How To: Make Art Out of Everyday Objects

After taking a beginner's art class at my local community college I realized two things: one, art supplies are extremely expensive, and two, I am not talented at painting. Although my painting skills are comparable to those of a five year old, I still enjoy art and being creative. Therefore, I began to look for ways to be creative that didn't require much skill or too much money. 

As I was looking online, I saw a man who made little people and animals out of paperclips and wire, so I began to experiment. That was when I realized there are a many things around the house that can be used to make art. This is a very simple project that I have recently done.

Supplies:

• an old dictionary (I chose it because the pages were yellowed and looked old.)
• a newspaper
• bottle caps
• tissue paper
• an old canvas that I had left over from my art class
• copper wire I found in the garage
• feathers
• eyes
• puff balls ( I have no idea what they are actually called)
• acrylic paint (you can used any kind of paint you have)
• hot glue gun
• glue stick
• scissors
• wire cutters

Anything that I didn't pick up around the house can be purchased at any store that sells art supplies for very cheap (I.e. puff balls, eyes, and feathers).

1. To start out, I painted a layer of black over the existing painting on my canvas. If you are using a blank canvas this isn't necessary, but I wanted to start with an even background.

2. Then, tear pages from your dictionary, or chosen book, and use the glue stick to create a book page background. When you're done, it should look similar to this:

3. By folding a sheet of newspaper at a ¼ to ½ inch at a time, create a long, thick strip of newspaper to make the outline of a flower petal. Then, shape it as you want and hot glue it to the canvas. Do this with half of the petals and stop. This is when I chose to glue my bottle caps down to create the middle of my flower.  However, you can glue the middle down first, so you know the area you are working around. Finish the rest of the petals. 

4. Then add the color. Cut a single piece of tissue paper into as many pieces as you have petals. You can use more than one piece if you need to, or if you would like the color to be darker. I chose to use as little tissue paper as possible, so the words of the dictionary pages would still be visible in some places through the thin tissue paper. The paper doesn't need to be cut into the shape of the petals, I cut mine into squares. Hot glue the tissue paper to the newspaper petals so that it covers the entire inside. Do this with all of the petals.

5. Paint on the flower stem.

6. Then I made a butterfly. Flatten a bottle cap and bend it at a ninety degree angle, with what would've been the inside facing out. By bending it like this you're able to give the butterfly two wings and made it stick out from the canvas. Hot glue feathers to what would have been the outside of the bottle cap on each side, creating the butterfly's wings. Be careful with this part, the hot glue gun will to stick to the feathers. Then, hot glue puff balls to the "inside" of the cap to create the body of the butterfly, and glue on an eye.  Using wire or a paperclip create antennae for it, and attach them. Then attach it to the canvas or the flower.

7. You're finished!

This is a fun and interesting art project. The newspaper, tissue paper, and butterfly make it three dimensional where as a normal painting is flat against the canvas. This project can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. Therefore, it is for all skill levels.  Also, the supplies are very inexpensive, considering that many of them are found around the house.  So the next time that you're looking for a new project to take on, try using objects from your house to make art.