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,…
DIY
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…
DIY Painting // XOXO
I’m so behind on work. I seriously have piles everywhere (which is the truth if you knew me and the normal state of my house). But today I woke up to find that the “invitation to paint” I had put out for my teenage daughter yesterday during our snow day was left untouched. It was…
ALT Summit 2015 + DIY Business Cards
I know I don’t normally write about the business of blogging, but I still wanted to share a little bit of the experience I had in Salt Lake City last week. I just got back on Saturday night from 4 days at Alt Summit, a business conference for bloggers and creatives. It was pretty awesome to be surrounded…
The Best of Art Bar 2014
A walk down memory lane. A year of hard work, new beginnings and new friends, a growing family, and dinner on the run! Here we go… DIY 1. painted leaves // 2. good morning chart // 3. bird nests // 4. snowflake garland // 5. cake topper // 6. mother’s day card GARLAND 7. mini felt…
DIY Curtains // World’s Easiest
Rewind to the day before the first day of school, four months ago. My daughter wrote me to-do list two weeks before school started. She wrote ME a to-do list. Oh, the irony. I was instructed that everything needed to be done before the first day of school. Every night, around 10pm (grrr), I would…
Mini Felt Garland
Sometimes I have a picture in my mind’s eye of something I want to make. I don’t know what triggered this idea (although I’m sure it was my hours of trolling through Pinterest), but I really wanted to make some felt garland. I knew this would mean dusting off my old sewing machine, but I didn’t care….