# Table Top Art Gallery with Mini Easels > An adult hot-glues craft sticks into mini easels. Kids then fill tiny papers like post-its, notepads or mini cardstock with drawings and paintings, and display them as an art gallery right on the table. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/table-top-art-gallery-mini-easels/ - Ages: 3+ · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low - Time: prep 40 min, activity 45 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class - Skills: creativity, fine-motor, drawing, patterns, self-expression ## Materials (one batch) - 4 piece Craft sticks - Jumbo craft sticks (optional) - 1 piece Hot glue gun and glue sticks - 1 roll Butcher paper - Small notepads or post-it notes (household) - Mini cardstock paper (optional) - Favorite art supplies: crayons, markers, watercolors, colored pencils, rulers, pencils, erasers (household) - Watercolor pad, cut into small pieces (optional) - 1 piece Water jar for brushes (optional) (household) - 1 piece Creative art station (optional) - 1 piece Large cardboard box (optional) (household) - 1 roll Tape (optional) (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of small paper: Mini cardstock paper (Sturdier than post-its. The author would even use it.) - Instead of craft sticks: Jumbo craft sticks (Make bigger easels. The author used them when she ran out of regular sticks.) ## Safety - Adult handles the hot glue gun: the glue and nozzle get hot enough to burn. Keep it out of kids' reach. - Let the easels dry and cool thoroughly before setting them out for kids. ## Before you start - Build the mini easels with craft sticks and a hot glue gun (adult). Work assembly-line style: do one step for several easels before moving on. - Let the easels dry thoroughly. - If using watercolors, cut a watercolor pad into small pieces so the paper doesn't curl. ## Steps 1. Adult: hot glue 2 craft sticks together at the top. Do this step for several easels. 2. Adult: glue a 3rd craft stick across the bottom to complete the letter "A". Do this for all the easels. 3. Adult: glue a 4th stick to the back to hold up each easel. Let them dry thoroughly. 4. Cover the table with butcher paper and set out the mini easels. 5. Set out small notepads, post-its or mini cardstock and your favorite art supplies. 6. Draw, color and paint your own tiny artworks. 7. Prop each finished piece on a mini easel. 8. Arrange the easels into a gallery on the table, or on top of a big cardboard box. ## Tips - I found it easier to complete one step for several easels before moving on, as opposed to finishing an entire easel at a time. - If setting out watercolors, be sure to include a few cut watercolor pads so the paper doesn't curl. - My kids always enjoy creating artwork on tiny pieces of paper. I always catch them drawing up a storm on tiny notepads and post-its. - Mine mostly covered up the entire paper, going for both concrete images and abstract ones. - Have plenty of craft sticks. We even used jumbo craft sticks to make more easels and still ran out! - The older one loved using her ruler to create blocks of designs and patterns. Looks like BLOKUS? ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2015) Will it not be super fun to turn your kitchen table into an instant art gallery? Remember our [art studio in a big box](https://www.funlittles.com/recycled-crafts-art-studio-in-a-box/)? What a big boost for your kids' creativity will it be? That's what we ended up doing with all the cute craft sticks Craftprojectsideas sent us. [*{More Art Projects for Kids here}*](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) My kids always enjoy creating artwork on tiny pieces of paper. I don't know why but I always catch them drawing up a storm on tiny notepads, post its etc. Creating a great working space for them draw, paint, write is very essential for them to unleash their creativity and be who they are. We don't have any fancy art space but a great and functional **writing/ [creative art station](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006CWT9KW/?tag=blmemo-20)** which is stocked with colored pencils, crayons, watercolors, oil pastes etc along with crisp white paper of various sizes. Before I get into the details, let us just bounce back to the project on hand. Creating a table top art gallery. ### How to build a mini-easel with craft sticks Grab your glue gun and your packet of craft sticks. The following images hopefully will guide you through the process of building your mini easel. I found it easier to complete one step for several easels before moving on as opposed to finishing an entire easel before moving on. First do step 1 of hot gluing 2 sticks across. Do this step for 5 easels. Then work on step 2 of gluing the 3rd craft stick completing the letter "A". Do this for the 5 easels. Then finally finish the easel by hot gluing the 4 stick which holds up the easel. ### How to set up the invitation to create - Cover your table with butcher paper - Set out the mini easels after they have dried throughly - Set out small notepads or post its. I would even use **[mini cardstock paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9H8D0W/?tag=blmemo-20)** - Set out their favorite art supplies { crayons, markers, watercolors, colored pencils, rulers, pencils, erasers} At this point the children steer the art project and start creating. Mine tried a vaeriety of the supplies. They mostly covered up the entire paper while going for more concrete images and abstract ones. My older kid especially loves colored pencils and here are some of her creations. My younger one adores paint, markers and watercolors. If setting out watercolors be sure to include a few cut watercolor pads so the paper doesn't curl. { [**Watercolor Art Projects**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/liquid-watercolors/) here} We even used jumbo craft sticks to create more easels. We actually ran out of craft sticks! The older one loved using her ruler to create blocks of designs and patterns. Looks like BLOKUS? More art gallery goodness There is always an art piece of our lovable family dog! Finally the kids decided that they would want their art gallery t be on a big cardboard box we had on hand. They were reminded of our art studio in a box. They recreated it by arranging all the mini easels on top of the box and taping some more of their art inside the box. The gallery was complete with a "welcome sign" Thanks for reading Follow the board for wonderful ideas for organizing and building a creative, playful and functional space for your children.