4th Grade Mother's Day Coil Flower Pots

My 4th grade students have spent several weeks working on these fine coil flower pots. The bottom of each pot is a swirl with a small hole in the middle (the students started their swirl by curling a coiling around their finger, and then wrapping around and around until it was big enough).

I gave each students a paper place mat to work on that had a circle printed on it. Their coil pot bottom had to fit in the circle. As the student kept building, the circle was a good reminder to work up instead of out, as many beginner coilers tend to do.

As the pots progressed, students added swirls, braids, and dots into their design. We made the saucers last, out of slabs cut into circles, with the edges turned up. We used some Jungle Gems glazes and O-series Amaco glazes.

Then, the PTO purchased flowers for us! My school has the best PTO. They bend over backwards to help with so much! They bought flowers for nearly 100 4th graders, as well as potting soil. I imagine we'll have some very happy mothers this Mother's Day! 

4th Grade Coil Pots

The 4th grade students at Carroll grow flowers every spring from seeds. This year, I decided to have them make coil flower pots, so they can take their flowers home for Mother's Day as a gift. I talked to the 4th grade teachers several months ago, and they all liked the idea as well. I showed the students basic ways to build with coils, but they impressed me with their creativity! Some of these students found really unique ways to use their coils. The flower pot saucers are just slab circles with the edges turned up. This project was a great success; I plan to do it again next year!

2nd Grade Paints Vases for Mother's Day!

A few weeks ago, I posted about saving little glass bottles from Cracker Barrel so my students could paint them for Mother's Day. I ended up doing the project with 2nd grade, and using Americana Gloss Enamels, purchased at Michael's Arts and Crafts. They worked really well, and the students loved it! They have learned a lot about patterns this semester, so I told them to make a pattern around their vases. We talked about how a vase doesn't have a front or back, so the pattern has to continue all around, so every side looks nice.

The students will be taking the vases home tomorrow. I asked the students to raise their hands if they had some flowers growing outside of their house, and every student raised their hand! No wonder Flora is called "The Garden Spot of Indiana". I asked the students to pick a flower right before they give the vase to their mother, and put it in the vase with some water. I'm sure some moms will be getting dandelions, but who wouldn't love a dandelion from a 2nd grader in a hand-painted vase?!