Geometric Illusion Banners
In the wonderful world of optical illusions, lines create the look of 3-D. Create bold, bright, geometric banners in this exploration adapted from Crayola Dream-Makers®.
1. "What you see is what you get." Or is it? When lines and shapes are involved, your eyes can be tricked into seeing things. Make a banner that demonstrates your ability to combine lines and shapes into the illusion of 3-D forms.
2. Outline your banner. Choose cotton or 50/50 cotton/polyester blend fabric for your banner. Cut a banner with Crayola Scissors. Cover your art area with paper. On the fabric, draw two large rectangles with borders all around them using Crayola Fabric Markers.
3. Draw 2-D shapes. In the top rectangle, draw lines and two-dimensional shapes, such as squares and triangles.
4. Create 3-D illusions. Combine the 2-D shapes to create the illusion of 3-D forms (cubes or cones, for example) inside the bottom rectangle. Add a banner title and your name in the borders if you like. Highlight your motifs with Crayola Glitter Glue. Air-dry the banner.
5. Hang your banner. Roll construction paper into a cylinder. Attach it to the top of the banner with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue. Thread ribbon through the cylinder to hang.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Glitter Glue—
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. Not for use on skin.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
String-Like Materials—Includes string, raffia, lacing, yarn, ribbon, and other similar material. Children 3 years and younger should not be given any string-like material that is longer than 12 inches. Close adult supervision is essential whenever children use string-like material. When crafts are to be worn around the necks of children 8 years and younger, attach the ends of the “string-like material” with clear adhesive tape, which allows easy release of the bond if the craft becomes entangled or caught on equipment. For children older than 8 years, the ends of the “string-like material” may be tied and knotted.
- For more details, order a copy of the complete Dream-Makers® guide "Dreams You Can Count On" on Crayola.com. More related children’s books, a curriculum planning web, and music explorations are also available on Crayola.com/dreammakers for the lesson entitled Personal Illusions—Raising Your Banner High. Visit the Dream-Makers website at http://www.crayola.com/index.cfm?section=dream_makers_start&id=13
- To assess children’s understanding of these concepts, ask them to write down what lines they used to create the shapes and what shapes they combined to create the illusion of 3-D forms.
- Explore the scientific principles behind these tricks of the eye. Make optical illusions that move such as "Geometric Optic Spinner" and "Optical Delusion" found on Crayola.com.
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