Make a Backbeard Suit

This is a good project for an art class, or for a rainy day at home when you need to clean out old clothes.

Objective:

Learning about patterns and decoration.

Details:

Have kids bring in an old article of clothing, such as a jacket, shirt, hat, pants, or vest. Talk about patterns in fabrics, and explain that a pattern is a shape or picture that is repeated in a certain order. Look at the pictures of Backbeard in his new suit. Have kids identify the patterns. (They can also do this with scraps of fabric that the teacher brings in or by looking at each other’s clothing.) Have kids decorate their piece of clothing with patterns, using paint or markers.

Here are some easy ways to make patterns:

• Make a stencil to repeat the pattern (cut it out of cereal box cardboard)
  
• Make a stamp (from Styrofoam meat tray, corrugated cardboard, potatoes, etc.)
  
• Sew or glue on button or beads if the teacher has a large supply of the same item
  
• If available, the kids could use ready-made stencils or stamps to make the patterns on the clothing
  
• Trace a stencil with glue and put glitter or sequins on the glue

Alternative project:

Have kids lie down on large pieces of white craft paper and trace each other’s outlines. Draw in lines to indicate pants, shirt, etc. and then decorate as above. (If you could create any kind of clothing for yourself, what would it look like?)