Some background information on printmaking: Some would say that the most important invention to come from the medieval time period was the printing press. I showed my students the double page spread from the Eyewitness book on the Renaissance which has a wonderful picture of a printing press from that time. I also brought in a wooden letter from a press for them to examine. I explained that printing plates could be used over and over. This seemed like a much better idea than spending one's whole life creating one book (like some scribes and clerks did with illuminated manuscripts!).
I then did a short demo on how to use the stamps I created to make a print and we discussed some of the different ways to lay out the leaf prints (in rows, in a circle, to make an initial, etc.), then the children went to work!
Supplies:
- Kraft paper or brown paper bags for stamping on
- Stamps (I glued sticky-backed foam shapes stuck to pieces of foam core)*
- Brushes
- Paint trays (I used foam meat trays)
- Acrylic paint (I used red, orange and yellow)
- Water and water containers
- Paper towels
- Background paper (I used wrapping paper in green)
- Glue sticks & Elmer's glue
- Sharpies or markers
- Scissors (I used regular and decorative edged)
- Stapler or tape
*If you don't want to purchase the supplies to make stamps, you can use an apple cut in half--this also makes a wonderful fall banner
Directions:
- Create the stamps or cut the apple in half (a grown-up's job). I cut 4" squares of foam core and attached some ready-made foam stickers I found at a craft store to them.
- Place a bit of acrylic paint in the meat tray. Using a paint brush, paint a thin coat of paint onto the surface of the stamp. If you put too much paint, the stamp will be slippery and not make a good print. Print the leaf shapes onto the kraft paper in a circle (wreath shape) or in the shape of your initial (or whatever you choose). Once you are done all the stamping, put the piece aside to dry.
- Cut a piece of wrapping paper (background paper) to create the background of your wallhanging. Fold over a section of the top to make a casing to hang the finished banner. You can secure the casing with tape or staples.
- Use the scissors to create fringe on the bottom edge of the banner. To do this, make a series of cuts up from the bottom about 1/4" apart. The fringe can be any length you'd like.
- My students used the Sharpies to decorate the banner and write things like "Welcome Fall," their name, or just make a decorative pattern on the banner.
- Glue the kraft paper with the leaf prints on it to the background using Elmer's glue.
- Once the leaf prints are completely dry, use the Sharpies to draw in the veins of the leaves, if you'd like.
- Insert a twig into the casing, and hang your fall banner for all to see!
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