Remove Stamps from Envelopes
Most of the stamps you collect will still be stuck to paper
envelopes. You can soak the stamps in water to remove them from the paper:
- Soak the stamps in buckets or
dishpans using warm water.
- After about 10 minutes, the
stamps will easily peel off of the corner of the envelope.
- Lay the stamps, upside down, on
sheets of paper towels or newspaper. It is best if the stamps do
not touch each other.
- When dry, the stamps can all be
put into one or more dry containers.
Stamps can soak overnight without being damaged.
Be prepared for this process to take several hours with the entire
class working together or allow individuals and small groups to
work on this project when they have completed other class work.
Sort and
Classify Stamps
You will need large quantities of the same stamp in order to fill
in each section of your mural. Your class will sort through all
the stamps to find the stamps that are alike.
Students can build their science and math skills by sorting,
categorizing and counting the stamps in their growing stamp
collection.
Have your students participate in fun, educational activities that
will help you sort your classroom’s stamp collection into piles of
stamps that can be used for your mural project.
Click here for a related lesson plan.
Select an Image
Choose an image with a simple design that can be easily traced and
covered with stamps. It should be in cartoon form with large, simple
shapes. Good sources for stamp mural images are coloring books and
stained glass design books.
Enlarge the Image
Reproduce the image you have chosen onto a transparency. Use the
transparency to project the image onto mural paper that is taped
up on a wall. Students can use a permanent marker to trace the
image onto the mural paper. It is best to place this in a location
where it can remain until it is complete.
Choose the Right Stamps
Quantity and color are the first considerations when choosing the
stamps for each section of the mural. Each stamped area should
contrast with its adjacent sections. Stamps with white backgrounds
contrast best with stamps that have colored backgrounds. Choose
stamps for the largest sections first—make sure you have enough to
fill the section!
Adhere the Stamps to the Mural
Students attach stamps to the mural by spreading glue on the back
of the stamp, or over a section of the mural. Stamps are then
placed, overlapping each other, on the mural image. Complete one
section of the mural before starting on the next one. Trim stamps
when necessary to fit inside the lines of the picture. When the
picture is completed, the background can be filled in with various
leftover stamps, colored with crayons, or covered with small squares
of tissue paper. |
