Paper Quilt

This was such a fun project for the kids!!  I got this idea from a talented designer at Spoonflower named Diane Frazier.  You can check out her shop of beautiful, fun and unique fabric designs here at dianef.  She's from Kansas just like me!  She had her son do this wonderful paper quilt and posted it on Facebook.  She also has his paper quilt for sale as a fabric design that you can purchase at her shop.  Check out his wonderful design titled Child's Play.  I couldn't wait to try this out with my own kids.

Here's how to make a Paper Quilt:

Materials

•  Large piece of foam poster board
•  Strathmore Bristol Vellum Surface 20 sheets
   (card stock paper or any kind of heavy paper will do)
•  Washable markers
•  Scissors
•  Glue sticks

Instructions

1.  First cut 20 - 4" by 4" square sheets.  Then on a protected surface color each square with the washable markers.

2.  After each square is colored with the markers now cut each square into 4 - 2" by 2" smaller squares to make a total of 80 squares.

3.  Put the foam poster board on the table and get your glue sticks and your 80 - 2" by 2" squares and place them on the poster board until the paper quilt is the way you want it to be.  Then start gluing down the squares with the glue sticks onto the foam poster board. 

4.  After the squares have dried to the foam poster board cut the poster board around the edges.  Now you have a lovely paper quilt.

5.  We haven't done this step yet but we can't wait.  Go to a flea market or Goodwill store and purchase a frame to paint any color that would go best with your paper quilt.  Hang the quilt to the wall and then place the frame around the quilt to showcase your art.

Here are the kids proudly showing off their work.

  

This was such a great activity for the kids because it did teach them the process of quilting.  After some time passed of placing the squares to glue them down they could tell which ones would compliment each other and which ones would not as much.  Now we have a box full of theme ideas for our next paper quilt.  Flowers, foods, shapes, my leftover gelli arts and animals to name a few!