Dale Chihuly Trees
My favorite artist, such a great theme to work with and the kids love his art and the fact that he looks like a pirate. He has so many colors and the fact he works with glass gave the kids some interest.
So first things first is you need 16oz plastic bottles, now I have 30 kids and I had them do 3 each so I needed 90 bottles! About a month before I did this project I sent all the parents an email and asked to save their waters bottles. Now I did this project with 6th graders and I did a whole different approach by collecting bottles at lunch...lets just say GROSS! I swear I smelled after school with the nasty milk and juice bottles...never again. So I emailed the parents asked for bottles and told them PLEASE SEND IN ONLY 16OZ BOTTLES CLEANED! Make sure you stress to them that the bottles need to be washed out! I also told them I don't need the bottles to have caps on them. You don't need caps for this.
Once I got the bottles I bought a huge thing of tin foil. The best place to go in BJs or Costco. They have the large thing of it, was pricey, I think $27 but it was worth it because you have enough and you have left over tin foil for another project. I would say, depending on how large you cut them out, it took about three tin foils sheets per bottle. I had the tin foil pre cut for the kids, sooooo much easier. They did a great job on putting the tin foil. Really impressed me, I have to admit I was a little worried.
Now you need to demonstrate with them. They will have a little trouble for the first bottle but they catch on. I had them do step by step. STRESS TO THEM TWO THINGS! DO NOT COVER THE HOLE OF THE BOTTLE....AND DO NOT SQUEEZE THE TIN FOIL WHEN YOU START THE TAIL.
What I mean when I say tail. You start at the top of the bottle (where the lid is). They can squeeze the tin foil tight when they wrap it. Once you start with the tail is when you have to lightly pinch. I said you your thumb and index finger like a crab and pinch. I told them to make it abstract by curving the tail whatever they want. I cant tell you how many boys wanted it to look like a scorpion.
Now for color. I tried to have them do tissue paper and glue but no good. So I used tempera paint. IMPORTANT INFORMATION- If you want to use tempera paint because that is what I had add GLUE TO THE PAINT. This allows the paint to stick to the tin foil. If you do not add glue the paint will chip off. The glue was a huge difference and it did a great job. It did lighten the color but just a little.
The pole is half a carpet role. I cut that and then drilled holes in it. Determine the hold size but the size of the wooden dowels you use. Once you have the holes in it and the stand built, put the role over the stand and then put the dowels in the hole. Once that is done I had the kids decorate it by putting the bottles on the dowels. It was a lot of fun! Now I didn't have much time but I did this during student teaching, have the kids paint the role and stand. Once you have that put together....BAM! You have yourself a Chihuly Tree!!!
I went on amazon and purchased the plaster strips. I believe I paid like $50 for 25lb of it. It was a lot! It comes in large stripes and I just cut them up in squares for there tiny fingers. Then I bought the plastic face molds from Dick Blick. I think they are about $1.99 a mask. 
