Indian Corn Toddler Craft

Any craft involving paint is always a hit with Beatrix, so this was a great Thanksgiving project for us!

We used Lego Duplos to stamp lots of little circles with red, orange, yellow, and brown paint on some white paper. 

Then we went on a walk to look for some cornstalk leaves to use as the corn husks in our project.

Once the paint was dry I cut out a corn shape from the painting. I trimmed some corn leaves and taped them down first. (You could also cut leaf shapes out of brown paper bags and crinkle them up a bit for some texture.) Then we taped the corn down on top. And there you have it! So cute to hang up and display for Thanksgiving!

Flowering Tree Q-tip Bundle Paint Stamping

Wow, life has been crazy since I last posted. Hopefully I will get back in the swing of things in these next few weeks!

Today Beatrix and I did a painting project!

Isn't it cute? She really did a great job!

I drew a quick tree with a brown crayon (you could cut one out of brown construction paper for added dimension, that would be really cute!)

To make the stamp, take a small handful of q-tips and tape them in a little bundle. I chose pink, green, and white paint. I was going to mix the white with the pink and the green to make them lighter, but I forgot to leave out a q-tip for mixing and Beatrix was getting antsy to start. It got all mixed up anyway!

We started with the tree upside down so she would be more likely to paint the branches. She really got into filling all the white spaces with paint!

So proud of her work! I did direct her just a little bit, I suggested she use green at the bottom like grass and rotated the paper to help her find empty spaces to paint so she didn't have to drag her arms through the fresh paint. But ultimately she was the artist!

The finished product! This would be a great Mother's Day gift for grandma's or an easy project for dad to do with the kids for their mom! I also think it would be fun to do one for each season as they come. This would make a really pretty fall tree with oranges and yellows, don't you think?

I hope I will get back in the habit of posting more often - I have a few fun Spring ideas up my sleeve!

Messy Monday: Paintbrush Experiment

Beatrix was so interested in the paint last week that I decided we should play with paint again, this time trying out some different materials for applying the paint to the paper.

I bent a pipe cleaner into a triangle stamp, pinched a pom with a clothespin, grabbed a feather, a Q-tip, and a foam brush, and some paper. I like using cardstock, because it holds up under the paint better.

I poured some finger paint on to a paper plate for our palette. (pro-tip: use just a few colors that will look okay mixed together to avoid the muddy color look.) I got a damp cloth ready for cleaning up at the end and I zipped Bea into her jammies-turned-paint-smock.

Beatrix really seemed to enjoy using the pom the best, and she also liked the triangle stamp. I painted along with Bea and found the feather was really interesting to paint with. 

You don't need fancy supplies to explore art, just see what is hiding around your house and at the bottom of your craft/junk drawer. Older children may enjoy doing the gathering of items themselves. For the younger ones, keep it to just a few options and offer them one at a time, as to not overwhelm them. Remember, this type of art is more about the process than the end result. I keep all of these paintings of Bea's for future use as gifts/cards.

What other household items would be fun to paint with? 

Last-minute Toddler Valentine Crafts!

In this post I will go over two quick and easy Valentine's Day crafts that are fun for toddlers. One is messy and one is not!

First up is a heart-shaped sun catcher.

Supplies needed:

• Contact paper
• Tissue paper
• Washi tape (optional)

I drew a heart on contact paper and cut some tissue paper into little squares.

Peel off the paper backing and you are good to go. Show your child how the tissue sticks to the contact paper and let them have at it!

Beatrix was not too sure about the sticky paper. But she came around and had quite a good time making this craft. We also explored the laws of gravity by watching squares of tissue paper float to the ground.

To finish it off, I lay it down on another sheet of contact paper and trimmed the excess. I wrapped washi tape to finish the edges, but that is totally optional.

Of course it wasn't too sunny of a day, but it sure looks beautiful in the window. ;)

Next up: DIY Toilet Paper Roll Heart Stamp

Supplies Needed:

• Empty toilet paper roll
• Tape
• Paint
• Paper

You will also need something to squeeze the paint on (I use a paper plate) and you may want some kind of paint smock for your child and a protective covering for your work space. Have a damp washcloth ready for easy clean up!

Here is the stamp. Basically, flatten a toilet paper tube and crease the folds. Then tuck one point inside and sort of squeeze it to make a heart shape. I used tape to keep it in the correct shape.

It doesn't have to be perfect!

I use a pair of garage-sale footie PJ's as a coverall paint smock. Just zip it right over her clothes!

I wasn't sure if Beatrix would grasp the concept of the stamp, but she actually did really well!

Of course, we painted with our hands too.

 Here is the finished product! We actually painted 3 sheets of paper before she got tired of this activity!

So there you have it! Two toddler Valentine's Day crafts that you can pull off at the last minute!

Sticky Spiderweb ~ Toddler Craft

I just love doing crafts and Beatrix is at an age where she is able to do some fun process art and I am loving it! Yesterday we both had a great time making this "Sticky Spiderweb"!

I took some strips of packing tape and stuck them together to make a big sheet of stickiness. (Contact paper would be ideal for this, but I didn't have any.) I then taped that to her highchair tray.

I let her feel how the tape was sticky.

Then I gave her some pieces of twine (you could use any yarn or string you have sitting around) and showed her how to stick it down. I ended up cutting the strings much smaller than I had initially made them.

 She enjoyed pulling up the strings almost as much as she liked sticking them down. While she played, I told her about spiderwebs and how the string the spider uses is clear and sticky to catch bugs. I just love her concentrating face!

Here we were just about done with our web. I had her pat it all over to really get the string stuck down. She liked this part! When she lost interest in playing with the string and the sticky, I got her down and pulled up the tape. I cut off the pieces that held it to the tray and taped it onto a piece of construction paper - sticky side down. I added a little spider friend, the date and her name, and then hung it on the wall!

We had such a fun time doing this craft together. I hope you take some time this week to create something with your little ones!