Distressed Art: Paper Bag Challenge

Once again Tinker Lab has challenged and we've answered.  This time the challenge was...paper bags.  Of course one thinks of puppets and goodie bags.  But there is so much more out there.  My Messy Kids and I decided to try our hands at distressed art work using paper grocery sacks.  Here's how it went:

 You begin by cutting a side from the grocery sack.  Then wad the paper up, crunching it as much as possible.  Open it and begin drawing.

Michael insisted I draw with him.  

 Then be sure to leave your camera where your 4 year old can reach it...

 Next, wad the paper some more, then iron it flat.  Wad and iron, wad and iron, over and over until the art work is soft and distressed (or until your child decides he or she is done)

 It wasn't long before my son decided he was done....

 Let's see how my daughter does...

 Wad, wad, wad...

 Iron, iron, iron..."mom I think I'm done with this." (which really means, "I want to go watch T.V.")

 Ariel's kind of distressed art.  Some of the crayon melted!  

 When performed in it's entirety, this project creates soft, distressed paper.  If homeschooling, use it in conjunction with studying Native Americans.  Start by ripping a piece of paper from the bag.  Instead of free drawing, provide early N.A. symbols. for children to copy.  Then they wad and iron, wad and iron. The more wadding and ironing, the softer the paper becomes.  In the end, it will look like a piece of animal pelt with N.A. symbols painted on.  Since my kids bailed on me, hopefully, you get the idea.