I decided to try something daring with my 4/5th grade art students at Congregation Sinai religious school.
Introducing the idea of a Chanukah journal/photo album to these computer/smart phone savvy students was a gamble, but one that, I’m happy to say, is paying off. Even though a few had never even seen a photo album, they all expressed enthusiasm for the idea and seemed to anticipate with excitement, the process of taking their own photos each night of Chanukah and placing them in the album alongside a commentary on the night’s activities. We’re still working on the project, but it’s looking good so far. Here’s how you can make one.
Materials:
- a 6” x 18” piece of bright colored construction paper for the cover
- four 5” x 15” pieces of black construction paper for the pages
- one 5” x 7” piece of white paper for the cover
- four 3” x 5” index cards for the commentaries
- about 10” of bright colored or patterned Duct Tape to bind the spine
- small, 2-part (loop and tooth) piece of self adhesive Velcro
- black crayon
- colored markers
- sponge, plate and metallic, water based paint or texture stamp and metallic ink pad.
- stapler
- scissors
Directions:
- Lightly texture one side of cover paper.
- When dry, overlay a rubbing texture using the side of the black crayon.
- Fold cover to form a 6” x 8” wrap-around book with the remaining 2” length to serve as a flap for closing the book.
- Fold black sheets in half and tuck snugly against the inside spine of the cover.
- Staple along the outside edge of the spine, about ¼” in.
- Cover staples and bind the spine with a 6” length of the Duct Tape.
- Use a small piece of the tape to bind the edge of the closure flap.
- Use Velcro along the inside edge of the flap to complete the closure mechanism.
- Decorate the 5” x 7” piece of paper with a title for the journal using markers or any collage materials you wish.
- On the side opposite the flap, glue down the title page to complete the cover. On each spread of 2 pages on the inside, position commentary card on one side, and the corresponding
- photos for each night on the other.