Paintsicles

Despite the bright sunshine that suddenly has started to flood our windows this week, we still have quite a bit of winter weather ahead of us. Fighting the cold will not make it go away, so why not use the giant outdoor freezer for a creative purpose? We experimented with frozen paint this week and I think it is fair to say that this is a keeper. We froze tempera mixed with water in popsicle molds and then painted with our "paintsicles" on watercolor paper. A dish of salt and a small bowl of water with a dropper helped create beautiful textures. Wetting the paper first with a brush or droppers full of water help the frozen paint slide across the paper. Dipping the end in salt for a minute helped speed up the melting process creating thicker paint, more vibrant colors and a grainy texture.

Stamping the ends resulted in rings while sliding on dry paper made scratchy lines.

Yes, I know the next picture is sideways, it keeps uploading that way despite not being sideways in my file--just tilt your head, it is worth it! Maybe I have been sunlight deprived for too long, but that natural light and shadow makes me giddy...

When we finished we just stuck the paintsicles back outside so that we can use them again and again. The only downside to this is that the frozen paint looks very yummy. Hollin could not resist licking each one. She is almost 5 and not at all the type to eat paint. But even she could not resist--even after saying "yuck" to the first one. I think she was holding out hope that one of them really was a popsicle...just thought I would warn you!

Just Plain Painting

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all hearts and lace...sometimes just a little red, white and pink paint are all you need... And maybe a sponge or a dinosaur.. some Q-tips, toothpicks and a race car...

Pure joy!

Valentine's Day Decorations

Many of my fondest memories are linked to preparing for holidays, and I know I am not alone. There is simply something special about the decorations and activities that only come out once a year. A few little touches are all it takes. As you might have guessed, I prefer handmade to store bought--or better yet, kid made. I do believe they thrive on such things.


Hollin and I made these flowers. They are the classic pipe cleaner and tissue paper flowers we all made in elementary school. Both kids have played with these, arranged them and moved them all around the house. I made these felt cookies as a Valentine's Day gift last year. Much more fun when they only come out once a year. (They would probably have even more dog hair on them if I left them out all year....)

Our seasonal tree always changes to reflect what is happening every month. In the past we used some pretty little hearts I had made. Hollin would decorate the tree with my ornaments. Just they other day she asked for paper. She made all the pipe cleaner heart ornaments and put them on the tree. Waylon made the heart shaped sun catcher on the bottom right.

Nothing fancy, just a few simple additions to our home to remind us that this is the month we get to hug and kiss a bit more, write love poems and make yummy things to eat.

Lace Prints

This is without a doubt, my new favorite technique. It is so fun and the results are lovely. This is something that can be done any time of year, with any color or colors--but it is especially perfect for Valentine's Day. We made several (too fun to only make one) so we may cut a few to make cards or hearts or for collage. For now, I just need to share the joy! First, go to your local thrift store and buy a lace curtain. I got mine for $2.99. If you can't find any, you can get a piece of lacy fabric at a craft or fabric store. You really do not need much--1/2 a yard will be fine. You will also need an empty clean spray bottle, liquid watercolors, watercolor paper and something to cover a large work area. I will warn you, this can get pretty ugly if your little artist is not careful. I would not dream of letting my 2-year-old do this indoors (and I am pretty relaxed about art messes). My 4-year-old is probably more careful than me, so we did not have any problems.

Cover the work space and set your watercolor paper in the center. Spread the lace over the paper and try to avoid wrinkles. Put your liquid watercolor paint in the spray bottle. I diluted it with some water which is totally optional.

Start spraying. For best results, aim for a quick misty spray. Encourage your child to keep the lace in one place.

Lift the lace off the paper to reveal your lace print.

Oooh la la! We LOVED this. I so enjoyed Hollin's enthusiasm. She just could not get enough of it. I hope this becomes a favorite for you too!

Saving Space

I am always looking for creative space saving ideas. With limited drawer space in the bathroom, I decided to try to utilize some wall space and create a more usable drawer. Previously, I kept my daughter's barrettes in little bowls in the drawer. I tried to keep them separated and organized, but despite my best efforts, they always ended up taking over and we could never find what we were looking for. I had seen lots of cute barrette holders, and started out with grand plans for crafting something extravagant. The problem with extravagance combined with 4-year-olds, is that you end up spending way too much time on something that may or may not be well received. So I made this instead. I secured a piece of fabric around the glass of an empty picture frame then secured two pieces of ribbon to the back, allowing them to hang in front. I put the "glass" back in the frame. The ribbon pieces inside the frame are loose enough to manipulate and there is plenty of hanging ribbon to accommodate our barrette collection. I added a little string to the top so it could hang on a nail or hook. Hollin and I put the barrettes on the ribbons together. So far I like it. I was afraid it would look too cluttered on the wall, but it does not feel that way at all. The best thing about it is that she wants to put her barrettes back when she is finished with them and the drawer is now home to a little box of headbands, a comb and some detangler---ahhhhh.

I was having a similar problem with earrings. I have always kept them all in a pretty little box (gift from a good friend for being a part of her wedding). The box was just getting too crowded. So when my sister recently shared the idea of using a crocheted doilie on an embroidery hoop as an earring holder--I stole the idea right away:) The pretty little box is still home to my non- dangly earrings and is much less cluttered. Embroidery hoops are super cheap, probably less than a dollar new, cheaper at thrift shops (where there are always an abundance of them!). I picked up the doilie at a craft store for $.99.

I even found free labor to arrange the earrings.

Contact Paper Resist

I can't resist a resist project (hee hee). We have been going a little crazy with hearts this week and I thought I would share this one. I cut the heart shapes out of contact paper. My little artist peeled off the backing and arranged them on a sheet of watercolor paper. She can cut hearts, and this would have been a good 2 part project, but sometimes it is nice to collaborate. She also drew a few "secret" hearts with a white crayon. Next come the paint--a nice wash of liquid watercolors. We peeled the contact paper off right away to reveal bright white shapes beneath.

Doilie Stencils

We had something of a Valentine's Day craft free-for-all this morning. I think these came out really nice and were very "ooooh, ahhh" inspiring. First we mixed up some tempera paint to get the colors we wanted to work with. Each kid got a large sheet of heavy white paper and a big paper doilie. Our doilies were pretty thin and worked just fine. The object is to hold the doilie still and paint over the pretty pattern. I had to help my 2-year-old hold it still. Once you finish painting, just lift up the doilie to reveal your lovely stenciled pattern.

A few cookie cutter heart prints for some extra flair...

Special bonus is you end up with a painted doilie for another craft!