sell more Santa painting, poinsettia painting, or snow landscape ?

Which ever one of these is the best seller , keep the concept but change up the image. 
 Contact buyers that purchased from you  last year and send them an image of your new design
they will buy, because they like your style of painting. Or it might be a match to the item they bought last year . A good thing to do is to  estimate about how many sells you might produce and  then paint a couple more.



Well , hope these suggestions helps in your holiday sales projection. Good luck and have a great sale holiday.

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Prints: Increasing Sales when you Don't have time ...

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Prints: Increasing Sales when you Don't have time ...: This Last year has really been  tuff on my art business , marketing and life.  My husband has been a very sick man with Pulmonary edema...

Prints: Increasing Sales when you Don't have time to Make more Art.

This Last year has really been  tuff on my art business , marketing and life.  My husband has been a very sick man with
Pulmonary edema due to  hypertension and bad heart valve.


For the last six 8 months we have been in and out of the hospital. And at one time we stayed in Ice for 4 months. But we are lucky
because he seems to be making some progress.

But during this time I have been limited to posting and  step by step tutorials have been real hard to produce.


Today , I am going to suggest something to help with this during the idle time of your marketing and selling efforts.

                  PRINTS! PRINTS! PRINTS!


 Having  a set of prints is a wonderful way to keep your business active and receive revenues.
Buying Prints and having them made from an expensive printer is
killing a budget.
So, this is the way that I create my prints to sell.

I have bought my own laser printer and I have chosen at least five to six watercolors to print through my own printing.

I use  an  Epson  xp-520 color printer . It has Wi-Fi and wireless
where you can print from your smartphone , Pc, or tablet.

Then I  buy white card stock from staples or Wal-Mart.
These prints will be either 11 x 14 or  8 X 10. You can buy the specific size  card stock at Staples.

Sax, arts and crafts sell pre cut mats with backing. They sale them in sizes of 6 x6 inches ,12 x 16 inches, 17x 22 inches and 22 x 28 inches. these all fit standard frames of 4 x4inches, 9 x12 inches, 12 x 18 inches, and 18 x 23 inches, they are mostly white and very affordable. Sax also has other kinds of pre cut mats you can choose
from pebble to non textured, and Ivory to Black.

Always put your art work in a frame to  make it look more professional and clean. People will love this  and appreciate the importance of your print.

You can also buy clear plastic covers for your prints through a packing company. The plastic sleeves  of about 14 X 20 are excellent for placing your print inside and  keeping it free of stains.

 When listing your print , always  make a point of listing it as a print in your description. This helps to let the buyer know that it is not an actual painting but a copy of an original.  You can list it as an image of an original painting in your title , however you specifically need to  describe it  in your description as a print .

Many artist list their prints with a number code
 at the bottom of the print. An example is  22/24/2015. This means that this particular  print is the 22nd print of total  24 prints of this image and the original was painted in 2015.

When selling your art print , list your  photo of your print in the matt frame. This will also help with your sells.


 Many people will buy your prints because of the matting and framing scenario. Lots of people decorate their home with matted art work and seem to prefer this representative style.

Hope I have helped with your marketing creations and given you some insight to selling your art .

Wishing  you have much success with this marketing idea and good luck. Keep on Arting.

 

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: How to be Creative and Still be a Great Parent!

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: How to be Creative and Still be a Great Parent!: As a parent , you know that children are always going to need structure and a disciplined life. And as an artist , we are not k...

How to be Creative and Still be a Great Parent!

As a parent , you know that children are always going to need structure and a disciplined life.

And as an artist , we are not known as very structured or  have a disciplined life style.


But being the creative people we are and wanting to be a  great parent, sometimes everything has to be tweaked just a little bit in order to raise productive children into productive adults.



When I think about this , I just go aghhhhhhh! I am still a parent and I am also a grandmother.  Raising two girls was hard enough with my creative life style. But I made two specific rules at my home.  Do your assignments and get your education. Because once you have an education ,it can never be taken away.


I can remember my husband and I working sometimes into the late hours of the night to finish orders for customers.  We  were often tired ,but we  finished them . I can remember my children popping in and asking questions , and sometimes helping but, they always had her assignments done and ready for the next, day.



Recently my youngest daughter , her children and husband have moved back in with me, because of my husband's illness, the cycle has come full circle.   So being a little bit wiser and calmer , we have set up some new rules and guidelines to make her children and my grand  children more productive and responsible people.




I am going to list the rules that we use with my grandchildren, but  before we ever set any rules we sat down with them and told them one  important thing.

There are no excuses: the first thing we discussed with the children is the fact that nothing is impossible for them to accomplish. 
They can make good grades by studying, asking for help on things they don't understand, and finishing their assignment . But the most important thing  is being diligent on all things.
That means being determined, whether difficult or easy, follow through with the task.
No one was born to be an Einstein, we  all are  brought into this world knowing few things . And these few things are how to nurse , make noise , and excrete. we don't asked you to be all A's students, but we ask you to set your goals to do the grades that are expected of them.


So here are the rules:


1.Homework and studying: These are done everyday at our house after they get home. At the same place,  every time. Usually at the kitchen table so every child knows it is what expected of them.


All parents should be involved with their students studying or homework. That is another good reason to have the children sit at the kitchen table . While you are cooking dinner an adult can help and make sure they are at task. 

Every child should also have a parent who has knowledge of a each child's  schedule :classroom assignments and or assessments. For instance, which test are on what day and what assignment is due on what day.

Most  schools have a  website to go check these assignments out and schedules. Teachers will list lessons plans and schedules  on their school websites for parents.

Make a schedule for routine  dates of assignment, turn ins and tests. This  schedule should be done for each child.

2. Don't tell them they are genius'.  Stop telling your children they are wonderfully smart and bartering with them to make perfect scores. Good grades should be considered natural and expected by all.
 When you give children a fantastic reward every time they make an A on a test ,they will expect rewards all the time. Then when the rewardsw stop they will stop.

When you tell your child they are smarter than the average child this sets them up for failure.

They think everything is going to be easy and  when its not they cannot take the let down of losing  praise or the spot light. So they become defiant and give up.



Children should be told that getting good grades is hard work but builds great character and not everything is life is a win , win.

This way they can cope when times get tuff and they will not complete a task because they are not number ONE.

When my children have good grades I always tell them I am proud for their effort and not giving up. They are successful because they stayed the course. 


3. Always encourage through love and understanding, but always tell them when they have done something wrong and give consequences.



If a child has an excuse for everything he or she does wrong , behavior escalates and sometimes character of children get out of control.

It may devastate you to punish your child but later it will devastate you if he commits a crime or becomes a needy adult.

4. Children also need a chore. whether its helping with the laundry, feeding the pets, washing the dishes. They need a daily or weekly responsibility. And they need this consistently. This gets them in the habit of being productive and responsible. And it becomes habit , so it is instilled in them to continuously be responsible.



Being an artist , is sometimes hard to be consistent, but being an successful artist is also being a: consistent, responsible and productive artist. You have acquired this gift being a successful artist . And you, as an artist,  have  developed yourself into a successful artist in certain consistent and determined  scenarios, even if we don't know it.

So pass it on ,your strategies to your children and it will give them the opportunity to be successful and to become a productive adult.

 This is the most wonderful gift or legacy you can give to your child.
So hope this will insight you to continue to be creative and    the answer to having a  creative life style and still be a wonderful parent.

 Good luck! And keep being creative.

 

How to make Money selling on Facebook Now!

Now is the time to really make a great  sales strategy on

Facebook.

How to Make Money selling on Facebook, Now!

You could have a bunch of sales right now !

 First, you have to realize the season. It is the holiday time and people will be buying for decoration or gifts.

So now is the perfect time.

First , using your face book post  a painting.

If it is a traditional landscape list the painting as a sale  and sale it at a 25% discount.

What ever you thought it was worth reduce your price.

People love getting a bargain . So paint one of your most popular paintings that you have done in the past. It doesn't hurt to  repaint it and put it up for sale.



Two, You can paint a seasonal item.

Santa Claus, Snow man,  winter scene, horse with a wreath,  any thing that is popular this year for Christmas.


List it at a very reasonable price and describe that you are taking orders. Orders between now and some time before December.
 Emphasis that you can only take so many orders  because of the time frame. I guarantee that you will have people interested after the deadline.







Last , paint commissioned portraits. 

Place one of your old portraits  on Facebook and list your services.

Describe that you are a professional artist and that holiday discounts are available.

Also. include a background dog or any other pet.


People will go crazy over this.




Now, four ways to post are:


1.Your timeline, where all your friends will see your post.


2.Facebook messenger to past buyers and some you have researched that might be interested in a painted portrait. Include a message that you thought, this person you are sending the message, they might be interested in capturing
a family member on canvas to be kept as an heirloom.

And 3.   Local Swap Shops on Facebook. Every place usually has at least 3 local swap shops on Facebook.  List them in all three even the towns that are 25 or 30 miles away. You can arrange a pick up or email them to these out of town customers. They can pay by PayPal or send you a check . But don't mail until you get paid.

And 4. Member of any special groups on Facebook.   Post a message on your Facebook group page and see what happens.
 

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: What you should be doing NOW with your Art, Craft ...

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: What you should be doing NOW with your Art, Craft ...: What you should be doing NOW with your business, is very crucial. This time of year is the most profitable sales time of all. Actually...

What you should be doing NOW with your Art, Craft ,Hobby anything business!

What you should be doing NOW with your business, is very crucial.

This time of year is the most profitable sales time of all. Actually, from October till the end of December, there will be more sales than another time of the year. And it is  until the very last part of December that you can make a lot of money.


The first thing that I hope you have already done, is to create many of your profitable merchandise. If you sold a lot of one item this year you need to have quite a few of these on hand.

Also, If you have any merchandise that goes well with the season, increase them .

A good idea, is to keep records of what you have sold a lot of during the  year and what you sold a lot of  at this time last year for Christmas.

Record keeping, I Know is a terror, but stats don't lie and it can sometimes make or break you.



Another thing, is to go back to your email marketing list.

Make  email flyers of your merchandise: what you usually sell, and what you are selling for seasonal items.



Present your usual items as a gift campaign or a discount campaign.  Throw in a piece of merchandise if they buy a package.


Also, Seasonal items will sell if they are packaged in the seasonal décor. Take photos of your merchandise in a seasonal decorative atmosphere. Throw in a lit candle in your scene maybe,lol.


And Advertise, advertise, advertise.



 Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook pages, swap shop pages, flyers, work areas. Advertise where ever you get a time or place. This is the time to make a lot of sales .It will be busy and will take lots of your time. But if you concentrate on you sales technique you will succeed.

 So hope you can obtained some insight to how crucial this time of year is  in sales and get the itch to really pitch your merchandise.

Thanks for

reading and good luck.

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Getting a Commission from Facbook!.

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Getting a Commission from Facbook!.: Getting a Commission to sell personal painted portraits with Facebook is   really, a lot easier than you think.  I have been successfu...

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Reasons you should consider Craft Fairs in your Bu...

Living the Art Life: Creating,Selling,And Marketing Art in My Everyday Life!: Reasons you should consider Craft Fairs in your Bu...:   Well , you think craft fairs are not your forte  as an Artist. Wait,  If you think that , you need to rethink your  business pla...

Reasons you should consider Craft Fairs in your Business Plan , as an Artist!

 

Well , you think craft fairs are not your forte  as an Artist.

Wait,  If you think that , you need to rethink your  business plan.

 Just getting started you need to  have an outlet that you can advertise and get the word out about your art business.


 You don't have to go to every craft fair every month. However, but you really need to add a few to get your business going locally .


 I usually go to maybe  3 or 4  craft fairs a year. Sometimes I miss a few. But it is a great way to make extra cash and get your art business cards out to let everyone know your are here .


 This not only gets you commissions  in the future, but getting known across the state and    in your town.  Believe me , they will be calling.

Whether they buy or not, give them your business card. and have a nice conversion with them about something you are both interested in
 

Also, run a raffle campaign on one of your paintings. Or run a discount on a specific style of painting.



Now , going to a craft  means you will have to design a booth and even maybe  sell something on the side to catch their interest.


Usually , I have on extra item that brings them into my booth besides my art.  I make  food items and package them in a mason jar with a creative tag and every one comes by. I price it very cheap so the people think they are getting a bargain.



People like bargains, and I want them to feel  like they are getting one. It will make them  believe your honest and trust worthy.



And then after that you can  pitch your art and also state that you would be honored for them to sign up on your email list.


Participating in a craft fair will also tell you what people will buy in art merchandise. What they are looking for in paintings and if you are a real entrepreneur you will monitor, tweak and adjust to be successful.



I enjoy the craft fair marketing because: 1. It puts you in the know on what is the going merchandise, 2.it gives me a chance to travel, and 3.it lets me meet new people and see new things.


I think of it as a vacation .

Even if I don't sell anything , I watch other artist  do their thing and learn from their selling scenario.



So, there is nothing that says you have to do craft fairs, but if you want to make more money and keep your strategies going, do one.




Sorry I did not get my lesson on painting a calico fall forest but it will be here soon . Still working on it. Thanks for visiting and leave some comment.










 

It's that time of the Year! For painting Pumpkins and ScareCrows!!!

Time for painting Pumpkins and Scare Crows!

Its  that time of year where the air is chilly, the trees are changing color and the leaves are all blowing by.

This is my favorite time of year, because color is everywhere.


I love just driving around and seeing all the colors of fall.

Sweater time and quiet time. Its nice just to get out in your yard and enjoy. Even the chilly days with a warm cup of coffee are just yummy.

Gran kids on the Farm!

Also,  the smell of burning leaves and the view of multi-colored mountain tops against a blue sky.


So painting pumpkins and Scare Crows is a very traditional  thing.

All the colors of orange ,yellows , blues, and maroon are vivid and exciting.

 Next week I challenge all of
you to visit my blog posts to paint a calico landscape focusing on the fall colors.

This will be a step by step tutorial for all.

Bring out your paint, hold on to your canvas, load up your brushes and lets get to work.   Monday or Tuesday will be the first segment of the calico landscape . Sign up to be reminded  with your email on this blog spot  and don't miss the fun.

Getting Art Commissions from your Roots!

We all have roots. I not talking about the roots on
 your hair shaft on your head. And I am not talking about roots as in with ancestors. I am talking about roots in your very beginnings as a Professional artist .That means the first time you began selling your art work.


  When you first started selling your art  work, you had first buyers. And as you continue to sell you will continue to have buyers. Some buyers will be repeat customers. And some buyers will buy multiples or even a group of your paintings.
 Some buyers will request a specific painting to their specs. Don't be afraid and don't turn them down. This will be the biggest part of your money  making business.


If you want to succeed in the art market you must have a
procedure of cataloging these customers.


With a catalog of your buyers and knowing their want and needs you can continue to increase your sales.

One way is by keeping in contact with them and adding them onto your emailing list  or catalog.  Every time you sell a painting you need to ask your buyer  if you  can place them on your  Email list.


This is the scenario of coaxing them to be placed onto your email list.

 Make a graphic designed card with your personal logo. This logo should have your contact info place  on it. 


I usually say:  I have  experienced such a wonderful customer

 transaction with You,( Name of customer). I would love to have

 your email  placed on my special valued customer list. Please

contact me if you have any objections to your email inclusion.

 Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to paint for you.

If you have any subject matter you are interested in being placed on

 canvas ,contact me.I would love to paint for you again. Sincerely,

 your name.


 With this  you are gaining permission to place them in your email

 catalog.  Most of them will respond with a yes. Some will not

respond at all. That is still a yes.  And occasionally , some will

respond with a no. But for every yes  responses  or no responses you will be making lots of money.

Now, once you get this permission, you can place them in a email catalog.  You will need to organize  your catalog with : 1. What you painted, 2.When you painted their painting,3. Size and  4.price.



If you did not get a direct email from them and you sold  on etsy  or ebay you can go to their profile and find their email address.



Ebay will have their address listed in your paypal transaction.

Etsy will probably have it in their profile.



While your  looking at their profile , look for more information on what they like and purchase . This will help you to paint pictures of interest and send emails to them of your present paintings.


This is What I call nibbling. If you know what your customers  interests , you can paint some pictures similar to their likes and send a text with a photo of the painting, interesting them in a purchase.

This is the scenario of every on line business ,so it a wonderful procedure and venue.


Holidays are very important to send emails to your past customers
enticing purchases  for gifts.


So, These are your roots and YOU must feed them to get your business going.


Find your specific way of cataloging them with the suggestions I gave you and get going.  You can Get an art  commission with your roots. Good luck, And more info is coming on living the art life.



 

Five ways to de- stress after an intense day!

Well , we all have a stressful day every once in a while. Especially when we come home from one of those days when we are totally bombarded  or everything has gone wrong that could.

    So , I have got five ways to take the edge off and shut the stress down.

All those tense feelings and emotions.


        First of all ,  Always have a change of clothes ready  when you come home. Get rid of that  tense day  by taking off those clothes that you experienced all those emotional highs and lows.  Put some clothes on that you either jog in , sleep in , or just slouch in. This will comfort you  even if you still have to make time for making supper.


Number two,  Make your favorite drink. Whether it is a big glass of Ice tea, Coke, Fanta , lemonade or even wine.. Find a glass or cup that you like and pour your favorite drink. I buy   clear plastic  wine goblets and fill it with diet coke and Ice to drink . They make me feel special. And in the winter ,I take a china cup, and make alfalfa tea in the microwave. Alfalfa tea is very relaxing and healthy . It has natural antibiotics and keeps me from getting allergies  and colds.

Three, Make a candle display. Light the candles up wherever you feel safe about placing them.    And place your favorite smelling candles in this display. Have at least 3 candles  and use colors you like  in your design. It is wonderful relaxing and watching them burn , just like when you were a child at a bonfire. I have a candle display in my living room with an old wire bird house with  a big goose behind it  ,inside the bird cage are two pumpkin candles and a vanilla candle.  They say lavender and pumpkin are the most natural scent to calm and relax .






Four, If you have children give them a chore or send them outside to play for 30 minutes. They can also do homework or write in journals. This will help you to  have some down time and calm time. Even your spouse can read the paper and wind down just like the children. NO television, unless its in another room and sound proof.



Last,  but not least take your drink and go outside on the porch or just outside. You always need a  quiet place outside . Just one of your own that has your favorite yard art , yard ornaments or even a waterfall. Spoil yourself. because you need a start over button for yourself . Remember there is nothing wrong with stop and smelling the roses. Especially if smelling the roses helps you make another day of supporting your family or self.

Seven art projects to teach about Constitution Day.

I don't know if you are aware of this , but I not just an artist selling my art work, I am also an   art teacher . I have taught art privately and publicly in the public school system for over 31 years.


And I am going to show and tell today about some of my art makings for our annual constitution.

First let me give you the big Fantastic production  of our Constitution Day program,.

The first grade performed their singing and presentation of the information of Constitution Day.

This is the stage that I designed for the Program .In revision the only thing  I would have done different was to  do a portrait of  George Washington since he did help keep the order during the suggestions and writing of the constitution.

There were  seven art projects  for  Constitution  Day.


 1. The first one the Third grade participated in was  the United States Flag Chain.

we tried to get as accurate with the stripes a possible.  Having 6 white stripes and 7 Red stripes.

Also we had to remember that the  Square that displays the 50 stars has to stop on the 6th stripe of red

and white. So , that being said this included a math project for the students

















2. Second Grade did the  United States flag  in hands . Whew!  Each child had to cut  five traced

hands out of white paper. And then one Hand out of Blue paper. And then the last one  five red

hands.  We then  pulled a piece of black  bulletin board paper  and cut it  4 x   6 feet . It was laid on

the floor and we began with the blue square of hands and precede from their making our red and

white stripes.

3. Kindergarten  hand pre-cut star about  12 inches by six out of white poster board.  They cut pieces of  red and blue strips  1/2 inch and glued them randomly to the white stars and then sprinkled glitter on them with glue.
We considered this lesson a introduction to a collage

4. We made a huge stuffed liberty bell and placed it on the left stage wall. The class  discussed the history and meaning of a patriotic icon  of the liberty bell .

Each student then cut out a liberty bell from blue construction  paper, and preceded fold the bell vertically . Once the bell was folded they cut horizontal strips in the bell with scissors.

Last they finished the  bell by weaving red and white strips of construction paper, measuring 

about a half inch.

5. The  third grade created a  drawing of the house of congress and then drew a perspective foreground. We studied the element of space and made patterns and patriotic words in the foreground lines.

Everything was colored red white and blue

6.The 4th grade made  patriotic hearts . These they placed on red construction paper. Using a ruler they divided the heart into thirds and then placed a line at the first third , the top of the heart .

The rest of the heart they made vertical and colored them red , white and blue.

These were placed on the wall around the hand flag. I think you can see them in the  hand flag picture.

7. Last were the actual drawing and coloring of the Flag by the 5th graders. It was fun remembering how many stripes are on the flag . How many stars are on the flag and why.

How many stripes are red and why. How many stripes are white and why. These pictures had a wall all to themselves.

What a great school project and learning experience we had  with the Constitution. Hope you can use these lessons.