Art Helpline: Project: Deconstructed Square

I saw this project in the October 2011 issue of Arts and Activities Magazine, and tweaked it somewhat. After making it myself, I have some suggestions to make it work better for you.

Materials:

-Cutting mat

-Glue stick (though I think spray adhesive would be much easier to use)

-Exacto knife (I ended up using a pen knife because its shorter blade makes it easier to use and less likely to cut too far)

-Ruler

-Sheet of colored construction paper

-Black construction paper cut into a square (use cardstock instead, it rips less and is easier to cut)

I would suggest this project for kids who have experience with cutting fine details. It was fairly easy for me, but I use an exacto knife frequently for my art making. You could use scissors instead for a simpler design. The point of this craft is to deconstruct the black square as much as possible without taking any paper away. I started cutting without any sort of plan, it would have made more sense to sketch patterns in pencil or chalk first.

It's better to not cut the pieces completely out, but leave them connected just a little bit so you can fold them over as you work. I prefer squiggly shapes, but geometric patterns would make for easier cutting.
When the square is as deconstructed as you like, glue the black cutout to the construction paper in the color of your choice (I chose red for dramatic effect). I used a glue stick, and it was hard to get all the little edges coated. Spray adhesive would be much easier--you can spray the black paper and just set the colored sheet on top of it.