September marks the beginning of the birthday season for many members of our family, so Clara and I made some fun autumn wrapping paper this afternoon! This is a super-simple project that even the little ones can do with great success. All you need to make your own are some toilet paper rolls, paint, and […]
Toddler Art — Groovy Peace Signs
September 2, 2010 by
While Emily was away with some friends enjoying a dip at the community pool, Clara and I had fun with this super-easy art project! To make your own groovy peace signs, you will need paper plates, masking tape, and some paint (we used watercolors). I marked off a peace sign on the back of a […]
Painting…with Feet!
August 31, 2010 by
This afternoon was spent in the backyard where I set out a large piece of cardboard, some washable paints, and let the girls have LOTS of fun painting with their feet!! I put down the paint on the cardboard, and the girls spread it out all over with their feet! We started with the lightest […]
Pretty Peacock Pictures
August 6, 2010 by
While I was doodling with the girls this afternoon, we made these fun peacock pictures inspired by a recent trip to the zoo! Emily was proud to be able to do this without any help from me, and Clara did a great job with only a little assistance on my part. Start by gluing a […]
No Mess Marbled Painting
August 5, 2010 by
This no-mess version of marbled painting was quick, easy, and inexpensive to make! Plus, it kept the girls occupied all morning while we experimented with different paint color combinations! Both of the girls loved the way they could move the paint and swirl the colors all around without getting their hands dirty! To make your […]
Quick Craft — Colorful Window Display
July 20, 2010 by
I thought our front door needed a bit more….. color. So we broke out the paints and markers….. ….. and spent a good part of the afternoon covering inexpensive coffee filters with bright sweeps of color! If you’re in need of some stress relief, I highly recommend doing this — so relaxing! There were lots […]
Watermelon Wrapping Paper
July 10, 2010 by
We have some special packages to mail out to friends, and I thought it would be fun to dress them up a bit. Emily had so much fun making this watermelon wrapping paper!! With just a bit of grown-up help, toddlers can have a go at this one too! We used a potato to make […]
Painted Orange Slices
July 5, 2010 by
The girls loved painting these cute orange slices, and they were so simple to make! Just cut a paper plate in half, and use some masking tape to mark off the segments of the orange. Invite the kiddos over to paint!! Emily will take any excuse to paint, plus her favorite color is orange, so […]
Painting…. with Ice Cubes!
June 23, 2010 by
Today was a real scorcher, but the girls still wanted some outside play time (and of course some sort of art is aways a necessary part of our day). I had some very inexpensive “paint with water” books, but we thought it would be more fun to paint with ice cubes instead!! If you’re afraid […]
Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Fish Magnets
June 14, 2010 by
For some reason, I tend to associate fish with dads. I think it’s because of Mark’s fish tank, and also my own father’s love of fishing. Emily and I had so much fun with this simple and frugal project — fish magnets! They are made using handles of old paintbrushes. In mind was this cute […]
Beautiful City Silhouette Painting
May 28, 2010 by
Now that Emily is finished with her school work for the Summer, we’ve been taking advantage of these pockets of time during Clara’s nap for some one-on-one crafting fun. This project is very easy (and frugal) to make! Begin by folding a sheet of paper in half as shown. We used kitchen sponges (pack of […]
Sunset Silhouette
May 19, 2010 by
I have been playing around with the idea of a tree silhouette at sunset painting for some time now, but I was struggling to find an easy way for Emily to do this and get good results. Then I had a “eureka” moment this afternoon while playing with some rubber bands. Let me explain… First, […]
Finger Painted Strawberry Prints
May 11, 2010 by
For a colorful and fun project, roll out a long piece of freezer paper, and dip your child’s thumb into some red paint. We used Crayola Washable paint. Make two thumb prints next to each other to make a heart shape. Have your child dip their pinkie finger into some green paint and write a […]
Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Ceramic Trivets
April 19, 2010 by
Another post in our fun series of Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — if you haven’t already done so, send your husband over here, and maybe he’ll take a hint. (wink, wink!) Most of these projects will feature very inexpensive items you can find at any hardware store, so manly men don’t need to […]
Easy Hyacinth Paintings
April 13, 2010 by
The hyacinths are in full bloom at our house, and to celebrate, the girls made these fun paintings using a cork as a stamp! I drew the stem and leaves, and the girls dipped the cork in some pink paint and stamped away! This project combined two of their favorite activities — painting and stamping! […]
Quick Craft — Bunny Handprints
March 31, 2010 by
Emily loved making this adorable bunny handprint this afternoon, and I think Clara will want to do one when she wakes up from her nap too! It was a super quick and easy project. I’ll be making color copies of them to turn them into Easter greeting cards! To make your own, you will need […]
Flower Prints from Soda Bottles
March 23, 2010 by
Another rainy day here, and the girls were starting to go through a bit of “messy art withdrawl”. We made flower prints using empty soda bottles! In our case, they were empty seltzer water bottles, but you get the idea. Clara really got into the painting today! She could hardly contain her excitement! To make […]
DIY: Scratch N Sniff Valentine Treat Bags
January 30, 2010 by
These scratch ‘n sniff Valentine treat bags smell as SWEET as they look! Emily had so much fun making these, and the colors were quite vibrant! To make your own, you will need: white paper lunch bags (we found ours at Target), unsweetened powdered drink mix (ie. Kool Aid – very inexpensive), and a bit […]
