think inside the BOX

I was so happy to be asked to come up with and run a program at my local library for kids in grades 3rd-5th. My miniature mind went to work and came up with the idea of “Think Inside the Box.” I love the look of a little scene that is contained inside a small space. As a child, making dioramas was always one of my favorite school projects.

Here’s what we did. Each child was given a 5″x5″ pine box in which to create a small room or scene. I should mention that my husband and I hand made all 28 wood boxes. It was mostly the amazing design and woodworking talents of him but I was able to help with the assembly – which was quite fast and productive once we had everything planned out. My husband is so clever, he loves to design and create jigs to help with making anything and everything!

For weeks I gathered the supplies. Paper, wood, fabric scraps, glue, beads, plastic plants, and various other found bits of random stuff.

After giving the kids a brief lesson in miniature scale and a few tutorials on how to go about making a few objects for their box, they were ready to begin! To keep this project true to it’s name, they were given only one guideline…keep all creation inside the confines of this small wooden box. It was a loose rule and I think a few kiddos couldn’t help the desire to let their creativity grow 🙂 ! I was so amazed at how interested and devoted they were to this project. They were busy for a straight hour and a half and they didn’t want to stop when the program was over! I’m so glad I had my sister there to lend a hand when needed.

My favorite part of leading an art project, besides coming up with an idea, is seeing all the completed pieces next to each other. They all start out with the same raw materials, but finish with a piece that is different and unique. I was SO proud of them!