A coil-built vase that leans on purpose and still standsAir-dry clay. Stack coils on a slab base, shifting each ring a little one way. Smooth the inside only.
A spiral cut from one paper circle and hung from its center with a beadA paper circle, thread and a bead. Cut inward in one curling line; knot the thread under the bead.
A cushion-sized burger of stuffed paper bags, each layer a different bagPaper bags, newspaper and paint. Stuff and tape each bag flat and round. Stack them without glue.
A bridge of rolled newspaper tubes built to carry one bookNewspaper rolled tight round a pencil. Join the tubes in triangles with masking tape at every corner.
A cardboard bird in flight with slotted wings and layered paper feathersCard body and wings, paper feathers. The wings slot through the body; feathers overlap in glued rows.
A cardboard chair for a toy, built only from flat pieces that slot togetherCorrugated card. A seat, a back and two sides with half-depth slots. No glue or tape.
A cardboard creature whose legs and jaw swing on paper fastenersCard pieces and paper fasteners. Punch a hole at each joint and push a fastener through both layers.
A cardboard portrait bust built from stacked level slicesCorrugated card. Cut each slice a little different from the last and stack them with white glue.
A family of animals built only from paper cones and cylindersColored paper and a glue stick. Roll, glue the seam, then join each cone to its cylinder with paper tabs.
A mountain range creased from a single scored sheet of paperOne sheet of heavy paper. Score, then fold peaks and valleys. Glue only the outer edges to a card base.
A paper-strip roller coaster that loops across a cardboard basePaper strips and a card base. Twist, arch and loop each strip and glue it down at both ends only.
A pop-up skyline that stands when a folded card opens to a right angleOne sheet of card and scissors. Cut pairs of slits across the fold and push each building forward.
An abstract tower of cardboard triangles taped edge to edge and painted one colorCard triangles and masking tape. Tape on the inside where it will not show. Paint after it stands.
One long paper ribbon curled, folded and stapled into a knot that stands by itselfA long strip of heavy paper and a stapler. Staple wherever two parts cross. No base.
Your own name as a free-standing cardboard word with letters slotted into a base stripCorrugated card. A tab under each letter pushes into a slot in the base, cut by an adult. No glue.
Wire and foil 12
A foil animal built over a wire skeletonCraft wire and aluminum foil. Twist the wire into a spine and four legs, then wrap and squeeze foil over it.
A foil figure caught mid-action: running, jumping or throwingAluminum foil. Tear a sheet into head, arms and legs without separating them, then squeeze each part.
A foil insect standing on six paper-clip legsAluminum foil and paper clips. Squeeze a three-part body and push three opened clips through it.
A foil relief: heavy foil rubbed over glued string and card shapes until the design stands upCard, string, white glue and foil. Glue the design, cover it with foil and rub with a fingertip.
A foil-covered cardboard initial with patterns pressed in using a blunt pencilCard letter, foil and a glue stick. Wrap the letter, then press dots and lines into the foil.
A free-standing bicycle bent from soft wire, each wheel a flat coilSoft craft wire. Two coiled wheels, one frame piece. Twist each joint twice so it holds.
A pipe-cleaner dancer posed on a cork basePipe cleaners and a cork. Twist two into a figure and push one foot into a hole in the cork, made by an adult.
A twisted-wire tree with roots that grip a stone and branches that fan outThin wire cut into equal lengths by an adult. Twist the bundle at its middle; split each end again and again.
A wire face in profile made from one line and hung to cast a shadowSoft craft wire and thread. Start at the neck, bend up over the face and end in the hair. Hang it by a wall.
A wire fish with a spiral eye and bead bubblesSoft wire and beads. One length makes the outline and the eye; thread the beads onto a second short piece.
Your own hand traced in wire with the fingers bent as if holding somethingSoft craft wire. Follow the outline of your hand flat on the table, then lift and bend the fingers.
Your own shoe as an outline drawn in the air with one length of wireSoft craft wire. Bend it round the shoe's main edges without cutting. An adult trims and tucks the ends.
Papier-mache 12
A bust of an invented character over a balloon on a tube neckBalloon, cardboard tube and tape. Tape the balloon to the tube, add a card nose and ears, then paper over.
A dragon's egg covered in rows of paper scales pressed on with a thumbBalloon and torn paper. After two plain layers, add overlapping torn ovals from the bottom up.
A fantastical fish built on a plastic bottle with card finsA bottle, card and masking tape. Tape the fins and tail on first, then cover everything in three layers.
A four-legged beast on a frame of taped newspaper tubesRolled newspaper and masking tape. Tape four leg tubes to a body tube, then pad it out and paper over.
A hot-air balloon with a paper-cup basket hung on four stringsBalloon, paper strips, a paper cup and string. Tape the strings to the dry shell and to the cup's rim.
A long-legged bird standing on wire legs set in a clay baseScrunched newspaper, tape and wire. Tape the body round the leg wires before the paper strips go on.
A mushroom house with a bowl-shaped cap on a tube stalk and a painted doorA bowl lined with plastic film, a tube and strips. Layer the cap in the bowl; glue it on when dry.
A rocket on a tube body with a cone nose, papered and paintedCardboard tube, a paper cone and card fins. Tape nose and fins on, then two layers of strips over all.
A round owl over a balloon with card ears and beak added before the last layerBalloon, card and paper strips. Tape the ears and beak to the second layer and paper over the joins.
A sea turtle with a bowl-shaped shell and four card flippersA lined bowl, card and strips. Layer the shell in the bowl, tape flippers underneath and paper the joins.
A volcano island with a painted lagoon on a cardboard baseCard base, a paper cone and strips. Tape the cone down, build the slopes with scrunched paper and cover.
An invented planet over a balloon with card rings and tissue cratersBalloon, paper strips and paste. Card rings slot over the dry sphere; craters are tissue under the last layer.
Found and recycled objects 12
A class wall panel to which everyone brings ten blue thingsSmall blue finds and a card board. Arrange from dark to light before gluing. White glue, laid flat to dry.
A lighthouse from a tall tube with a jar-lid gallery and a bottle-cap lampA tall cardboard tube, a lid and a cap. Glue the lid on top and the cap on the lid. Paint stripes.
A machine that does nothing, with lid gears, a wire crank and a funnelLids, a bottle top, wire and a box. Paper fasteners let the lid gears turn. An adult bends the crank.
A musical instrument that cannot be played, built from tubes, lids and stringCardboard tubes, lids and string. Tape the body together and tie the strings through punched holes.
A nest woven from torn fabric, string and twigs that holds three paper eggsFabric strips, string and twigs. Weave round a small bowl, lift the nest off and tuck in loose ends.
A puppet head on a stick, made from a stuffed sock with string featuresAn old sock, newspaper, a stick and string. Stuff the sock, tie it to the stick and bind on a nose and brow.
A robot stacked entirely from cylinders: tubes, lids, corks and bottle topsTubes, lids, bottle tops and corks. Stack and nest them; join with double-sided tape or white glue.
A spring flower from an egg-carton cup, a drinking straw and a buttonOne carton cup, a straw and a button. Push the straw through a hole in the cup; glue the button inside.
A tall narrow figure of sticks and scrap wrapped in masking tapeSticks, scrunched paper and tape. Tape the sticks into a frame, pad it with paper and wrap it all.
A trophy for an invented award from a cup, a lid and a block base, painted goldA paper cup, a jar lid and a wood or card block. White glue at each join. Paint when dry.
A vehicle for an invented planet from one bottle, four lids and found extrasA plastic bottle, lids and scraps. Lids go on with tacky glue; everything else is taped or tied.
An insect from a clothespin, two buttons and a pair of leaf wingsA wooden clothespin, buttons, real or paper leaves. Clip the wings in the pin's jaws; glue the eyes.
Soap carving 12
A cairn of three rounded stones carved from a single barA bar of soap and a spoon. One piece stood on end. Cut two deep grooves round it and round each part.
A canoe hollowed out of a bar of soap with a spoonA bar of soap and a spoon. One piece. Point both ends first, then scoop the inside a little at a time.
A seated soap rabbit with its ears laid flat along its backA bar of soap and a craft stick. One piece. Mark the ears as two ridges; do not free them from the back.
A sleeping cat carved from one bar of soap, curled so nothing sticks outA bar of soap, a spoon and a craft stick. One piece, nothing joined: scrape the corners round first.
A smooth abstract form in soap with one hole through itA bar of soap, a spoon and a craft stick. One piece. Twist the stick gently to open the hole from both sides.
A soap bear standing on all fours with legs left thickA bar of soap and a craft stick. One piece. Cut a shallow arch under the belly; do not thin the legs.
A soap fish with scales pressed in using the tip of a spoonA bar of soap and a spoon. One piece. Shape the outline, then press rows of scales from the tail forward.
A soap seashell with grooves that spiral to a pointA bar of soap, a spoon and a paper clip. One piece. Shape a cone, then score the spiral with the clip.
A soap turtle whose shell pattern is scratched with a paper clipA bar of soap, a spoon and an opened paper clip. One piece. Round the dome, then scratch the plates.
A soap whale with its tail curled against its sideA bar of soap and a spoon. One piece. Keeping the tail against the body means no thin part can snap.
A statue-like soap face with only a brow, a nose and closed eyesA bar of soap, a spoon and a craft stick. One piece. Scrape the cheeks back so the nose is left standing.
Your initial raised on the flat face of a bar by scraping the background downA bar of soap and a craft stick. One piece, a relief. Scratch the letter, then lower everything round it.
Clay 12
A clay fish standing on its fins, hollowed from two pinch pots joined rim to rimAir-dry clay. Score the two rims and press them together; pull the fins and tail out of the walls.
A clay hand reaching up out of a flat baseAir-dry clay. Model the hand solid, score its wrist and the base, and press them together.
A clay teapot of pure invention, its spout aimed the wrong way and its lid sealed onAir-dry clay. A pinch-pot body with a coil handle and a spout that points the wrong way, all scored on.
A clay tree stump with growth rings, bark and one small mushroomAir-dry clay. A solid cylinder: scratch the rings and bark, then score the mushroom onto the side.
A coil-built vase that leans on purpose and still standsAir-dry clay. Stack coils on a slab base, shifting each ring a little one way. Smooth the inside only.
A fist-sized clay portrait head with every feature exaggeratedAir-dry clay over a ball of foil. Add nose, ears and brow as separate pieces, scored and smoothed in.
A grumpy rooftop creature crouched on a clay ledgeAir-dry clay. Body and ledge start as one lump; wings, ears and tail are scored and pressed on.
A relief tile of a forest floor printed with real leaves and twigsAir-dry clay rolled flat. Press the finds in and lift them out; add one modeled mushroom.
A seated clay figure hugging its knees, with no thin partsAir-dry clay. Start from one egg-shaped lump and draw the arms and legs out of it; nothing is added.
A slab-built clay house with a roof that lifts offAir-dry clay rolled flat. Four walls scored and joined at the corners; the roof is a separate folded slab.
Two clay birds facing each other on one shared baseAir-dry clay. Each bird is a pinched egg with a pulled beak and tail; score both onto a slab.
Your own sneaker modeled in clay from life, with coil lacesAir-dry clay. A pinched hollow body, a slab sole and thin coils for laces, each scored and pressed on.
Everyday things made giant 12
A cushion-sized burger of stuffed paper bags, each layer a different bagPaper bags, newspaper and paint. Stuff and tape each bag flat and round. Stack them without glue.
A giant cardboard button with four holes and a rope for threadCorrugated card and rope. Stack two circles with white glue; an adult cuts the holes. Thread the rope through.
A giant chocolate bar on an egg-carton grid with its wrapper peeled backEgg-carton lids, brown paint and foil. Glue the lids to a card base; fold foil and paper round one end.
A giant clothespin from two cardboard planks with a wire springCorrugated card and soft wire. Each plank is three glued layers. An adult coils the wire round a marker.
A giant crayon in a paper tube with a hand-lettered label for an invented colorA cardboard tube, a paper cone and paint. Tape the cone on, paint it and wrap a paper label round.
A giant paintbrush with cut-paper bristles and a painted dripA cardboard tube, paper and card. Fringe a wide paper strip, roll it into one end and tape a card ferrule round.
A giant soft pencil stuffed with newspaper inside a painted paper tubeLarge paper, newspaper and tape. Roll and tape the tube, stuff it and add a paper cone point.
A huge cardboard key with teeth of your own designCorrugated card in three layers. Glue the layers with white glue and press flat under books.
A huge cardboard toothbrush with drinking-straw bristlesCorrugated card and straws. Stand the straws in a block of clay or foam taped to the handle's end.
A huge paper clip bent from a rope of rolled newspaper wrapped in silver tapeNewspaper and silver tape. Roll and tape sheets into one long rope, then bend it into three loops.
A papier-mache ice pop as long as your arm with a bite out of one cornerCardboard, newspaper and paste. Tape a card box to a flat card stick, round it with scrunched paper and cover.
An oversized pizza slice built in card layers with tissue-paper cheeseCard, tissue paper and white glue. Stack a crust rim on a triangle; toppings are glued card circles.
Mobiles 12
A balanced mobile of five card shapes in one color familyCard, thread and two thin sticks. Hang the largest shape nearest the string and slide the knots until level.
A fish in slices: separate card pieces hung in a row that read as one fish from the sideCard, thread and one long stick. Hang the slices close together on equal threads, head to tail.
A flock of folded paper birds balanced along a single branchPaper, thread and a twig. Tie each bird on, then slide the knots along the twig until it hangs level.
A hanging mobile of fall leaves, each one painted paper on its own threadPainted paper, thread and sticks. Start from the bottom stick and balance each level before adding the next.
A mobile of invented planets on three wire armsPaper circles, thread and soft wire. Each arm hangs from one thread; move the thread along until it balances.
A mobile of your day: five small objects from morning to nightCard drawings, thread and two sticks. Morning hangs highest. Balance the lower stick first.
A mobile with no shapes at all, only curves of wire that balanceSoft craft wire and thread. Bend each piece into an open curve and hang one from the next. An adult trims ends.
A shadow mobile of cut shapes hung near a wallBlack card, thread and a stick. Cut bold outlines with holes in them. Hang it where a lamp throws the shadows.
A spiral cut from one paper circle and hung from its center with a beadA paper circle, thread and a bead. Cut inward in one curling line; knot the thread under the bead.
A two-tier mobile where one large shape balances a second rod carrying two small onesCard, thread and two sticks. The second rod is one of the weights on the first.
A weather mobile with the sun at the top, a cloud beneath and raindrops lastCard, thread and one stick. The sun holds the stick; the cloud and drops hang in a chain below it.
A word mobile with one letter to a stringCard letters, thread and a stick. Hang the letters at stepped heights so the word reads from left to right.
How it works
These 96 sculpture ideas for art class use classroom materials, sorted by what you build with. Each gives the materials and how the parts are joined. Trimming wire and cutting slots or holes are an adult's job.
Read the full guide
Sculpture art ideas by material
Cardboard and paper slots, folds and tapes. Wire and foil holds the metal art ideas: a shoe drawn in one length of wire, a foil figure caught mid-action. Soap carving needs a bar of soap, a spoon and a craft stick. One lesson marks the quick ones.
Pop art sculpture ideas: everyday things made giant
Ordinary objects built far too big: an ice pop as long as your arm, a huge paper clip, a cushion-sized burger. For art mobile ideas, Mobiles holds pieces that hang and balance, from a flock of paper birds to a two-tier mobile.
Trimming wire and cutting slots or holes are a teacher's or another adult's job.
Questions and answers
What is an easy sculpture idea for art class?
A foil figure caught mid-action: tear one sheet of aluminum foil into a head, arms and legs without separating them, then squeeze each part. It is one of 27 marked One lesson.
What can you make a sculpture out of at school?
Cardboard, paper, soft wire, aluminum foil, papier-mache, found objects, a bar of soap or air-dry clay. Six of the eight groups start from one of them, and every hint lists its materials.
What is an armature?
A framework round which a sculpture is built when it could not stand on its own, often made of wire. Here the foil animal has a wire skeleton, and the four-legged papier-mache beast stands on taped newspaper tubes.
How does a mobile balance?
A mobile is rods from which shapes or further rods hang. The hanging parts balance each other, so each rod stays more or less level, and each rod hangs from only one string.