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DIY

How to Hollow Out an Egg

March 19, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 4 Comments

Hollowed out eggs, marbleized with nail polish

Have you ever hollowed out an egg? Otherwise known as blowing out an egg – but I can’t say that without making a weird face, so I’m sticking with hollow. I have a vague memory of doing this as a child. I remember the “blow really hard” part because it’s such an unusual thing to do…

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Yarn Wrapped Cardboard Letters

February 3, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 56 Comments

Cardboard letters wrapped with yarn made by kids.

I’ve been wanting to share these cardboard letters for so long! My art camp kids made them back in July. The other day, as I was going through these photos, I realized that four of the letters spelled C.A.L.M. Boy, did I need this message. If there is anything that I am not these days,…

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Cardboard Hearts from Cereal Boxes

January 22, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 4 Comments

Make these artistic and painterly hearts using cereal boxes and acrylics.

These cardboard hearts made from cereal boxes are SO easy and look really artsy and kind of profesh. Let me tell you how I made them! You know I love using materials that are free. One of my faves is cereal boxes. They have that cardboard box look, but easier to cut! I save practically…

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Doily Snowflake Stars

January 9, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 4 Comments

The idea for these beautiful, lacy snowflake stars came from the paperbag stars we made last summer. SITS Girls had the original idea and made them out of white paper bags. I became obsessed with them because they are so fast and easy! So last summer we made them in art camp and painted them…

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Washi Tape Paper Plates

June 2, 2016 by Barbara Rucci Leave a Comment

Transform a paper plate into a work of art with colorful washi tape.

Paper plates are a fantastic art material. I mean, there are literally hundreds of crafts on Pinterest that use paper plates! I think the possibilities are endless, they really are. I especially love what my friend Leslie from Pink Stripey Socks does with paper plates. I think she needs to write a book! And we’ve…

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Stenciled Backpacks by Kids

May 25, 2016 by Barbara Rucci Leave a Comment

My art campers made these! I love this process, and I love the way they turned out. We used the scrape painting technique that we are really addicted to, and added some freezer paper stencils. It was basically a big experiment, and it worked! Mostly. Well, there were a few lessons learned that I will share…

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Watercolor Valentine Hearts

January 17, 2016 by Barbara Rucci 1 Comment

It occurred to me today, as my daughter was painting hearts, that I should share with you the way we’ve been painting hearts for years. I even dug up an old photo of my other daughter from 6 years ago and she is painting hearts the same way. It’s not anything all that revelatory, but I…

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Recycled Wrap from Kraft Paper

December 11, 2015 by Barbara Rucci 1 Comment

Ok, so I realize that my situation is unique as an art teacher, and that not everyone covers their tables before an art project. But I really wanted to share this idea so that maybe you will be inspired by the beauty of the mess that is leftover after an art project is completed. Maybe next time…

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Homemade Rainbow Soap with Kids

November 30, 2015 by Barbara Rucci 38 Comments

making homemade rainbow soap with kids

This past summer in art camp we tried something totally different and new: soap making! I researched heavily, relying on the trial and error of other bloggers. I loved the goat milk soaps made by the kids at Purple Twig – especially with their use of flowers and herbs – but ultimately I decided to…

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Little Advent Boxes

November 23, 2015 by Barbara Rucci 4 Comments

At the risk of sounding cliché, how can it almost be December already? Or for that matter, how can we be in the 11th month of 2015 at this very moment? One theory of time moving at warp speed is because my house is now filled with teens and tweens. Days beginning with alarm clocks — and clothing freak-outs,…

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I have been thinking lately about so many big idea I have been thinking lately about so many big ideas. They seem to be stuck, though, in the cogs of my brain. I need to articulate and connect these ideas together, but I can’t find the right words, or medium. It feels like trudging through thick mud, and then making the choice to set up camp in the muddy place. Maybe this is always what motherhood + living a creative life will be. And I am ok with that, too. Life is mucky, and even though I crave clarity, I am also acutely aware that this is why I also crave art. Music, books, museums, film, gardens… these are the mediums humans turn to when they need to find connection and, if we are lucky, clarity. But I feel more protective of my human-centered ideas these days and less willing to share them in spaces like this where they are open source. I don’t even know what is real sometimes. And how am I contributing to this landscape of creative and intellectual robbery. I think I am headed in a different direction but I don’t know what that is yet. Meanwhile, I am camping in the mud and looking for beauty where I am. 

Some moments new and old, lately…

1. Painting at my easel, age 4 when we lived in England before moving to the US. 
2. I tried making a video of motherhood on mother’s day inspired by this song 🌙 but never finished. 
3. Planting dahlias 🌸
4. Year 2 of my veggie garden. It is not going well. 
5. We diagnosed our garden problem as not enough sun so cut down a tree to give the sun a little path but then the sun moved. Also failing at science 😳
6. When you see your habits in your children ❤️ 
7. My mom’s caretaker gave me a cake and now I am a whole year younger 🙏🏼
8. Thank you James for the treats, mom dreams of traveling to visit your bakery but this was the next best thing 🥐
9. Finding 50 bucks in jeans from 20 years ago 👏🏼 Always check the pockets!
10. The newly graduated makeup artist with her kit off to a job 💋 
11. When the birthday kid isn’t home it’s too sad. must make art. 
12. When I am so dumb and share it on the internet 🙃
13. My heart, my clarity ❤️
14. Another round of silkscreening! Things are happening. 
15. MUA by Ava, and hanging out with the help 😍
16. Reminder.
Happy Earth Day! Can we agree that every day is Happy Earth Day! 

Can we agree that every day is Earth Day? The older I get, the more I change my habits to be kinder to this beautiful planet. Lately, seeing the photos from Artemis II of Earth from space has really moved me to make even more planet-friendly choices. Here are some things we do at home, and of course, we could always be better, but I also think small changes are more doable and sustainable, and if millions of us did just one of these things, it would make a difference.

Ok, here goes! My hope is that someone reads one of these actions and thinks, I can do this! We cannot reverse the melting ice caps, but we can stop further global warming… humans can do this if we work together. It starts small and is community-driven, so share this with friends!

1. Eating less meat, eating more veggies (this is also called eating low on the food chain). A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. Did you know switching to 2/3 vegan reduces your carbon footprint by 60%? 
2. Grow our own veggies. Save on emissions and packaging, and find joy in gardening.
3. Less food waste. Eat leftovers, clear the fridge.
4. Buy less. Buy local.
5. Repurpose, fix, mend, thrift.
6. Make homemade gifts.
7. Drive less, fly less. (This one is harder, but being conscious of it is really important.)
8. Moderate, steady thermostat settings can save so much energy. Try 67/68 F in the winter and 72/73 in the summer and don’t touch it.
9. No pesticides on our lawn. It may not be pretty, but we have never had a beautiful lawn, and I’m fine with that. We also live on a river so the thought of polluting that water so I can have a perfect lawn is crazy.
10. Using non-toxic cleaning products or making our own from vinegar.
11. This year, we will do “no-mow May” to promote biodiversity, help the soil, and reduce emissions.
12. Vote for candidates who take climate change seriously!

Add some things you are doing in the comments. This is a judgment-free zone, so no preaching! But for real, we all can do a little bit better. 

The blog post about these signs is on artbarblog.com, link in bio!
New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite materials that I bring to the library. Read the post for links and tips for how to pair these materials to foster deep engagement. Children have always needed time in childhood to use their hands to make things and play, but now more than ever, the skills they develop through these experiences are imperative for their future well-being and success. I’ve been reading everywhere about children’s “lost skills” in this new ed tech world where screens have replaced so much hands-on learning in the classroom, even as young as preschool 😞 Communication skills, flexible thinking, regulating emotions, building empathy for others, innovating, even core strength and pencil grips are a struggle. Offering time and materials for making things and playing with ideas should not be a challenge; it should be as essential as filling bodies with fresh air and food. Play is how children learn! Anyway, I hope this post will inspire you to collect some things for making and maybe even join our Materials Matter course over on @the.creativityproject so that you, too, can become an expert at cultivating creative thinking through art making!
It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or work or enjoy anything these days. I know joy is resistance, art is resistance, kindness and empathy are resistance, and I try and practice all of these things every day, and also boycotting and shopping local and volunteering and making calls and checking on my neighbors and bartering and keeping our big tree lit for the community. And still, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I know we probably all feel this way. And maybe the collective small things really do add up to bigger movements, I don’t know. It’s Sunday and my mom is in the hospital again and I miss my one at college and I had such a bad dream last night. My headspace is not in cheerleader mode which is my usual default. And yet… going through my camera roll to find photos of things I made did actually help today. And I have made a plan for future things to make. When I wake up in the middle of the night, the way I get myself back to sleep is by envisioning this one big installation idea I’ve had for years, it takes place in a forest and involves textiles. So maybe 2026 is the year for me to bring this to life, or begin the process. I think about this quote, and it helps, too: When you make art, you rebel against a world that fears vulnerability. Ok, I’m better. Thank you for listening 🤪❤️

Ps: It weighs on me that Meta should be part of the boycotts. If anyone has any ideas for building community and sharing somehow somewhere else let’s discuss.
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All content on this blog is copyright and owned by Art Bar Blog unless otherise stated. I would be flattered if you wanted to use an image from one of my posts! But please, ask me first. I would also ask that if it involves DIY instructions with a list of supplies that you don't repost any of that stuff because then nobody would have a reason to click back to my original post!

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There are two things that I'm passionate about: Children + Art. As an art teacher, author, graphic designer, and mom to 3 creative thinkers, I get to explore my passions every day! Learn more...

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