Creative activities at home

Try your hand at a drawing technique the Surrealists called ‘Automatic Drawing’ with these two activities by artist Julia Oak. All you need is a pen, paper and a little bit of time.

Write a story or create your own piece of blackout poetry, inspired by Richard Hamilton’s Swingeing London 67′.

You will need:

• Magazine, newspaper or an old book
• Black marker or felt tip
• Your imagination!

Richard Hamilton’s iconic Pop art collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? explored what was important in everyday life. Make your own collage using images of things that are important to you.

You will need:

• Last year’s calendar
• Envelope
• Magazines / newspapers / catalogues
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Inspired by John Armstrong’s surrealist painting The Open Door (1930), make your own cardboard door that opens onto whatever strange scenes you can imagine.

You will need:

• Cardboard
• Glue stick and masking tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Pictures you can cut out from magazines, catalogues, old books

Create a model boat inspired by Victor Willing’s 1978 painting, Night.

All you need is:

• cardboard (like a pizza box)
• PVA glue
• masking tape or sellotape
• balloon
• newspapers
• kebab sticks or twigs
• string
• scissors
• pencil, paint and paintbrush

Using paper plates, glue and paper make your own vase inspired by James Tower’s Shell Vase.

All you need is:

• A kitchen roll tube
• 2 paper plates
• Masking tape / Sellotape
• A pair of scissors
• PVA glue
• Newspaper

See what optical illusions you can make with our Op Art inspired bookmark.

All you need is:

• paper or card
• a printer.

Be inspired by landscape artworks from our collection and have a go at creating your own.

Make your own gallery with our guide on how to make one from a shoebox and fill it with your own creations!

Delve a little deeper into this artwork with our discussion ideas and creative activities – including one using only Excel (yes, really!).

Make an aquarium full of fish inspired by artists!

You’ll need:

• Scissors
• Thread
• Sellotape, masking tape or blu-tac
• Glue

You don’t need an artist’s palette or other specialist tools to get creative!

Here are 10 ways to fold, cut and decorate paper to create different activities. Make a paper plane or fan using just paper, or grab scissors, glue or even some paints and colouring pencils to create masks, snowflakes, pop-up cards and more!

You’ll need:

• Printer
• Paper
• Scissors
• Glue

You’ll need:

• Printer
• Paper
• Scissors
• 4 paper fasteners
• Sellotape
• Wool or embroidery thread
• Something to make holes in the paper – a hole puncher and knitting needle are ideal