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Visual Arts: Printed Calico Bags

This two-afternoon workshop sees pupils work in groups of 3 to design a printed calico bag for a specific purpose.

Each group will work out what the design will be and for what use.

  • It can be a design based on a curriculum theme
  • It can incorporate a commercial aspect and be a social enterprise outcome that could be sold for profit, either towards school funds or a charity of the school’s choice. Part of the process can be to work out the budget of producing bags, how to ensure a profit margin, how many to make and how to sell them etc.
  • It can be an in-school souvenir project; or a purely creative project driven by students’ imaginations
  • Some schools have chosen to design a bag for individual classes within the school. Each group of 3 pupils makes a design for a different class. This works especially well if the classes have a ‘mascot’ or distinctive names (eg. based on animal themes).

Recommended for: Y4-6, though simple bags can be made with younger year groups

Materials needed: BAGS – £1 per pupil – supplied as part of the project; acrylic paints if needed £15-£20

Minimum Time Needed: 2 afternoons

Cost: £220 plus materials for a class group