DIY Easy, Colorful Fall Kid Craft

The 7 year old Girl Grand wanted to make something while her mom and I crafted door wreaths last Sunday so we set her up with some basic supplies and let her come up with her own creation.  Because it's fall and spooky is in season she decided to make several bat puppets.  She used markers to draw her one of a kind designs on several different color sheets of craft paper and cut out the shapes.  To make them work like puppets she punched little holes and inserted colorful pipe cleaners.  After she played with them for hours it was time for clean up.  We gathered up the puppets and stood them by the pipe cleaners in a white milk glass vase.  They are sitting on a shelf above my sink now and I can't tell you how much we have enjoyed the whimsicle look.  I call them my bat boquet.

Easy Pre school Spider craft and a bean lesson

Today boy grand asked to make a hanging spider decoration for our art project.  Spider crafts are easy and can be quite fun for some scary or not so scary Halloween decorating.  Here you can read the extremely easy and quick this crafty art is.

How to make a Pottery Barn knock off pillow

Summer is a great time to have fun with the kids and celebrate family time together.  
It's the time of year when red white and blue flag crafts are everywhere.  I saw a lovely porch patio with a patriotic flag pillow from Pottery Barn that looked like an easy knock off art project. Last week the Grands spent the week with me.  Every day they knew we’d have Summer Fun activity time and every day the first thing they wanted to know was what the craft project would be.  They like to paint on everything so after we exhausted the rocks in my garden, sticks from the wood pile and paper plates galore I thought they might be ready for something a little more exciting.  Something with a design but easy enough for a 4 and 7 year old.  Being a patriotic weekend coming up in the USA I created a knock off  Pottery Barn pillow with a flag design.

DIY Halloween lights kids can make.

I found out just hours before time that great grand was coming over for two days of daytime babysitting.  I had to quickly come up with some entertaining crafts for a 3 1/2 year old to keep him entertained.  We did our usual cookie baking, hide and seek games, object counting, color identification, book reading, playground time, McDonald’s lunch and this fun DIY Halloween light decoration.

Fall crafts with kids

Activities and projects with the grands is one of my favorite things.  It is always inspiring to watch the kids imaginations grow and their creativity take over with only a few supplies and a little supervision.  They know when I come there will be "projects" and are always anxious to get started. These are some projects you can easily do with your young people this afternoon with craft paint, markers and any hard surface scraps. 

We found some salvaged brown tiles in the garage from the bathroom remodel to make a wonderful background for a night scene of spooky creatures! Girl grand made fingerprints and set them loose like a flock of bats.  Do bats fly in flocks?  Hm.  

 

On some larger tiles and tile pieces we used a paint brush to add Craft paint on their palms and fingers to make hand prints.  Some added details and they became spooky but friendly spiders.  The grands presented them to their mom who is thrilled to have them.

To do this easy craft, gather some craft paint, paint brushes,  permanent marker and a hard surface to paint on such as tile or plates or wood.

Spread out some protective covering like garbage bags and put old shirts on the kids.  I first drew a picture to show the kids what we were going to do then started by painting black craft paint onto one hand.  Have them spread their fingers a little and warn them to keep the hand still as you press it firmly onto the surface.  Remind them not to move their fingers.... then lift the little hand straight up and onto paper towels.  Sit it aside to dry before using a dab of white paint for eyes and smiles.  Then draw on a permanent marker spider web.  In between drying times give them extra tiles or hard surfaces to make finger print animals.  BTW, a pencil eraser makes a nice little white circle for the eyes...  If they don't like the way it looks, it's easy to wipe away the wet paint and start again.

A Grand Art Show

Phase one:  Create.
On a series of cold and windy winter break days I kept the little grands.  The five year old is quite imaginative.  I was sent on little missions outside to find perfect rocks and sticks.  There was a constant need for clean water to rinse brushes and expert transformation of paper bags to suitable table covers and note cards.  There was also a great need for plenty of paper towels when baby grand (the 2 year old) washed his rocks more often than painting them.

Phase two: Ask friends and relatives to participate.
After several hours of these activities little grand handed me a hand written invitation on a folded piece of brown paper bag. The front reads “ Party at MeMaw’s. Open. (translated…because she has only completed a semester of kindergarten) The illustrated inside reads, “Free cookies, games, pet horses.” At this point, if you don’t already have cookies on hand… make some. Conveniently for me her mom had sent some tiny sugar cookies along with many bottles of sprinkles. We took a break from the art world and entered the kitchen and cookie decorating world. That was loads of fun and entertainment for both her and the baby grand who enjoyed tasting them more than decorating. Oh, yes, I also sent a text message with attached photo’s of the invitation to the Aunts & Uncles so they could plan to drop by the Gallery tomorrow.

Phase three:  Set up a display.
We rearranged the dining room a bit and began taping up the art.  It is all in a row about eye level to a 5 year old around the walls.  On the window ledges are the painted rocks.  On the dining table is a plate of sugary cookies and napkins.  Little grand greeted the guests as they arrived at the door and took them on a tour.  She explained the idea and subject of each piece before inviting them to take a cookie.  It was really quite sweet.  I am looking forward to a trip to art gallery during the school Spring Break.  We will dress up in our Sunday best and go for lunch in a very “grown up” place.

Thank you for attending our Art Show.

You can see where I party link up here.

Little Grand self portrait

PicMonkey is a free photo editing program on the Internet that I enjoy playing with.  These are photos taken through my kitchen window of the little grand drawing her self portrait with window chalk.  She was drawing a self portrait, I was washing dishes in the sink right in front of her.  She got this far and I said, wait - picked up a camera - and asked her to hold her real arms out for the finished portrait.  [Sigh, smile].  I loved it and am so grateful it was captured before the rain mixed the colors together a few days later.