Things to Make - Yarn Wrapped Sticks (As Seen In the Land of Nod Catalog)

This is possibly the easiest craft project I've ever posted (and I've posted LOTS of easy projects). Basically, look around the neighborhood for "good sticks" (not too frail, not too large), which is a fun way to occupy the kids during the "witching hours." Then use a glue stick to attach the yarn to the stick. I bought different colors of yarn, so that each stick would contain multiple hues.

Originally, I placed the sticks in a vase. But when Land of Nod came to makeover the basement, they decided to attach them to the ceiling. Pretty, huh? For an extra special effect, add garland, like this one from Paper Source (Paper Source no longer appears to sell the garland pictured above).

Things to Make - Nature Art, Faces

A few weeks ago, Under the Pecan Tree posted about using household items and art supplies to make portraits and I loved what they came up with. I planned on trying something similar, but then the temps actually rose above 45 degrees. So we scavenged outside for portrait-making materials. And then we arted.

What have you been making lately? We'd love to hear!

Things to Make - Watercolor Nature Prints

The inspiration for this project came from this post on the Artful Parent. And though we made a big mess, we had a ton of fun working on it.

First we went for a nature walk, looking for things that would "print well" - so we picked up everything from leaves to sticks to stones. T loved this part (as you can tell from the HUGE pile of stuff pictured below).

After we dumped our wares on the table, we poured liquid watercolors into blank stamp pads from Discount School Supplies. If you don't have the stamp pads you could try pouring the watercolors onto felt or even a sponge or you could also just use regular stamp pads. Then the kids started printing. Some objects worked better than others (sticks and rocks didn't do much), but all three kids liked trying out different objects and combinations, especially three-year old T, who could have stamped for hours.



The walk was a blast. So much fun to notice the details of leaves and all of the different plants around our neighborhood.

Things to Make - Nature Art

(F's nature collection is pictured above)

As I mentioned yesterday, we've been going on a lot of neighborhood walks lately. On these walks I like to take a small cotton bag and "collect" some of the beautiful wildflowers and plants we pass by (sometimes the kids help me, sometimes they don't). After we return home, I place everything we found on the kitchen table and ask the kids how we could use our "nature stuff" to make pictures. F often comes up with great ideas - long green leaves have become jack's beanstalk, a teeter totter, and Tarzan's jungle. P usually gets out the tape and randomly makes "pretty designs" with the nature stuff. Some days the kids show no interest, so I'll start my own pictures (our family in the "jungle" for example) and leave them half-undone, only to come back later and find that the kids finished them (like a coloring book).

I know it's a super simple project, but the kids seem to like it. Plus, I'm always intrigued by the designs the kids create.

HAPPY TUESDAY EVERYONE!!

OTHER CREATIVE IDEAS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

*Stamping cookies (link via DesignMom). LOVE this one!

*Teach Mama has a huge (and wonderful post) on using recyclables for kids' craft projects (which includes a downloadable PDF).

*Build a road with black electrical tape, toy cars, and blocks. Sounds like fun.

*Salt map of the earth.

*Make your own sidewalk chalk paint (with cornstarch and food coloring).

*I love this DIY woven paper gift-topper, especially since I always use newspaper to wrap gifts (which embarrasses my children).

*10 Summer Dares (a very fun list).