Makersspace: Making Protest Posters!
I have to admit. I’m not usually a marching type of gal. Not that I’ve got anything against marching. I’m just not really into crowds usually. (To be honest, when I’m in a large boisterous group, you could say I’m a people person that hates people.) I don’t enjoy seeing marching bands (unless I’m in viewing in the comfort of my home), don’t like parades, I only go to concerts I REALLY like… Maybe this is the introvert part of me…
That said, I’ve always really appreciated those folks who DO march and make folks uncomfortable and disrupt the status quo.
So, despite the fact that I don’t really like being cold, or around large groups of people or chaos in general.. with this new predator in chief taking office, I knew it was time to get off my duff and get out in the streets. We simply can’t normalize this presidency. We have to stand up and speak out for our rights, for democracy. We have to stand up and protect folks who will be targeted by this presidency.
Time to make protest poster!
I may not be a person who like messy public spaces. Nonetheless, I AM a crafty mama. I’ve NEVER made a protest poster before, but hey, I like a challenge. With all this in mind, I reached out to my good friend and protest poster diva Tula Jeng for some advice. Based on our convo, I put together a quick and “nasty” list of tips and tricks to help any family whip up some really great posters in no time flat! (well actually about an hour.)
Quick DIY Tutorial on How to Make a Protest Poster
Check out my Snapstory below and the list of tips and let me know what you think in the comments. 🙂
More info…
Get Materials
Go an art store and buy foam core or poster board with a bit of heft. You will ultimately want two piece (front an back) for one poster. You can choose white or black depending on your design. I’d also recommend getting colorful art paper for cut outs, thick tipped poster markers, glue (rubber cement works well), scissors, and poster (tempra) paint are also good choices. If you want to make a sign with a handle, you’ll also need to go to a hardware store to get a stick, and possibly some tiny nails or a staple gun to stick it all together.
Research/Plan Your Idea
I went online and Googled “Trump protest poster” and saw a plethora of ideas. You can also go in Pinterest or Instagram and do a hashtag search for #protestposter. (Don’t forget to include a hashtag on your poster to make it more “Tweetable”. If you do a good job, folks will want to take picture of your sign and post it on social media!)
Once you have your idea, you’ll have to ask yourself; Is it mainly a text based poster? Do you want do art? Use cut out letters? Paint something? Use collage or mixed media? I wanted something graphic and easy so I opted for printing out emoji’s on my color laser printer.
Make Your Poster
Go for it! I wanted something graphic and easy so I opted for printing out emoji’s on my color laser printer. It’s always good to pair words with an image. One or two colors is best (you don’t have to get too crazy). I cut out letters and printed out images and used rubber cement to affix them. I added bling with a gold sharpie. Let creativity be your guide!
Assemble
If you want a two sided poster, you make both sides and then place the stick you bought in the center and attach with small nails or staples (using a staple gun).
Voila!
Check out our final posters! We got lots of attention and people taking photos, which is good, because it helps to spread the message. Not too bad for an hour’s worth of work!
Inspiration
There are a few really great poster out there to inspire you.
The Amplifier Foundation
Free downloadable images and AWESOME art!
#DC: We're a location for #TheAmplifierFoundation through this weekend. Come on in and pick up one of these excellent posters FOR FREE #admo pic.twitter.com/ROzbplA4jo
— Songbyrd Music House (@SongbyrdDC) January 19, 2017
Micah Bazant
Beautiful posters and K-12 Discussion guide
New free posters & k-12 discussion guide available at https://t.co/HsOxGHequ1! #WeAllBelongHere #WeWillResist pic.twitter.com/Fv1h3mhqIV
— micahbazant (@micahbazant) January 18, 2017
14 Women’s March Posters We Love
Check out some of the awesomest (yes, that’s a word) posters folks are making for the upcoming women’s march.
When it comes to making any arts, I really am so happy that my husband is an artist. He will definitely be in charge of doing these kind of things with our kids in the future but of course, I will also join them because it can be a good bonding moment for the family as well.