High Holiday Stained Glass Windows
Week #1. I knew right away what I wanted to do for the first project of the year but I went though many different versions until I figured out just how to do it. I knew that I wanted to do some kind of faux stained glass project. Reasons: pretty, colorful, could teach a new concept ("vitrage"in Hebrew) and a little bit about a famous artist (Chagall). Of course, I found a million stained glass craft options online. But, I knew that I really wanted it to look like a window that might appear in a synagogue (or church) and that I wanted it to be easy enough for the kids to do in one session.
Three options emerged:
1) Sharpies on a transparent
2) Tissue paper glued down on a transparency
3) Cellophane stuck onto clear contact paper.
Yes, I tried out multiple versions of these techniques (as did my biological children). I bought large quantities of transparencies and contact paper (the Hebrew words for which I had to learn), tissue paper, cellophane. Needless to say, my house was a mess. In the end, I decided that I would be better off not attempting to use white glue on the very first day so the tissue paper was out. But, undecided about the other two techniques, I used one for first grades and the other for second graders.
I was very happy with the results BUT I personally cut out FIFTY of the black window frames which is not a sustainable or rational thing to do.
Working with the kids was great - they were interested and excited. I first met with the second graders and they used markers and transparencies. They succeeded but I was worried that the first graders would get frustrated by the amount of time it took to color in all the areas so I used contact paper and cellophane with them. Some of them struggled with the contact paper (it stuck to itself and to them) and some of them struggled with the cellophane (I did not pre-rip it, maybe I should have...) but we pushed through and everyone had finished products to hang in their windows at home.
I also provided each student with a stained-glass window coloring page and an information page about Marc Chagall (who I later found out many Israelis don't know!!!!) to take home to their parents.
Super gratifying to receive a whatsapp with this photo of a student's work hanging in their sukkah:
