WildcatsCreate

05/28/2026

One of my all-time favorite ceramics projects… butterfly clay tiles. 🦋

My 3rd–5th grade artists begin with a slab of clay, roll it to an even thickness using pencils as guides, trace and cut their butterfly shape, smooth the edges, and then add thoughtful lines, patterns, textures, and details.

After bisque firing, they bring their butterflies to life with glaze—and every single one turns out completely unique.

The best part? These tiles become part of a growing collaborative installation. We keep adding more butterflies each year, which means new artists, new stories, and new voices become part of our school community.

One slab of clay. Endless possibilities. 🦋✨

05/24/2026

Before you toss those glaze crumbs… save them! 🎉🌵

You may already do this—and if so, you’re in good company! I’ve seen the GOAT, Stephens, do this and these adorable pinch pots are simply too cute not to share.

Whenever I have leftover glaze pieces, I rake them into smaller bits to create ceramic confetti. To get them to stick, I brush a generous coat of clear dipping glaze onto the pinch pots using a glazing fan brush. Then comes the fun part—sprinkling on the glaze confetti!

After a trip through the kiln, the glaze pieces melt into colorful bursts of surprise. Every pot turns out a little different, and that’s part of the magic.

Add a tiny succulent, and suddenly a simple pinch pot becomes a colorful keepsake, gift, or cheerful addition to any windowsill.

A good reminder that sometimes the leftovers become the star of the show. ✨

05/13/2026

🐝 PART TWO of the honeybee lesson is here… and this is where the magic happens.

Those colorful honeycomb backgrounds from part one? Now they become the perfect stage for bold black-and-white bee illustrations that POP with contrast. The best part? This lesson works beautifully for drawing studio, early finishers, sub plans, centers, or a full multi-day project with real follow-through.

Students practice:
✨ contrast
✨ pattern
✨ line variety
✨ composition
✨ creative decision-making

…and every single bee turns out completely unique.

This is one of those lessons that looks incredible on display while still giving young artists room to make creative choices.

🐝 Free printable + corresponding video tutorial included.
Grab the freebie through the link in bio!

05/12/2026

Need an art activity that works in more than one way?

This Rainbow Fish-inspired scale printable can be used as a sub plan, studio center, early finisher activity, early release day lesson, or a quick creative reset when you need something simple but still meaningful.

Artists fill the scales with oil pastel patterns, lines, shapes, and color. Later, we add a quick watercolor wash, let the pages dry, cut out the scales, and turn them into something new.

They can create a fish, build a flower, or arrange and rearrange the scales into their own creative composition.

Low-prep. Flexible. Purposeful. And it gives artists a reason to keep going.

Comment SCALES and tell me how you would use this free printable in your art room.

04/22/2026

This is what I leave when I want a sub day that still matters.

Students build colorful honeycomb patterns using oil pastels—focusing on blending, pressure, and intentional mark-making—and the results are 🔥

But the real win? This becomes a launchpad for part 2.

You can:
🐝 Add detailed black + white bees
✂️ Turn it into collage
🧵 Weave it into fiber art

It’s flexible, engaging, and actually pushes student thinking forward—even when you’re not there.

And the best part? There’s a corresponding video and printable ready to go—no hassle for you.

Save this one for later… you’ll want it.

04/11/2026

Rock, paper, scissors… tempera always wins. 😆🎨
Turned a pile of no-name recycled papers into bold patterned flowers, and honestly, this is your sign to save the scraps.

04/03/2026