Do you have an art teacher that made a difference in your life?

We know each of our artists got their start somewhere. That's why we're excited to partner with Donorschoose.org this Black Friday to support art classrooms around the country. Take 30% off until Monday with code HEARTART30, and we'll donate a generous cut from the sale to these visual arts projects on Donors Choose.  

Donors Choose is a site where teachers can raise funds for their classrooms for specific projects that haven't been supported by their district. They have the highest rating on Charity Navigator, and we're big fans of the work that they're doing. 

We gathered 25 creative projects from schools where over half of students come from low-income households. These projects include K-12 classrooms specifically engaged with visual arts, and funds will go towards supplies like cameras, quality paper, paint, clay, and printers.

We know the importance of having the right tools to learn the principles of design and the analytical and creative skills that come through practicing art, and we hope that in our own small way we can encourage kids to pursue careers in the arts. (We know it isn't always easy!) 

"My students are amazing," says one of our featured teachers, Ms. Vanessa, who teaches in the Bronx. "Our high school is a transfer high school, meaning that our students are under-credited and overaged." 

Ms. Vanessa is trying to fund a project to teach her kids the basics of stop-motion animation. (How cool is that?)

"Having a wide variety of materials to choose from, like clay and paint, to build sets, characters, and sculptures will help my students to make more thorough and creative stop-motion animations and sculptures," she says. "I love to teach animation, and I think it can be so important and so empowering for students - it's a really special and engaging medium."  

If you'd like to shop our collection, everything is 30% off until Monday! Use code HEARTART30 at checkout. A big cut of all our proceeds from this sale will go towards these projects, and we'll update you with our progress on Giving Tuesday.

If you want to skip the Tattly and donate directly, head on over to our Giving Page to see what these amazing art teachers are working on!

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-Clear cell phone cases with a clean and smooth surface
-Sponge
-Water
-Your favorite Tattly! (**Please note** this tutorial will not work with typographic designs as they will read backwards when you are done)
-Your favorite clear sealant

Grab a pair of scissors to trim around the design and cut to fit desired placement. 

Remove clear top sheet. Press tattoo, design facing down, onto the inside of the phone case. Hold wet sponge against back of tattoo. Press down and make sure to wet it thoroughly. Wait 30 seconds, then peel off paper backing.

Stick with caution. Depending on your case’s surface, the design will not be able to move once it touches. Try to not touch the applied areas as you are add more.

Add as many Tattly as you want! (You can even apply Tattly on top of each other for a layered look). Once you’ve completed your design, finish with your favorite clear sealant. We used a nail polish top coat on ours. 

Insert phone and enjoy your new custom phone case! Share with us your creations with #tattlydiy! It’s clear why we like this projects so much!

Featured Design: Philodendron Monstera by Vincent Jeannerot

Featured Design: Rose and Fern by Tea Leigh. 

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Customize your own holiday cards with this simple DIY!

Here’s what you need: 

- Blank cards, preferably using thick-stock paper
- A pair of Tattly (or more, depending on your design)
- Sponge
- X-acto knife

Step 1: Peel the plastic film off your Tattly. (We used Heart Chart by Peagreen Designs.) 

Step 2: Place the Tattly face-down on your card. Please note that once you place the tattoo, the adhesive on the ink will stick a little and it may not be  removed easily. Make sure that you place it on a predetermined spot!

Step 3: Use your sponge to carefully apply the Tattly to your card. Pro tip: the sponge should not be dripping wet as you only want water to get on the Tattly and not the rest of the card.

Step 4: Peel the paper backing to reveal your design.

Voila! 

Step 5: If you want to include a Tattly inside the card as well, use an X-acto to cut out two corners to place your Tattly. 

Ta da! 

Add a greeting! 

And you’re done! Repeat and send to your loved ones.

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Curated by Starbucks & customized by you! This #TattlyDIY uses the designs from our limited-edition collaboration set to create a personalized coffee cup that’ll help you start your morning with a smile on your face.

Step 1: Gather your supplies. This custom set of designs is currently in 8,000 Starbucks across the country! You’ll also need a clean ceramic mug and a pair of scissors. 

Step 2: Open the package. 

Step 3: Decide which Tattly you’ll want to use.

Step 4: Trim your chosen designs close so they’ll bend over the curve of the mug. 

Step 5: Make sure to remove the protective cellophane from the Tattly, and press onto your mug with a damp sponge for 30 seconds. 

Step 6: Tada! That looks great. Seal on your design with a layer of clear nail polish or your favorite sealant. 

Share your design with us at @Tattly and @Starbucks! 

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Camille Chew is a printmaker and illustrator whose work focuses on themes of mythology, witchcraft, and the occult. She is the illustrator of the books Basic Witches, The Astrology of You and Me, and the newly released Modern Witch Wall Calendar. 

This week, we’re celebrating the release of her Good Luck Charm Tattly. Learn more about her work and inspiration below. 

Hey, Camille! Tell us a little about your latest Tattly, Good Luck Charm.

The design began as an illustration about how the fingers-crossed hand gesture can be used both in a very positive way — to wish yourself or someone else good luck, and in a more negative way — to indicate that what you’re saying is a lie. This is, of course, the more positive hand from that illustration, covered with symbols for good luck.

Have you ever considered being a real tattoo artist?

I often make illustrations that work well for tattoos. I’ve even had several people get my art tattooed themselves. My drawings of hands are a very popular choice! But I wouldn’t want to become a tattoo artist myself. I’d be too nervous putting a permanent piece of art onto someone!

For now I’ll be sticking with with digital illustration and printmaking; I’ll be going to grad school for printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) this fall, while I continue to work as a freelance illustrator.

Tell us a little about your fascination with the occult. Do you practice as a witch yourself?

Though I’m very inspired by magic and witches in my art, I don’t practice witchcraft myself. I mostly relate to the views on it described in the book Basic Witches, a favorite illustration project I’ve worked on. The authors, Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman, often use spell work and rituals as forms of self-care.

Thanks, Camille! See all of her designs here. 

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What does Pride mean to you?

NYC’s Pride March is this weekend and we’ve been celebrating all week long! We spoke to seven Tattly-ed individuals about what Pride means to them.

Ben Wagner, Designer and Art Director

“It’s interesting to celebrate Pride for a weekend or a month out of the year, because for a lot of queer people, that’s just your lived experience. I feel really lucky to live in New York and be out and proud all the time, and not everyone can say that. I think it’s important to remember that while it’s this super fun weekend of celebration, a lot of people are out there everyday doing the work.”

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“Everything I draw is based in escapism.”

Can't get enough of Flower Cat's style? We talked with artist Estée Preda  about what inspires her work, from William Blake to working with yarn. 

The painter, who lives in a forest outside of Quebec City, is inspired by folktales and Brothers Grimm, and her Romanian heritage has a big influence on her aesthetic. As a child, she was sensitive to spooks and nightmares. Growing up, she said, “she lived across the hall from her grandmother who was prone to night terrors." Somewhere between observing these reveries and the ephemeral seasons of Quebec, her signature dark, folky pattern design was born. And we love wearing it as a Tattly.  

5 things about Estée: 

Surprising:

“I originally studied economics. Then for about 10 years I created snowboarding videos for companies like Roxy. I started painting about four years ago.”

A New Love:

“I have a natural attraction for that everything that’s handmade. Right now I’m really getting into fabric and embroidery. I work with yarn because it’s faster. I’m very influenced by folkloric textiles, especially eastern European folklore and embroidery.”

Inspiration?

“William Blake. I always loved his poetry and I’m just discovering his art. He has watercolor works for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s dreamy and inspiring.

I’m also looking at Greek and Roman things lately. I’ve rediscovered sculpture and the Romantics – how painters in the 1700s and 1800s were bringing back their inspiration.”

What’s Next?

“I’m trying new directions again. I’m doing more with patterns and backgrounds, moving away from white backgrounds, and adding more layer and depth into my patterns.” 

Merci, Estée! Learn more about her here. 

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Custom Tattly

Customize your own Tattly to commemorate your wedding. Custom Tattly adds the perfect personal touch and they make great wedding favors. 

Tattly Stations

Set up a Tattly station! Leave Tattly out for guests to apply during your reception or hire our events staff to apply them for you! Here’s a great example of a wedding that set up their own Tattly station!

Accessorize your party! 

We have a great selection of designs in our wedding collection. Interested in buying bulk for your big day? Use YAYBULK10 for 10% off orders of $100 or more and YAYBULK25 for 25% off orders of $500 or more.

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The highly anticipated launch of the  Wildlife Set by Oliver Jeffers is finally here! With eight beautiful animals from his best-selling book Here We Are, we’d understand if your kid (or, ahem, yourself) never wants to take these off.

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Can you tell witch Tattly we used to make this festive Halloween Hack?

Heart Lolli by Tuesday Bassen
Safari by Vogue
Peacock by Stina Persson
Facial Expressions Sheet by Team Tattly

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In May of 2016, Materials for the Arts (MFTA) became the newest Tattly Does Good not-for-profit partner. The organization, based in Queens, is New York’s premiere reuse center. Its 35,000-square-foot warehouse is a materials haven for educators in the New York City, particularly for public school teachers. CD jewel cases, normally an after-thought and a relic of the recent digital past, now have use as mini canvases for collages and dioramas. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art digitized its archives, thousands of 35-millimeter slides were given to MFTA, which in turn commissioned five artists to create works.

Executive Director Harriet Taub and her team took Tattly through the space recently. During the visit, the warehouse was also occupied by school groups of young children, whose trip culminated in an art class on site. Tattly’s Yng-Ru Chen asked Harriet a few questions about Materials for the Arts. 

Yng-Ru Chen: Harriet, tell us about Materials for the Arts and why it’s so unique in terms of it being a city organization that works with the departments of cultural affairs and sanitation and education.

Harriet Taub: I am so glad you asked that! Materials for the Arts occupies a unique space in City government. It is supported by the Departments of Cultural Affairs, Sanitation and Education as it serves all of their missions. By collecting unneeded, excess materials and giving them away for free to nonprofits and public schools and providing training and classes on how to use these non-traditional arts materials, MFTA hits all the right spots: supporting arts and culture; promoting sustainable practices and environmental sustainability, and creating access for organizations large and small. Besides these three government entities, MFTA also works with dozens of other City agencies to provide them with free materials for their programming or infrastructure. We probably have more .nyc.gov email addresses in our data base than any other City agency (except maybe Payroll Administration!). In addition, in 2002, we started our own nonprofit – Friends of Materials for the Arts. Catchy name right? We raise money through Friends in order to supplement the menu of things we can provide and that the City money will not cover. That includes all of our educational programming, our Artist in Residence and Gallery program and our extra transportation initiative which helps us hire additional trucks to pick up materials.

The 35,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Island City, Queens. 

YRC: The breadth of your reach is incredible. How many teachers does the organization serve every year? How many students?

HT: Last year, MFTA reached over 17,879 students and served 3,874 teachers and school staff members through workshops, courses and on-site residencies.

YRC: And on the flip side, you have the businesses who donate the supplies. Can you give a couple of examples of the types of companies that provide the materials?

HT: We seem to occupy a niche as the go-to people when someone wants to donate almost anything. That said, we work within a network of similar organizations such as Big Reuse, which accepts building materials; The Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Housing Works which take in clothing and bedroom furniture. We often make referrals to these organizations when a donor’s items would be better placed with them. Since New York City is a fashion and design capital of the world, we take lots of fabric and trim from fashion houses, home furnishing businesses and event planners. The film and TV production industries also donate props and set pieces, paint and costumes. And regular people like you or me when they are moving, cleaning out and purging often donate the most interesting items. Photo collections, vintage patterns and buttons. Our regular donors include Marc Jacobs, Estée Lauder, and McKinsey. Besides giving items away through our warehouse operation, we have an online service for our members where we can place one small item – a laptop for example or a refrigerator or a piano. It works like Craigslist and we move tons of materials that way.

Spools of thread are organized by color in the warehouse.

YRC: What was the most unusual or surprising donation in your experience thus far?

HT: That is hard to answer as everyday there are amazing donations. Once a midtown Manhattan hotel was renovating and they donated all of their lobby palm trees! Google once donated 100 Razor Scooters and I had this idea that they might be an amazing addition for a dance piece. We sent out an e-mail to all of our dance organizations and they were soon in the hands (and feet) of dancers and choreographers across New York City.

YRC: Are there certain types of materials that you’d like more of in terms of donations? Maybe Tattly can help get the word out!

HT: Well the things our members use are pretty varied but generally everyone wants paper – large and small. They also want vibrant fabrics, trims, ribbons, buttons and beads and great technology – laptops, iPads. Household items for real use or as props and musical instruments are also in demand. Rolling office chairs and stacking chairs are also hot ticket items when we can get them.

YRC: We loved seeing some of the examples of projects made by school students using items normally headed for the trash. What is your favorite example of reuse for art? It can be at MTFA or by any artist you admire.

HT: I personally love when people take a material and transform it into something completely different, like when paper looks like steel or when metal bends like fabric. One of my favorite artists is El Antsui, a Ghanaian artist who transforms wine labels and metal soda tops into large breathtaking wall hangings. He has pieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Art and Design. I also love the masks that are made from repurposed file folders. They show the flexibility and ingenuity of materials that can be found all around you and repurposed into new and dynamic projects.

Bunke by Lotta Jansdotter is a Tattly design sold to benefit MFTA.

YRC: As the executive director, what is your biggest challenge in running MFTA?

HT: Money is always a challenge and I say that in the best possible way.  Even with support from our City partners and our nonprofit, there are always needs that go unmet. Our work in schools has proven to be so successful but there are costs to providing two teaching artists and the schools are not always in a position to pay the full amount so we often raise funds through grants or through private dollars to support this work. The other challenge is staffing. People come and people go. Our salaries often can’t compete with the private sector so we lose quality people as they move on. However that also offers opportunity for new, energetic staff members to come on board. In the end that is just life in the work world.

YRC: Many teachers will want to know more about MFTA. How do they get access to the programs and materials?

HT: Most schools are already MFTA recipients. Teachers should speak to their principals about being added to the school’s list of authorized representatives. For any questions about the school’s account, teachers can email education@mfta.nyc.gov. 

YRC: Thank you so much, Harriet! We are so happy to have MFTA as a partner here at Tattly.

Bunke, a design by artist Lotta Jansdotter, is sold by Tattly to benefit Materials for the Arts. 80% of the purchase price of this Tattly is donated to help MFTA achieve its mission.

All photographs, unless otherwise specified, by Natasha Janardan for Tattly.

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Butterfly 1 by Fiona Richards, 
Honey Bee by Julia Rothman, 
Green Bug by Peagreen Designs, 
Arrows by Wesley Stuckey

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Feeling Blue? We see all the colors of the rainbow.

Whirl by James Gulliver Hancock, 
Now or Never by Cristoph Niemann,  
Skipping Rainbow by Lim Heng Swee

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