Confession: I love to buy seasonal decor junk. Every year around this time, I walk up and down the aisles of the stores with stars in my eyes, perusing glittery ornaments or scary table toppers. I love smelling the spicy candles and imagining how wonderful and festive all the useless knick knacks would look on our shelves at home. In an effort to curb my semi-annual holiday junk fixation this year, I opted to forgo buying it from the stores and create it myself. And by 'myself', I mean I have enlisted the assistance of my children to fulfill my appetite for holiday gew gaws.
Give Boy O a blank canvas, paintbrush, and some orange, white and black paint and voila!-Abstract Halloween masterpiece.
Not only will the paintings look good anywhere in the house, but it was a great lesson in colors. Candy Land could only go so far....and we were having trouble teaching the difference between black and gray. Black and white paint was perfect for this lesson. Not only does he know the difference between the two colors, but he now knows the recipe for the color gray.
A few days later, we used empty glass jars, decoupage glue and tissue paper to make Halloween tea light holders.
This was fun simply because it was so messy! Glue was everywhere, as was the tissue paper-but thank goodness we cut out shapes for the faces beforehand and it helped with learning to use scissors and reinforce all of the shapes. Who knew Halloween could be so educational?
Here's the finished product:
Stay tuned, we haven't even gone to the pumpkin patch and I have lots of ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas...
So fun! I might just steal some of your ideas! I would like more step by step instructions on the tea light holders though!
ReplyDeleteHere's the step by step (I'm not that creative and got it from the Oct/Nov issue of Taste of Home on pg 17-but can't seem to find a link):
ReplyDelete1. Choose jars in various sizes
2. Brush decoupage glue (I bought Mod Pogde-available at most craft stores and Wal-Mart) all over the jars.
3. cover the entire jar with a layer of tissue paper.
4. Slather the tissue paper with another layer of decoupage glue.
5. Place the 'face' on the jar and apply another layer of decoupage glue over it.
6. Let dry (worked best in the sun, outside!
7. When it dryed, I sealed it with a clear acrylic sealer.
8. The magazine article says to put real tea lights inside the jar, but you know kids-they don't really have a concept of one layer of tissue paper-I just let boy O have fun, do what he wanted and some layers were really thick, so I felt more comfortable placing those fake battery tea lights inside them, and it has worked wonderfully-I can have them inside the house and not worry. They also make fabulous night lights!
Awesome! Thanks, I think this will be our Sunday afternoon project!
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe how talented your little guy is. Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteLOVED this idea! Cale wasn't as helpful as I thought he'd be, but he's only 3 and he's totally distracted by his bugs. Thanks for the tip! I really liked making them and they work well with leftover baby food jars. Keep the good craft ideas coming please!!!! :)
ReplyDelete