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You Gotta Keep 'em Pixelated

Pixelation seems to be en vogue with the iGeneration, no doubt due in part to the MineCraft CRAZE that missed few of the middle-schoolers that I now teach.

Capitalizing on the pixelation fascination and the abundance of time and energy that my study hall students have as we roll into the holidays, we decided to create some post-it pixelart!


Here's How We Did It!

(in about 60 minutes!)


1.  Download Sandbox Coloring App


What is the Sandbox App?  The FREE Sandbox Coloring App (a craze in and of itself that is making its way through the school).  This app has images that are numbered to allow the user to tap a color and then tap the corresponding numbered space and apply that color to the space.  It's essentially a pixelated color by number app.  

The sandbox app is a PERFECT road map for post-it note mosaics!

2.  Search for a Potential Image 


Next I tried to find an image with a LIMITED variety of colors.  I knew I'd be shopping for post-its.  I didn't want to put myself in a position to buy a crazy variety of colors so this image below worked for me; FOUR colors.  Perfect!!!


3.  Shop for Post-It Colors (or CUT OUT colors in 3x3 squares with paper)


Here are the colors I purchased for my mosaic:
  • 2 packages of A World of Color:  Marakeesh  (The RED is color #2 in the mosaic) 
  • 1 package of A World of Color:  Miami (There are two PINKS colors #1 and #3 in the mosaic. 
  • 1 package of White Post-Its (For #4 and the blank spaces)

4.  Plan Your Space


I'd like to say that I spent a substantial amount of time planning and measuring to calculate the required space, but truth be told....I didn't. 😲 

Using the image in the sandbox app, I counted the number of squares across the HEIGHT and WIDTH of the picture and counted by 3 inch squares across my available space to determine if I'd have enough room.


5.  Recruit Help!!


I then assigned students numbers (1 - 4) and gave them the corresponding post-it color.  The students and I worked together to place and line up the post-its using the Sandbox Grid as our guide.

We worked in a pretty efficient turn-taking fashion until the students were confident enough to take over on their own.

6.  Stand back....waaaaay back...and admire!



Deck the halls with 5 pads of post-its



Other GREAT Post-It Mosaic making tools/templates: