3

Chinese Vase
Time Needed What You’ll Need
2 Sessions at
45 Minutes

Topics Covered
Color, Value &
Symmetry
 Chinese Vase
This project is surprisingly easy and fast to
make but delivers amazing results. I found
this lesson early in my art career when art
projects were mostly discovered through
school web sites. I wish I could remember
who developed this art project idea because
it has given so much joy to my students.
There is something magical about the
simplicity of the paint colors and how it all
comes together in the end.
This is a great project for all ages and
abilities.

ABOUT CHINESE VASES

What You’ll Need: Chinese Vases are one of the most significant
forms of Chinese art. Porcelain vases were
• 12” x 18” green sulphite not only important for art but they became a
highly valued trade object. Working with
paper porcelain became very popular during the
• 12” x 9” white sulphite Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The blue pigment
used in these
paper
vases was
• Yellow or light colored chalk actually from
Persia. It
• Blue, yellow, white liquid
could turn
tempera paint black or
brown during
• Scissors or glue sticks
the firing
• Paintbrush process if the

• Images of Chinese vases timing wasn’t

just right.

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 2

 Chinese Vase Timeline
Day One
Prep In Class
• Messy mat 1. Play lesson video; pause at 4:22 5
• 9” x 12” white sulphite paper 2. Pass out drawing materials 3
• Light chalk pastel or pencil
3. Draw and cut out vase 10
• Scissors
• Blue liquid tempera paint 4. Play video from 4:22 to 7:24 3
• Paintbrush and water cup 5. Pass out painting materials 3
6. Paint vase 16
7. Clean up 5

Day two
Prep In Class
• Messy mat & work from previous session 1. Play lesson video from 7:24 to 10:37 3
• 12” x 18” green sulphite paper 2. Pass out painting materials 3
• Light chalk pastel or pencil
3. Paint flowers 24
• Paintbrush and water cup
• Blue, yellow, white liquid tempera paint 4. Play lesson video from 10:37 to end 2
• Glue 5. Glue on vase 8
6. Clean up 5

Lesson Notes:
This lesson can be done in one class period if students are focused and you have the materials
prepped. See page 3 for details on making this a successful one class lesson.

Adaptations:
Use stencil to aid with vase drawing. Provide large handled paintbrushes to aid with grip.

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 3

 Set-Up:

Because this project only requires about 45 minutes, you are

best able to accommodate the pace of each student by placing
all the materials on the table.

I give each child a piece of white paper in which to make the

symmetrical vase and then after the children finish painting
their vase, they pick up the green background paper from a
table in the back of the room.

This keeps kids moving along and progressing at their own

rate.
When all kids have progressed to painting, I come by
and remove all glue sticks and scissors.

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 4

 making the vase
I make symmetrical vases a lot because
just about all my lower grade levels
make some type of Van Gogh flower
arrangement. So by third and fourth
grade, most of my students know that
by folding a piece of paper in half and
creating a cutout, they will have
achieved symmetry.

So that’s all you do:

Fold the paper in half.

Use the chalk to draw half
of a vase shape
Cut along the outside line
being careful to keep the
folded edge in the center
of the vase.
Open up the vase and start
painting!

To paint vase, use a small brush and

the blue paint to make patterns on
the white vase.
I personally don’t get hung up with
drawing oriental images or designs
but you could. For me, encouraging
the kids to create value with the blue
paint and some water is enough but
you can use the handout to help with
vase shapes and designs.

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 5

 Painting the Flowers

Once the vase is created, painted and

glued to the green paper, the fun begins.
Remove paper scraps, scissors and glue
sticks and while you are making the rounds
cleaning up, listen to your students talk
about their flowers. I have never had a class
when no one was happy with their work.
You know why? Because it’s super easy and
totally fun!

This is what you do: Dip a dry paint brush

into yellow paint, then without cleaning the brush, dip into white paint. Add this paint to the paper
as a flower center or even petals. The white paint makes the colors super creamy and satisfying.
Don’t bother cleaning your brush and this time, add some blue to the brush. Add this paint to the
paper as petals. What color are they? Children will want to clean their brush because they have
been taught to do so and they need a little bit of water, but generally speaking, the brush should be
mostly dry. Too much water dilutes the paint (and the fun).
Continue mixing the blue, white and yellow paint to make flowers big and small to fill the entire top
portion of the paper. Beautiful, huh?

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 6

Chinese Vase HANDOUT

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 7

THIRD Grade Gallery
© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 8
 NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS-third grade

CREATING
X Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — Elaborate on imaginative ideas—
Apply knowledge of available resources to develop personal ideas in artwork
X Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — Create personal artwork with a variety of
media—Demonstrate understanding proficient use of materials—Construct everyday life
representations
X Refine and complete artistic work—Elaborate visually by adding detail during art-making
that enhances meaning

Presenting/producing
Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Investigate and discuss
possibilities and limitations of spaces for exhibiting artwork
X Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Identify exhibit space and prepare
works of art including artists’ statement for presentation
X Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — Identify and explain how and
where different cultures record and illustrate stories and history of life through art

Responding
X Perceive and analyze artistic work- Speculate about processes an artist uses to create—
determine messages communicated by images
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — Interpret art by analyzing use of media to
create subject matter, characteristics of form and mood
X Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— Evaluate an artwork based on a given criteria

Connecting
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- Develop a work
of art based on observations of surroundings
X Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding —Recognize that responses to art change depending on knowledge of the
time and place in which it was made

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 9

 I CAN STATEMENTS FOR CHINESE VASE
• Today I will learn about the history of CHINESE VASES, so that I CAN use this information to
inspire my own vase painting.

• Today I will learn about SYMMETRY, so that I CAN draw and cut out a vase shape that is the same
on both sides.

• Today I will learn about LINE and SHAPE, so that I CAN repeat these elements in decorative
PATTERNS on my vase using TEMPERA paint.

• Today I will learn about COLOR THEORY, so that I CAN create TINTS of blue and mix PRIMARY
colors to make SECONDARY colors when painting my flowers and leaves.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR CHINESE VASE

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

After students finish their art, you can have them fill out the artist statement worksheet
(located in Teacher Aids). This information leads them to reflect on the process of art making
while forming an opinion about their own work based on the processes used, materials
used, inspirations, etc.

CCSS.Math.Content.3.G.A.2
Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction
of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the
area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape.

You can tie in this standard when showing students how to create a symmetrical vase.
Explain how in order for the shape to be symmetrical, it is divided into 2 equal parts. This
helps reinforce their math concepts of fractions and equal parts of a whole.

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 10

 ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST
Main Ideas from:
CHINESE VASE

Student Name:

Did the student create a SYMMETRICAL

vase?

Did the student make at least 2 different

patterns on the vase?

Did the student create tints to achieve value?

© DEEP SPACE SPARKLE & THE SPARKLERS CLUB 11