5 Tips for Using Cardboard in the Art Room

 The 3D center in my choice-based classroom is also affectionately know as the Cardboard Center because that it 90% of what goes on there! The kids love it, I love it and cardboard is a resource that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  

Here are 5 tips to help you get started with cardboard in your art room:

1) Try to get the thin stuff--- just like humans, cardboard comes in all shapes and sizes.  The 'good stuff' in my opinion is the stuff that kids can actually cut through-- so either 1 ply or cereal boxes.  The thicker stuff is much harder to work with.

2) Hot glue and cardboard scissors.  The hot glue is a controversial one but I swear by the Cool Shot glue guns-- they make everything so much easier.  I also have Canary Corrugated Cardboard scissors and some Fiskars heavy duty scissors.  I pre cut card board pieces in roughly 9x12 and 12x18 pieces.  The big ones are limited and the kids have to ask me to use them.

3) Make size limits.  Kids love to work big and I hate to be Debbie Downer but trust me it's better to have a limit if you don't want your classroom to be overrun with giant cardboard structures.  I just took a box and covered it in paper-- if their sculpture fits in the box they are fine.

4) It's not just 3D work Demonstrate collagraph prints and show the kids artists like Jordan Fretz. Cardboard is a very fun material to draw and paint on.

5) Demonstrate different ideas-- especially supports. Creating a display like this takes time but it's very much worth it.