The Best Gift, for Shoe-er!

Return to the article

Brief Description

Students turn an old shoe into a memorable planter that's a terrific gift for Mother's Day or any other occasion.

Objectives

Students will

• bring in from home an old shoe (the older the better).
• paint the shoe with gold paint.
• insert into the shoe's opening a small plastic bag filled with potting soil.
• plant ivy or another vine or flower seeds in the soil.

Keywords

gift, Mother's Day, mother, family, present, holiday, plant

Materials Needed

• an old shoe for each student
• gold paint (spray paint, metallic liquid paint, or yellow paint mixed with gold glitter); see lesson notes relating to student use of paints
• paintbrushes
• small plastic food storage bags
• potting soil
• vine or ivy cuttings or flower seeds

Lesson Plan

Send a note home to parents inviting them to send in an old shoe or sneaker that the student has worn. The older the shoe, the better. (Shoes from when the students were toddlers would be great!) Be sure to note that the shoe will be used for an art project, so parents should not send in shoes that have any further usefulness.

Use gold spray paint or metallic liquid paint to paint the shoe -- to give it the look of a shoe that has been "bronzed." (If you cannot locate gold paint, yellow paint with gold glitter sprinkled in it is a possibility.)

Note: If you use spray paint, paint in a well-ventilated area; outdoors is best. With younger students, a teacher or parent volunteer should do this part of the activity.

Insert into the shoe a small plastic bag filled with potting soil. Plant vine or ivy cuttings or flower seeds in the potting soil to create a memorable planter that makes a great Mother's Day gift.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Visual Arts

• GRADES K - 4
  NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes

Return to the Mother's Day lesson plan page.

To see Mother's Day lessons we published last year, go to Mother's Day Magic: Today's Gift, Tomorrow's Treasure.