Teaching a class on making Sketchbooks
I have dabbled as a teacher many times in my life but only for short periods of time with a curriculum by someone else. This time I taught a one-day-class that I have thought out, planned, presented and set to action all by myself. Or mostly by myself. It wouldn’t have happened if the embroidery ladies hadn’t asked me to teach them “something” and experiment on them, testing out my teacher skills! They know I am a paper person and do a lot of things that they don’t, so I decided to do a day of sketchbook making.
I started the day out with letting everyone paint their own cover papers using acrylic paint. We were just mixing colours and creating patterns, but my pupils were very excited and almost everyone used their own patterned paper instead of the bought papers I also brought with me.
After coffee I showed a few of my creations, like my tiny Book of Quotes and the newly created sketchbook covered in brown paper to inspire everyone. And inspired they were! Everyone went ahead with great enthusiasm to make book covers and cutting pages to size.
There were papers, paint, stencils, loose papers, glue sticks, painted papers, cardboard, assembled book pages, cutting mats and scissors everywhere. And lots of creative flow, laughter and concentration as well.
We had a blast, all of us I think. I was expecting a small cozy class but the class was composed of a loud creative bunch of nine people! Whopping success!
I felt like a teacher, and it felt good to be on top of things, to be able to assist and inspire and be generally helpful. A lot of fun!
Everyone had time to make at least two finished spiral bound notebooks to take home. Some were made out of white drawing paper others had a mix of papers, like this one:
Not all but most of the books that were made:
Wow! Just wow.
And even more images of the creative process, lots of hands doing wonderful things;
Being a teacher to enthusiastic and creative pupils is so much fun! Thrilling actually. Teaching IRL is different from being a teacher online (making videos at home and giving slow feedback via comments), but just as invigorating and exciting to me. I felt like I was in my rightful element all the time, even at home preparing for the class. Coming up with ideas to try and getting the materials etc. I hope to teach again very soon.
I was deadly tired afterwards but on a high! :-)
Teaching is another of your natural gifts, Hanna! I hope you find many chances to expand this new horizon.
Okay, now I HAVE to go home after work and make a book like this! Wow! Absolutely fantastic!
Hanna,
What a wonderful opportunity! Looks like everyone had fun. Those painted papers + sketchbooks look amazing! I hope you’ll get to have this much fun again teaching what you love. (You could teach to teenagers too.)
Hugs,
Sophie
Thanks sweet Lin! I don’t know if it is a “natural gift” to teach, but maybe it is? I like how it sounds and also how it felt to teach, thank you! :-) I will look for more opportunities to teach for sure.
Melanie K, yay! Send me pictures of your book!!
Sophie, thank you! Do you remember/know how jealous I was back when you did your summer class? It all looked so good and you did such fun things. Maybe some day…
Sounds like it was a great success and the created notebooks look wonderful!
Your pupils are probably all full of ideas now :-)
I really wish that you lived nearby so that I could take one of your classes. They turned out beautifully and this looks like a lot of fun.
great books you did with your students! thanks for the inspiration!
what fun! it definitely looks like a good time was had by all. great pictures full of inspiration. congrats, teach!
Wow, Hannah! I wish I’d been there; it looks liek it was an absolute blast. Congrats!
wow! Looks like it was a lot of fun! What kind of coil binder machine are you using????
It looks like you had lots of fun teaching theses ladies, and so did them to be learning from you! :-)
Sincerely, Hanna, I wish there was this kind of workshop where I live. Yours looks awesome! You should offer this workshop at schools or libraries around your area. I am sure they would be very interested.
Oh, your class looks like it was wonderful. Congratulations! I was wondering if that spiral-binder machine thing was yours? What are the pros/cons would you say?
As always, you are an inspiration.
Looks wonderful.
I wonder what do you use for front and backCovers? Hard cardboard, or?
Thanks for a lovely blog.
Frk. Hverdag
OOOh, so interesting!
But now I want a “spiral binder machine” (I don’t know if this words are right) for me! Reading your blog is dangerous for my purse! ih ih
Yes please on the spiral binder! Could you give us more information on what make it is, cost etc please? It’s jumped to the top of the I want list…
looks like a very fun and satisfying class! and such a feeling of accomplishment for the students to take up spiral bound journals of their own making.
It looks like you lead an amazingly creative group! And is that a pretzel stamp I spy??? Makes me want to jump on a plane to Sweden and join your next class…!!! Great work Hanna… from germany, tj
wonderful books, and I must say, you gave the perfect description of a born teacher—loving it from the planning to the teaching to the feedback and to the exhausted high. I spent 40 years teaching and I loved that feeling. Go for it every chance you get.
Thanks for all your lovely comments!
I got my spiral binding machine a few years ago and the brand is RENTZ. It is very heavy and quite big, and not cheap either! I’m sure you could find something more affordable these days. Plus you all know I live in Sweden right? So I don’t think it will be helpful if I tell you where I got mine, hehe.
Ellen, do you mean pros and cons of a spiral bound book? I am a fan of bound notebooks so I don’t use notebooks with spirals as much, but of course they are quicker to make. :-)
Rikke, I use a thick cardboard bought at the book store in big sheets. When cut down I cover them with pretty papers on all sides.
TJ, yes a pretzel stamp indeed! Not mine though, but I thought of you when I saw it of course. :-)
What kind of paper did you use for the covers? Did you just cover the cardboard? I was wondering because it feels like they might get torn apart very easily..
Hi Xav! I paint regular printer paper with acrylic paint, and the acrylic (it’s a kind of plastic paint) makes the paper a bit stiffer and not easy to grease or stain. Then I glue that paper to a sturdy cardboard to make it more colorful. This method is easy but makes the covers sturdy – they won’t tear I promise.
This looks like sooo much fun! Great pictures!
The sketchbooks are great! Amazing what you can make with paint, paper and glue sticks !
Hej Hanna, jag ?r g?rna med om du ska ha n?gon fler sketchbook-dag. Jag har har m?lat och klistrat s? l?nge men skulle beh?va lite hj?lp att komma vidare.
This is so great, Hanna. I would love to be in your class!