SanDL
12-01-2002, 01:26 PM
For the third year in a row, our school has launched a hat show for the 7th grade. The hats are mad out of paper lunch bags, glue and staples, that's all. Sorry the picture is so fuzzy (I had a novice photographer working for me).
The idea came from a Smithsonian article called "The Mad Hatter" about an artist in Hawaaii who makes very elaborate paper hats from lunch and paper grocery bags. (I'm sorry I don't have the magazine here, otherwise I would give you a publication date, it had Mel Gibson on the front in "The Patriot")
The kids are amazed at his hats and quickly see the possibilities. I encourage them to explore what the paper can do first. I demonstrate softening the paper by repeated crumpling, twisting and coiling, folding into tubes and fans, curling with scissors etc.
I would encourage any teacher to create one first. Otherwise they don't believe it can be done.
We end the project by staging a show for the entire school which includes choreographing the runway walking and choosing music. The kids love it. It's labor intense but it's dirt cheap.
The idea came from a Smithsonian article called "The Mad Hatter" about an artist in Hawaaii who makes very elaborate paper hats from lunch and paper grocery bags. (I'm sorry I don't have the magazine here, otherwise I would give you a publication date, it had Mel Gibson on the front in "The Patriot")
The kids are amazed at his hats and quickly see the possibilities. I encourage them to explore what the paper can do first. I demonstrate softening the paper by repeated crumpling, twisting and coiling, folding into tubes and fans, curling with scissors etc.
I would encourage any teacher to create one first. Otherwise they don't believe it can be done.
We end the project by staging a show for the entire school which includes choreographing the runway walking and choosing music. The kids love it. It's labor intense but it's dirt cheap.