on the grid

OK, so I'm not talking about electricity or energy savings... simply creating unlimited mosaic designs based on a grid pattern, rows and columns.  If you think that's boring.. please reconsider.  I have been doing mosaic workshops with young children, I'm talking 3 and up, using grid trays and colorful tile.  This sampler is the product of 4, 50 minute workshops with 5th graders.  They had a brief introduction to mosaic, including a sample NOT made on a grid, then had a really fun activity creating their own pattern based on a 7x7 grid square.  Budget constraints prevented me from capturing all of their creative designs, but believe me when I say that not one of the 100 or so mosaics were the same.  The students had their own peer review and were allowed to vote for their top 4 favs per class.  Those 16 mosaics are now glued and grouted, ready to be delivered back to the school on Monday.  If you don't have a grid tray, or real tile, get some old fashioned grid paper and markers, and color to your hearts content.  Colored construction paper works well too.  These pattern ideas can be translated dozens of ways from quilts to crossstitch, paint to photo montage.  Designing on a grid breaks complex patterns down to manageable ideas.  Can you see the black and white smiley face in the photo?