Mini Modern Selfie Tins

Oh, blogging world, it's been so long!  The last school year was so hectic with so many classes and so much going on, that blogging got pushed to the back burner.  The new year has started, and it's a fresh slate, but first, a project leftover from last year's sixth graders:

This is a project that I was sure I'd blogged about, but I went a lookin' I apparently had not.  My original idea was for students to create a snapshot of themselves at this particular moment in time.  Thanks to having the perfect art teacher husband, I had plenty of Altoid tins--some the regular size, more of the mini size (which I ended up liking better).  To begin, I had each student choose a tin, and trace it four times in their sketchbooks to have a space to try out ideas (one for the top of the lid, one for the underside of the lid, then inside and finally the bottom).  
Most chose to do their name for the top lid, and then anything went for the inside.  

After the drawing our of their ideas, they had to show them to me and then get a new paper (which caused some complaining).  Students used pencil, then watercolor pencils for coloring.  Once all the drawing and coloring was done, they cut them one at a time and used Mod-Podge to attach the paper to the tin.  After some serious begging on my part, my principal kindly bought ArtResin for my classes (which is on the spendy side, but pretty darn amazing).  While she was debating on the purchase, my backup plan was Mod Podge covering all of it, but I don't think it would have worked as well.

This one had Mod Podge, and it remained pretty cloudy.

Then I had all this "stuff" from years of being an art teacher, years of collecting for "this would be cool" that got put to good use:

Oh, glitter, the kids love it, and it makes me crazy.

This is a beach, with sand and cut up feathers for seaweed.

Cotton balls for clouds, cut up feathers for grass.

So, students added glitter and beads and other items, then we mixed small batches of ArtResin and carefully poured it in to 'set' the items in place.  These are so amazing, and I hope students (or their parents) keep them forever for a snapshot of them at age 11 or 12.