Cyanotype photography

My daughter Sofia is doing art GCSE and is always exploring different mediums. We were introduced to cyanotype photography by my uncle who uses this technique – amongst others – to create wonderful art works. It involves laying an object on cyanotype paper (paper pre-coated with an iron salt solution, which is pretty cheap to buy), before exposing it to UV light.

5 easy steps to creating cyanotype masterpieces

Step one

Head outside and collect any interesting things you find. We’ve so far stuck with flowers and leaves that have eye-catching shapes. 

Step two

Indoors away from direct sunlight, remove your cyanotype paper and arrange the object/s on top.

Step three

Place a plate of glass carefully over the top. We used the glass out of an old picture frame. You don’t have to do this but it flattens the object for a crisper end result and helps prevent movement.

Step four

Leave in sunlight for three-to-five minutes on a clear sunny day and up to 20 minutes if it’s overcast. When the paper turns a mid-to-dark blue it’s ready. It is not an exact science and we’ve had a couple that are slightly over- or under-exposed. Experimentation is the name of the game.

Step five

Remove the object/s and rinse under the tap for several minutes to remove all of the chemicals. The print will become darker. Then just leave to dry. Easy!

Cyanotype prints

A few of Sofia’s efforts below. As you can see, these have had different exposure times. It’s fun creating different effects and there isn’t really a right or wrong. Enjoy the process!

If you want to experiment further, you can coat your own paper, card or even material with a cyanotype chemical mix. This is next on the to do list.

The post Cyanotype Prints: An Easy Photography Project appeared first on The Parent Social.

Outdoor crafting ideas

Clay prints

All this idea requires is oven-bake crafting clay and some bits of foliage. Start by going out on a walk and collecting a bag of leaves, twigs, feathers – whatever bits and bobs you come across that catch your eye. Then take them home, and form balls of clay and flatten them into smooth tablet shapes. Carefully take a piece of foliage and press it firmly into the clay, smoothing it from edge to edge to make sure the details are captured. Then gently peel it away to reveal the imprint in the clay. Once cooked, have fun making a game out of it and asking children to identify the species of plant or other matter on each tablet. You can also paint/decorate them.

Cyanotype prints

Cyanotype print by Wayne Foskett

This simple and historic method of printing images is a very easy crafting activity and a lot of fun. Go for a walk and collect any interesting things you find; eye-catching shapes are perfectly suited to this kind of art. Place your greenery on top of special cyanotype paper (widely available). If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can do a coating of cyanotype chemical mix on normal paper/card instead of using cyanotype paper.

Then place a plate of glass carefully over the top of them – the front of a cheap clip frame will do just fine – and leave them in full sun exposure for around twenty minutes. When you take the leaves away, you will be left with fabulous sun prints. This is a good way of demonstrating the power of light and chemical reactions.

Bird feeder

This idea allows children to develop an interest in the wildlife around them, and observe their behaviour. You can adapt these basic instructions to make more advanced creations.

The easiest method is to take an empty plastic bottle and two wooden spoons; skewer the bottle and then pass the handles of the spoons through one side of the bottle and out the other. The handles provide perches for the birds whilst the bowls of the spoons collect the seeds for them to eat (the holes where the spoons are inserted allow the seeds to spill out). Paint or decorate the holder before filling it with seeds and nuts and hang it in a tree. Get the children to make a note of the different kinds of birds they attract with their feeder.

• Feeding and Spotting Garden Birds with Children

Dream catcher

Fun to make, great for decorating indoors or out, and a good way of honing fine motor skills. Find some slender and flexible sticks and wrap them into a basic circle shape, tying the ends in place. Then weave the thread to make the net formation. There are many tutorials online, but here’s a simple pattern to follow:

Then decorate the finished product with leaves and feathers that you collect outside. Children can then experiment with lots of different colours and designs.

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By Charlotte Baldwin, Operations Manager at IQ Cards:

IQ Cards are a fundraising company that provide schools and establishments with the necessary tools to fundraise via selling high-quality and unique gifts designed by pupils. They are an approved supplier for Parentkind. For more information please visit: http://www.iqcards.co.uk/

More posts on activities:

Summer Activities for the Kids * Rainy Day Activities * Potato Printing with Children * Cheap Ways to Keep Kids Entertained * Marbling 

The post Learning through outdoor crafting appeared first on The Parent Social.