Objectives:
1. To demonstrate how simple household objects, such as a plate or tray, can be a decorated art form.
2. To create a tray or wall hanging for display or to use in a “fair” of Middle Eastern crafts.
Materials:
-
1. aluminum foil trays. Choose any shape that has very shallow sides to facilitate working on the flat, bottom surface.
-
2. dull pencils.
-
3. lightweight paper, cut to the size of the foil trays.
-
4. rulers, pencils, round templates or compasses to create designs, tape.
-
5. soft, old dish or hand towers, one for each student.
Procedure:
-
1. Show the students a finished tray or a “work in progress” so they can visualize what they will be making.
-
2. Review elements of geometric and stylized floral/vegetal designs.
-
3. Provide paper and other listed material and encourage students to draw designs which will completely fill the paper.
-
4. Students select one from among their designs and tape it to the inside of the foil tray.
-
5. Place folded towel under the tray.
-
6. Press heavily around all lines of the design with a dull pencil. Caution students to press hard enough so the lines will show on the foil, but not so hard as to puncture the foil.
-
7. Remove the paper.
-
8. With the tray still on the towel, chose portions of the design or the background to press into the foil with the dull pencil or any rounded instrument.
-
9. When the embossing of the design in completed, either use are a tray or reverse it for an attractive wall hanging.
Culminating Activity:
These trays/wall hangings make an attractive display and could be part of a collective “market” of Middle Eastern wares. To carry the project a step further, a group of students could use the same techniques on the larger, round foil “pizza” tray, also available at supermarkets. These trays are ideal on a small tripod to make a small table.
Note: The designs could also be painted with clear metallic paints to replicate the use of various metals to create an “inlaid” design.
