Fearlessly Creative: Swifty-Inspired Craft Projects for All Levels is an engaging program designed for crafters who love Taylor Swift and want to bring her iconic eras, lyrics, and aesthetics to life through hands-on creativity. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced DIY enthusiast, this program offers a variety of fun, stylish, and meaningful projects inspired by Taylor’s music, fashion, and fandom. From friendship bracelets and lyrical embroidery to concert-ready accessories, every activity is designed to spark joy and self-expression. With step-by-step guidance and plenty of room for personalization, participants will feel empowered to create with confidence as they channel their creativity and celebrate their love for music in a truly artistic way.
In this program, it will be up to the Instructor(s) to gauge the interests of the group and decide how best to structure the overall term. Some things to consider:
- Instructors should prepare for any new craft/project by making a “prototype” themselves. To practice and troubleshoot and to inspire the group with a quality finished toy.
- If sewing, Instructors should always prepare for the lesson(s) by pre-cutting any patterns and threading needles. It’s a good idea to have at least twice the number of needles prepared than the number of students – so you don’t have to do this on the fly.
- Instructors MUST keep track of all needles. If you hand out 10 needles, you need to get them all back before the end of class. Do not ever give a child a new needle without having them return the one just used.
- Sewn Felt projects should NEVER be sewn inside out and then turned. When working with felt, please sew along the outer edge for the best finished product.
- Stitches should be small and close together to keep the stuffing in – keep an eye on student’s work and correct/encourage where needed. Check all work before allowing a student to take home a completed craft – it should be done to that student’s best ability (this means it will often take 2 weeks to complete a project).
- Children are NEVER permitted to draw on material/felt with any type of marker.
Note: A great First Session for any group or age range can include students making their own portfolios – a place for you to keep their art and crafts all term long, making the last day take home really impressive.
Use the large cardstock and duct tape for this craft. For students in JK through grade 3, Instructors should prep the folios with the tape before class and allow students to personalize, avoiding a “tape-madness” situation.
See the Fearlessly Creative Packing List here.
Lesson Ideas and Options Geared to Younger Students:
These activities are designed for students in grades 1–3 but can certainly be adapted for older students! Be sure to consider the interests of your group, and if working with older participants, you may need to raise the expectations or difficulty level to keep them engaged.
1. Friendship Bracelets – Colors of an Era
Objective: Learn about colours and patterns while making friendship bracelets inspired by different Taylor Swift albums.
Activity: Show students colour palettes from various albums (e.g., red for Red, pastel for Lover) and let them create their own beaded or braided bracelets.
2. Lyric Art – Words That Inspire
Objective: Explore language and creativity by illustrating favorite song lyrics.
Activity: Provide pre-selected, age-appropriate lines from Taylor’s songs and let students decorate them with drawings, stickers, or glitter to express the meaning of the words.
3. Mixed-Media Portraits – The Many Eras of Taylor
Objective: Explore portrait art using different artistic techniques.
Activity: Students create a mixed-media portrait of Taylor Swift, themselves, or an imaginary pop star using magazine cutouts, paint, markers, and fabric scraps.
4. Album Cover Collage – Tell a Story with Art
Objective: Learn about visual storytelling by designing a personal album cover.
Activity: Provide magazine cutouts, construction paper, and markers so students can design an album cover that represents their personality or mood.
5. Watercolour Lyric Paintings
Objective: Experiment with watercolor techniques while illustrating song lyrics.
Activity: Students choose a simple, age-appropriate lyric and create a watercolor painting that visually represents the words (e.g., using waves for You Belong with Me or stars for Enchanted).
6. Lyrical Handwriting Practice – Write Like a Songwriter
Objective: Improve handwriting and creativity through lyric-based exercises.
Activity: Provide worksheets with Taylor Swift’s song titles or simple lyrics for tracing, copying, and decorating.
7. Concert Poster Design – Advertising a Dream Show
Objective: Explore typography and graphic design by creating a poster.
Activity: Students design a colorful concert poster for a Taylor Swift show (or their own imaginary concert) using drawing, painting, or collage.
8. Music-Inspired Abstract Art
Objective: Use color, line, and shape to express how music feels.
Activity: Play a selection of Taylor Swift songs and have students create abstract paintings or drawings inspired by the emotions, rhythm, and mood of the music.
9. Taylor Swift-Inspired Kindness Notes
Objective: Promote kindness and social-emotional learning.
Activity: Discuss themes of kindness in Taylor’s songs, then have students write and decorate kind notes to give to a friend or family member.
10. Music and Movement – Dance Like a Pop Star
Objective: Develop coordination and rhythm through movement.
Activity: Play upbeat, age-appropriate Taylor Swift songs and guide students through a simple, fun dance routine or freeze dance game.
Lesson Ideas and Options Geared to Older Students:
These activities are designed for students in grades 4–6 but can easily be adapted for younger learners! Consider your group’s interests, and if working with younger participants, simplify the projects or steps as needed to keep them engaged and productive.
1. Lyrical Calligraphy & Hand-Lettering
Objective: Develop artistic handwriting and typography skills.
Activity: Students choose a favorite Taylor Swift lyric and practice hand-lettering techniques using brush pens, gel pens, or watercolors to create a visually stunning piece.
2. DIY Vinyl Record Art
Objective: Explore upcycling and mixed-media art.
Activity: Using old vinyl records or cardboard cut into record shapes, students paint and decorate their own album cover inspired by a Taylor Swift era or their own imagined music album.
3. 3D Taylor Swift Era Shadow Boxes
Objective: Learn about depth and layering in visual art.
Activity: Students create a shoebox diorama or layered paper cutout art representing a specific Taylor Swift album or song, using cut paper, fabric, and mini decorations.
4. Concert Tour Mood Board
Objective: Introduce visual storytelling and design concepts.
Activity: Students research Taylor’s past tour aesthetics or design their own dream tour, assembling a collage of colors, textures, fashion inspiration, and stage designs on poster board.
5. Watercolour Songscape Paintings
Objective: Express music visually through painting techniques.
Activity: Students listen to a Taylor Swift song and create a watercolor landscape or abstract painting that represents the mood, lyrics, and imagery of the song.
6. Pop Art Taylor Swift Portraits
Objective: Learn about pop art style and bold color choices.
Activity: Students create a pop-art-inspired portrait of Taylor Swift (or themselves) using bright colors, bold outlines, and high-contrast shading in the style of artists like Andy Warhol.
7. Lyrical Collage on Canvas
Objective: Explore mixed-media layering and text-based art.
Activity: Students cut out words and images from magazines, newspapers, or printed lyrics and arrange them on a canvas to create a textured, layered collage inspired by a favorite Taylor Swift song.
8. Song Story Comics
Objective: Develop sequential art and storytelling skills.
Activity: Students turn a favourite Taylor Swift song into a mini comic strip or graphic novel page, illustrating key moments from the song’s lyrics as a visual story.
9. Taylor Swift-Inspired Jewelry Making
Objective: Learn about beadwork and accessory design.
Activity: Beyond friendship bracelets, students can create charm necklaces, beaded earrings, or layered bracelets inspired by Taylor Swift’s albums and aesthetics.
10. Taylor Swift Eras Fashion Illustration
Objective: Explore fashion design through drawing and illustration.
Activity: Students create detailed fashion sketches inspired by Taylor Swift’s different album eras, using colored pencils, markers, or watercolour to bring their designs to life.
Fearlessly Creative Packing List
Additional items may be requested by emailing Liz at any time. Please give at least 1 week notice when requesting supplies.
General Art & Craft Supplies
Basic Tools & Stationery:
- glue sticks
- liquid glue
- scissors
- pencils & erasers
- rulers
- markers, coloured pencils, crayons
- watercolor paints & paintbrush sets
- thin-tip black permanent markers (for outlining)
- calligraphy markers
Paper & Canvas Materials:
- heavyweight white paper (for painting & drawing)
- construction paper (variety of colors)
- poster board
- vellum or tracing paper
- watercolour paper
- cardstock
- 12 small cardboard boxes/shoeboxes for 3D shadow boxes
- 24 blank notecards
Painting & Decorative Extras:
- 2 packs of sequins
- 2 packs of glitter (optional for younger students)
- 3 packs of foam stickers (music-related if possible)
- scrapbook paper
- fabric scraps
- 1 roll of aluminum foil
- model magic
- 3 sets of acrylic paint & brushes
Collage & Print Materials:
- cut-out shapes for layering (instructor to prepare)
- old magazines, newspapers, or printed lyrics (instructors to prepare or bring in)
- printed images/magazine clippings for collage (instructors to prepare or ask students to bring in)
Jewelry & Textile Supplies:
- embroidery thread
- jewelry wire or elastic string
- beads (letter, star, music-themed)
Music & Movement:
- Bluetooth speaker for playing Taylor Swift songs!
Pre-Printed Handouts & Templates: