Bean Mosaic Owl Craft
Kids will have fun making this colorful Bean Mosaic Owl Craft as they sort, match, and arrange different beans into a cute owl design. A bag of mixed soup beans works great because it usually includes several colors, sizes, and shapes that are perfect for mosaic art.
This easy craft for kids is a fun way to practice patterns, color matching, fine motor skills, and creativity. It also makes a great classroom activity for art, animal studies, or fall crafting.
Fun Facts
A mosaic is a picture or design made by arranging many small pieces together. Artists have used materials like tile, stone, glass, paper, shells, and beads to create mosaics for thousands of years.
Owls are known for their large eyes and excellent night vision. Many owls are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.
Different types of beans can create different textures in your artwork. Kids can use light beans for the owl’s face, dark beans for the wings, and speckled beans for extra detail.
Supplies
- Different color beans
- Tacky glue
- Cardboard
- Printed owl pattern
- Scissors
- Cookie sheet or tray, optional
Instructions
- Print out the owl pattern.
- Mount the pattern on cardboard so it is strong enough to hold the weight of the beans once they are glued on.
- Place the cardboard owl inside a cookie sheet or tray if you have one. This helps keep the beans from rolling away while kids work.
- Sort the beans by color, size, or shape.
- Spread a thin layer of tacky glue on one small section of the owl at a time.
- Place beans onto the glue, following the pattern or creating your own color design.
- Continue filling in the owl section by section until the whole mosaic is complete.
- Let the bean mosaic dry completely before moving or displaying it.
Craft Tips
- Work in small sections so the glue does not dry before the beans are added.
- A toothpick or craft stick can help move beans into small spaces.
- For younger kids, use larger beans and keep the design simple.
- For older kids, challenge them to create patterns in the wings, eyes, and body.
Patterns, Templates and Printables
Click on the owl pattern to open it in a new window and print it at the correct size.
Teacher Friendly Educational Extension
Use this Bean Mosaic Owl Craft as part of a lesson about birds, nocturnal animals, patterns, or ancient art.
Students can sort beans by size, color, and shape before beginning the craft. This adds a simple math connection and helps younger children practice classification skills.
For a science connection, talk about owl features such as large eyes, silent flight, talons, and beaks. Ask students why these features help owls hunt at night.
For an art history connection, show examples of mosaics from different cultures and time periods. Then have students compare traditional tile mosaics with their own bean mosaic artwork.
For a writing activity, ask kids to write a short story about where their owl lives, what it sees at night, or what kind of adventure it has after dark.
what do you put on the beans to perserve them?
Dried beans really don’t need a preservative butyou could always put a lacquer on them if you like
could you do this on a canvas
I would think so, but be sure that you are using a strong glue like E600 otherwise it will start to fall apart at some point.