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Cardboard Shape Art Project

Three pieces of children's art made from cardboard shapes: an abstract collage, a winter scene, and a white cat under the sun, all showcase the creativity of young minds in their delightful art projects.

Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and restful holidays and are ready for the new year.

Today I have some cardboard shape pictures to share with you that my 2nd graders created.

We first looked at the artist Marcus Oakley and his cardboard shape pictures for inspiration.

Abstract art featuring colorful, irregularly shaped cardboard pieces like circles, rectangles, and squares arranged in various patterns. This unique art project showcases creativity through its vibrant and dynamic design.
Artwork by Marcus Oakley

Students could create an abstract picture or a picture that represented something. We used pre-cut shapes as well as shapes the students cut on their own. Thinner cardboard worked better for the kids to cut on their own. I pre-cut a lot of the shapes on my cutting board or with my Canary cardboard scissors (affiliate link). The cardboard scissors I have work better than regular scissors, but they are still not perfect for cutting cardboard. If you know of any better scissors, feel free to share in the comments.

Four colorful and abstract art projects for children made from painted cardboard and paper, arranged in a 2x2 grid.

We used regular Elmer’s bottle glue to glue the shapes down. When they were dried, we used watercolor paints or tempera paints to add color.

Colorful, abstract art pieces featuring various shapes, textures, and patterns displayed in a 2x2 grid arrangement, giving the feel of an engaging art project.
Two colorful cardboard art pieces: an abstract collage with various shapes on the left and a nature scene with a house and tree on the right, ideal for any art project.

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About Marcia Beckett

Marcia is an elementary art teacher and loves painting, drawing, sculpture, art journaling and clay. Her blog, Art is Basic, features many exciting art projects for kids.

2 Responses to Cardboard Shape Art Project

  1. Miss says:

    Love this project except I hate cutting cardboard so much! I didn’t know there was such thing as cardboard scissors- may have to order a pair- thanks 🙂

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  • Banner with colorful artwork promoting an art shop featuring kindness coloring pages, artist activities, and resources for teachers.