Japanese Jewelry Boxes

So, I have been saving these cool cream cheese boxes for over a year for this particular assignment. The project idea popped into my head while I was making some cream cheese frosting for a delicious pumpkin cake that I had baked.

The boxes that come with this particular cream cheese product slide open and resemble a jewelry box. Once I had enough saved, my fourth graders took a look at the history of Japanese art. The students were then introduced to Japanese calligraphy. They practiced making symbols from hand outs that I had previously gathered, and then we began to paint!

The boxes were first opened all the way and painted a solid color. Some students chose black, others red. 

          

When the boxes were dry, students began painting their chosen symbols on the tops of the boxes. 

          

Wahlah! The finished product turned out beautiful!

            

The girls had a lot of fun with this, even the ones that did not necessarily "like" jewelry. The project itself took a lot longer than I had anticipated, it took about four 45 minute class periods. The students really took their time painting the symbols and decorations. Either way, we all had a blast and ended up with something really special.