Construction Paper Craft: Strip Mosaic Stained Glass Window

My sister (whose apartment, she corrected me, is not her first, although it is her first since undergraduate years)... anyway, my sister -- we'll call her TatEE -- is a kids' art projects WHIZ. She often passes these projects along to me, and has encouraged me to share them here. 

So if you're in the market for a repertoire of kids' art project or craft ideas (as if Pinterest isn't enough), here's an easy one to try. Especially for larger groups of young children (like for children's meeting), I tend to prefer simple, disaster-proof creations. Some combination of construction paper and glue often fits the bill. 

Lest you think "bor-riiiing," I present: The Strip Mosaic Stained Glass Window. =) (List of directions at the end, though the pictures are pretty self-explanatory.) 

   

  

Elora added her own touch to her mosiac by ripping some of her strips into pieces. I let her go with it, of course. 

This sweet, sweet look -- contentment with her creation, satisfaction at her accomplishment, confirmed confidence in her ability to create -- epitomizes so much of what I think makes art projects such a profound experience in a young child's learning process. TatEE could say much, much more on the topic. 

 Elora chose to use the same color for her "window." 

Strip Mosaic Stained Glass Window Instructions

1. Cut various colors of construction paper into strips. (Since I was planning this project for very young children, I did this beforehand myself.)
2. Swirl some glue over a paper color of the child's choosing.
3. Let the child pick strips to stick down onto the paper.
4. Have them choose a shape and color for the window portion of their project. Cut out the shape for them, or if they are old enough, let them do it themselves.
5. Glue the window on top of the base paper.