Cupcake Containers

This is my third time doing the cupcake containers with students, and I  think I've figured it out! I first tried this lesson last year as a LTS at Trumbauersville, Elementary.  I freely admit that I had no idea what I was doing!  Countless breaks in the kiln, lids that didn't fit, and missing or unrecognizable initials on every other piece!  Needless to say, it was a learning experience for me as much as it was for the students. After much reflection, I tried the lesson again with at summer camp. Again, I learned, and now, finally, I found what works best for me, while allowing for the most creative results for them.

Originally, I had associated the lesson with Wayne Thiebaud and his paintings of various cakes and treats.  The students accompanied their cupcake container with a 2/D artwork of their favorite treat.  This time, we didn't get a chance to get into as much depth, however we discussed how sometimes artists create artworks that look like food, such as Mr. Thiebaud, as well as Claus Oldenburg.  (When I do this again, I just found another great artist, Peter Anton!!).   In any case, we reviewed our clay basics, and I demonstrated how to make the containers--pushing clay into a silicone cupcake wrapper (used as a mold) for the bottom, creating a pinch pot top, and adding a lip (adding it to the bottom piece was so much easier for them than adding it to the top, which is what I did the other times) and decorative details.  The students were so creative, and I'm glad that I gave them more freedom this time. The results were amazing. Look for yourself!

Even the youngest students (5 year olds!) had amazing and successful results. I am very happy with the outcome. I'm glad that I kept trying it and that I learned from my mistakes. I'm also glad that I learned more about clay working at the pottery studio this summer; knowing that I could fire the pieces while they were together led to much better results--pieces that actually fit together! I feel silly for having not known that, but it just goes to show that an art teacher always has plenty to learn! I can't wait to do this one again, now. 

Also, here are a couple more of the finished coil projects: