My girls and I tried something new over the weekend. They are twelve and fifteen, and it takes a lot of convincing for them to sit at the table and make art these days. But when they saw there was an iron involved, they did not hesitate, ha! This project was so fun. They did it…
DIY Cardboard Easel
There are many ways to make a quick easel. I might have learned quite a few tricks if I had actually researched before I made this project. But I’m much more of a spontaneous planner, and I woke up on the morning of art class with an idea that my students should experience painting on a proper…
Collaborative Painting with Kids
This project is one that I do over and over again with the 4yr olds in art class. I think all of the paintings they make could hang in a museum, but especially these large collaborative ones! It’s such a simple yet deeply fulfilling process-art experience for them. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your…
Creativity is Messy // Let Them Explore!
Creativity is messy, but oh so important for the exploration of self. A little about me As I child, I was always making. My mom taught me to sew when I was six, on an old Singer that had a hand crank. I would sew pillows and bags and, eventually, my Halloween costumes. I also…
Washi Tape Leaves
Recently, we went on vacation to a beautiful Caribbean island for a family reunion. We ate, slept, hiked, visited beaches, laughed with family, took a million photos, made some t-shirts, and just had the time of our lives. I brought with me a bag of washi tape (as most people do) because I thought it would…
Good Enough Mothering
It’s almost Mother’s Day here in the US. I’ve written a few posts over the years about my own mom (here and here), who is a very special person and someone I admire deeply. And a few days ago I wrote about how I think this holiday should really be called Mothering Day. So, today I’m…
Paper Mâché with Kids // Ice Cream Sundaes
There is always a very strong reaction from the kids when we do paper mâché. Some kids love it — i mean really love it — and others do not want to get that oozy stuff on their hands. But all of them say “ewww!!” the whole time they are working! It’s quite funny actually, how…
Pipe Cleaner Flowers
Mother’s Day confuses me a bit. I mean, not as a mother. But as a blogger. Am I supposed to show my kids how to make crafts that they will then give to me? It’s weird. But now that I teach art classes, presenting this craft to you as a teacher makes more sense. And…
Art Assemblage with Kids // Pinecones & Pasta
Assemblage is the art of assembling bits and pieces together to make 3-dimensional art. It can, and often does, involve collage. We’ve tackled assemblage before when the kids made these gorgeous trees. This time, however, we didn’t do much gluing. These latest pieces became more like sculptures than collages. The kids painted, beaded, and wrapped, enjoying…
Watercolor Paper Pinwheels
I am in love with this new technique. As I was playing around with making these beautiful pinwheels, I was trying to think of a way to make the craft a little bit more enticing for my tween and teen. And then it hit me: make them out of watercolor paper, and let my girls…
