Every year we carve our pumpkins the night before Halloween. I don’t know why we always leave it until the very last moment. I buy the pumpkins weeks before! My guess is that we wait so long because carving is no fun. I mean, picking out the pumpkins is fun. But that’s about it. All the other…
DIY
Shibori Dying Technique with Kids
Shibori is a Japanese tie-dying technique. There are an infinite number of ways one can bind, stitch, fold, twist, or compress cloth for shibori, and each way results in very different patterns. We delved into shibori at art camp in July and it was epic!! I had eight kids that week, ages 5-7, and each of them took…
Ribbon Chandelier
I’m so in love with this ribbon chandelier that the kids and I made together in art camp. I’ve been wanting to make one for a year, ever since I saw this one on Pinterest made with fabric strips. A few weeks ago, I was teaching a week of art camp centered around fabric and textiles,…
DIY Marbled Paper
Have you ever tried marbling paper with shaving cream? We’ve done it in art camp many, many times. Yes, it’s messy. But it’s also magical. The kids usually make and make until all the shaving cream is used up. This last time we went through six cans! I think they look like those beautiful Italian marbled…
Pom-Pom Paper Flowers
I’ve always wanted to paint crepe paper to look like flower petals. Have you? I get these ideas in my head sometimes and I just have to try them so that I can make room for more ideas! I made these in June and gave them to a few of my favorite teachers. Through trial and error,…
Paper Bag Art Portfolio
I teach art class twice a week for an hour. I have six kids in each class. We work in my living room. The classes are small and completely perfect. At the end of each six-week session, I put each child’s work into a paper bag portfolio. I like to think that I invented these,…
Branch Weaving
I’ve been wanting to weave on a branch for years. That might sound strange to an ordinary person, but for this textile design geek it’s a perfectly normal dream! Since my windows of making-alone-time are far and few between, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time finding the perfect branch. I literally took this…
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…
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…
DIY Pom Pom Garland
I fell in love with this garland from Antrhopologie in December. I had some leftover pom-poms from the Christmas tree, so I decided to add a few more and make my own garland! It’s actually super easy, just takes a little time. I made pom-poms at night by the fire while watching hockey games with my…
