Have elementary school students make tin can lanterns as an American folk art project. Colonial Americans used tin to create a variety of items as it is lightweight, inexpensive, durable and easy to keep clean. Tin cans with holes, patterns or pictures punched into them were used as lanterns, as candle light would shine through the holes without melting its metal shade. Craftbits.com offers free on-line instructions on how to punch out patterns in a tin can with a hammer and nail, and students can create recognizable pictures, symmetrical patterns or erratic designs that will light up in a dark room.
Candle dipping is an American folk art project that elementary school students can participate in individually or as a group to learn how colonists sometimes made crafts of their own out of necessity and practical use rather than just for fun. Colonial women of America discovered a way, though tedious, to extract a sweet-smelling, clean-burning wax from bayberries, and with this and wax from other sources they would make their own candles. The best part about this American folk project is that elementary school students can use and enjoy these crafts long after they're done.
Have elementary school students color or design hex signs like those of the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were actually a population made of German families. These colorful, geometrically-inspired pieces are part of a unique genre of folk art that was developed in Colonial Dutch Country during the 19th century, and their roots stem from the style and symbolism of medieval European art. Kinder Art offers instructions on how to make traditional Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs, giving elementary school students a solid understanding of the methods, designs and imagery typically used in making these American folk art pieces.
Have elementary school students sit for a traditional American silhouette portrait to give them a piece of folk art they can take home and admire. Also known as "black shades," "scissortypes" and "shadow-pictures," silhouettes were cut by artisans called "profilists," and small pieces were often crafted by amateurs and professionals alike. The hollow-cut method of silhouette making was developed and used exclusively in America, but elementary school students can create profiles of themselves and classmates using a variety of methods.