found objects and your ideas!

18 years ago

hi there, everyone!

sooooooooo.... at work, we do a craft group with the women every weekend. usually, we end up painting some piece of wooden something-or-other with acrylic paints and leave it at that but that's getting boring. i'd love to try teaching them to make mosaics but.... it would need to be found objects rather than ceramic or glass because we do the crafts in the dining room and i know i'll never find every little shard.. and inevitably, someone will get cut/punctured.

i figure 'found objects' is the way to go but i've never done that before so i'm not even sure what would work. it can't be anything too complicated or require any serious cutting up. we have some unused tiles in the basement we'll use as a base... because 'flat' is manageable! :D

here's my tiny list of things to set aside/have my coworkers set aside to do this:

- old junk jewellery

- keys

- coins

- half marbles

i know you could use pretty much anything for found object mosaic but i need it to be simple (and basically free or really really cheap things as we have a minute budget).

any ideas for other items would be greatly appreciated! :)

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Comments (8)

foxglove44
18 years ago
Hi Joyy... head off to the thrift store. there are wonderful and inexpensive items that you can use there.
Betsy
nicethyme
18 years ago
Buttons!
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chickeemama
18 years ago
Joy here is some of the stuff I have used...a lot of it is dollar store stuff. Its probably hard to see but one is b.bs, there is the mini nails, erasers,shells, rocks,beads. This is just a few of the materials I have used!! pretty much if you can make it stick you can use it. Hope it helps you.

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}
nicethyme
18 years ago
I love your balls chickee! lol

BBs look cool is that grouted or non?
fiddlekate
18 years ago
Bottle caps, screws, nuts and bolts, shells, office supplies (paper clips, brads, etc.) Often the thrift shop bags of old jewelry are the best... even small little toy pieces. Ask the thrift shop to save misc. game pieces for you! Scrabble pieces would be fun for them... dominoes, dice.

Do you work at a senior center...? Sounds like a wonderful idea... and they will have fun showing off their work!
Katie
joyy
Original Author
18 years ago
those are some really neat ideas - thanks, everyone! i would never have thought of scrabble pieces... that's genius! i guess puzzle pieces could work, too.

no, not a seniors' centre - i work at a shelter for abused women and kids. they're going to love doing this - craft night is a big deal - mainly b/c they're making things that they plan to put in their places once they secure an apartment or whatever.
Calamity_J
18 years ago
Sometimes you can get thrift store and such to donate some stuff if you explain/ask. Is there a Micheles in town, maybe they would donate supplies. I find when it's for women/child centers, that they aer very helpful! If not, I bet a few of us could send you a lil care pkg!!! Just let me know! I think it would be fun for all of us to send a little something! I have enough "stuff" I just wouldn't miss any!ha! Jane
texaswild
18 years ago
Hair clips and barretts, and along w/FIDDLE's suggestion of nuts/bolts, the large metal washers w/a glass glob in the center are nice.