I have been saving this post for two years. Why? Because I really, really wanted to create my first ever craft kit out of this patchwork house art activity. I still am thinking about doing it, but my pace is so slow these days and I just couldn’t wait any longer to share this simple idea with you. I love that they look like gingerbread houses! They would be such a cute decoration for a mantle during the holidays. Or a really great art idea for a holiday party or birthday party.
Read on for the supplies and the process…
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Supply list:
~ Cardboard
~ Fabric scraps (or just cut up paper: old art, newspaper, colored paper, etc.)
~ Buttons (or any other collage bits and pieces)
The process:
~ Cut out a house shape from your cardboard (ours were 12″ x 17″, or 30cm x 40cm)
~ Let the children draw in their windows, doors, and anything else they want. These children were five. Younger children might not be as representational. You can either let them do anything they want, or you can show them how a cross makes a window, and how squares and rectangles are shapes on a house.
~ After they are done drawing in their details, they can begin to use the white paint.
~ Lastly, the children use the collage materials to embellish their houses.
Note: Some children went back and forth between the Sharpie, the paint, and the gluing of collage materials, and some children did them in order. It is completely up to them! There is no right or wrong way to approach this project. It’s best to let your child use their imagination and go about this in their own, unique way.
Here are some photos from a birthday party I did recently. You can see how I set this up a little differently by making 2-part houses (I glued the roof to a rectangle, I just didn’t have any big cardboard available), and added washi tape and oil pastels as materials instead of paint.
And here are some of my IG followers who tagged me in their Patchwork House posts. I love seeing variations on this theme. Each of them added their own twist, which is always so inspiring.
Loving the addition of white paper to make doors and windows, from @artroomatelier.
Color and texture and a cat! From @colorful_minds_kids.
Loving the giant size of these, and all that gingham! From @artseeds.ie.
All the different sizes makes for a wonderful display! From @littlelofttkpk.
This might be one of my faves, from @studiosprout. So charming with the crazy quilt feeling and bejeweled window.
Recently, my good friend and fellow art teacher @JuliaLinsteadt did a puffy paper house that I just LOVE! It’s another exciting way to approach this idea.
Make sure to tag me @artbarblog if you do this one!
xo, Bar
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Did you like this post? Here are some more cardboard crafts:
Love this idea and have had it pinned for awhile now!
Do you have an artist and/or a book that you would use to add to this lesson for the children? We are talking about families this week in my homeschool class as well as shapes, so I am looking forward to incorporating this project. Thank you for the idea!
Hi Lindsey, so glad you are trying the patchwork houses! I’m not too sure about books, but maybe books on quilting…? I love Patricia Palacco’s book, The Keeping Quilt. Have fun! xx Bar
How about the story of the jolly postman – he visits lots of different characters houses. Each character could have a different style house. Ie the witch’s might be green and cobwebby, Cinderella’s could be a castle …. etc. It’s a great book for themes a creative curriculum around. Letter writing opportunities and also character profiles etc. Depends how old the children are, but I’m doing it at the mo and it’s good fun.
I read my TK class, “The Big Orange Splot” to go along with this project. They love the book and love making their own house 😉
An awesome book to go with this activity is Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall. It’s about a family that lived in a big old farmhouse and you find out at the end that the author used a bunch of materials from the house to make the backgrounds of the art in the book.
Oh this book sounds amazing! Thank you!