The Artful Parent

Flower Crowns & Necklaces (Yes, Stained Glass!)

2013-05-23T06:00:00-04:00

We made some beautiful flower crowns yesterday. Necklaces, too. So easy and yet really quite stunning. It seems the perfect lazy summer activity as well—to celebrate summer, for pretend play accessories, as a party activity, or just because.

Here's how we did it...

How to Make Flower Crowns

MATERIALS

Posterboard, cardstock, or heavy paper
Drawing tool, such as a pencil
Scissors
X-acto knife
Self-healing cutting mat or piece of cardboard
Transparent contact paper (sticky back plastic)
Flowers
Tape

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Draw the crown shapes on the posterboard, sketching in large-ish inset sections where the flower decorations will go. Cut out the the crown. Scissors work best for the outside of the crown and an x-acto knife will work best for cutting out the insets. Make sure to protect your work surface with a cutting mat or cardboard if using an x-acto knife.

2. Pull the paper backing off a piece of contact paper and lay on table, sticky side up. Press the crown to the contact paper then cut away the excess contact paper from the outer edges.

3. Press flower petals to the contact paper, creating a bejeweled, stained glass effect.

4. Cut small pieces of contact paper to overlap the inset sections of the crown and press over the flower petal stained glass.

5. Wrap the flower crown around your head and tape in place.

6. Admire.

Aren't the crowns just beautiful? I love the ethereal stained glass effect!

Perfect for flower princesses and princes, fairies, elves, and anything else your child can imagine...

The kids made flower necklaces, too, using circles of leftover cardstock and the same technique.

A hole punch and some yarn turned them into necklaces worthy of any flower princess...

You may want to make one of these crowns for yourself as well. Just sayin'.

Starting Again

2013-05-21T13:48:34-04:00

I'd like to start again.

Do you ever wish you could do that? Go back to the way it was at the beginning (of whatever).

I feel like I've lost my way a bit and it took remembering why I started this blog in the first place (sharing & connection) and my mission statement, if you will (get kids doing art by inspiring and motivating parents).

As you can see, I've taken a bit of a break from The Artful Parent over the last couple of weeks. It was unintentional, as perhaps you know. (Whenever I take an intentional break, I tell you about it ahead of time and then can't seem to stay away when I plan to.)

This was different.

This was me turning away from the computer every time I got close, unable to face the blog responsibilities or the emails I knew were piling up, flinching when I saw myself around town, avoiding thoughts of my book. This was me turning inward at a time when I should have been facing outward. Spiraling downward when everyone around me thought I should be riding high.

It's funny what the mind does.

My doctor gave me a little blue pill to help me get a handle on my brain. I'm doing better now. This isn't the first time I've been on an antidepressant. And not the first time I've both welcomed its relief while at the same time counting down the days and ways until I can get off again.

Anyway, I came here today to explain my absence and to also say that I'm ready to start again. To focus on the simple act of sharing the children's art that I am passionate about.

Will you join me?

Enjoy the Little Things in Life...

2013-05-20T08:46:00-04:00

Jean Van't Hul

T-Shirt Transfers :: Iron a Fave Child's Drawing onto a T-Shirt

2013-05-08T06:40:10-04:00

I have a post over on No Time for Flash Cards right now on how to transfer your children's drawings onto T-shirts. Kid's totally love this! Maia and Daphne made shirts for their daddy's birthday, then for themselves, and (I've heard rumblings) are making some for me for Mother's Day...

This is such an easy and rewarding project!

My kids literally beamed with pride when showing their shirts to Harry. You could use favorite drawings from around the house or your children could draw something new just for this project.

Head over now to see how we made our T-shirt transfers and thanks to Allison for hosting me on No Time for Flash Cards!

Hand Sewing with Kids :: Getting Started

2013-05-06T11:53:55-04:00

Maia has been sewing up a storm the last few of months. She started out by hand sewing simple pillows and doll accessories and has since been been asking for (and getting) basic sewing machine lessons from me.

She now claims sewing is her second favorite hobby. The first is variably art or, from her 60 handstands in a row this weekend, gymnastics.

I thought I'd share her first hand sewing projects here and then give a few tips and resources for getting kids started with hand sewing.

First, Maia's little pillows... They were sewn using wool felt pieces from the craft store, embroidery thread, and a large embroidery needle. Then stuffed with polyfill.

As you can see, they were sewn with the stitch left visible on the outside. I think this is the easiest for beginner hand sewers. Once they have a few projects under their belts, you can show them how to hide the stitches.

Hand Sewing Materials for Kids

Here's what's in Maia's (beginner) sewing box.

Fabric :: Any fabric is fine, but you may want to start with one that is thicker yet still easy to run a needle through, such as felt or burlap. They'll probably quickly progress to other fabrics, such as linen or cotton.
Thread or embroidery thread :: Maia found the thicker embroidery thread easier to use and keep track of for her first few hand sewing projects.
Needles :: Again, a larger needle with a larger eye is a bit easier for beginner sewers.
Fabric Scissors :: Kid-safe scissors just don't work well on fabric. Maia is 7 1/2 and has been using my own, sharper scissors for a while now. I finally bought her a pair of her very own, smaller-size fabric scissors. You'll have to decide what you are comfortable with... Your younger kids you might want to help them cut out their fabric pieces.
Chalk :: Maia usually wings it with her designs, much as I do, but I've been showing her how she can draw her outline on fabric with chalk first (we just use a piece of our chalkboard chalk). This allows her to visualize the piece better, is fixable (she can redraw the line if necessary), gives her a line to cut along, and washes out easily.
Stuffing :: Polyfill or something more natural such as wool or cotton. This is optional, depending on what your kids like to sew. Maia is big into pillows and wants to try a rag doll and stuffed animal soon, so the stuffing is pretty integral to her sewing kit.
Embroidery Hoop :: An embroidery hoop holds fabric or burlap taut while beginners learn how to sew a line, knot thread, or just play around. It's also great for beginning embroidery (obviously).

Once Maia got a few pillows under her belt, she expanded her repertoire to include doll vests and accessories (blankets, scarves, and a pair of pants). Except for the pants, there was no sewing involved for these, just shaping and cutting. Kind of a brilliant no-sew beginner "sewing" project really. A child could always add buttons, decorations, or pockets with a little hand sewing while keeping the project super simple.

Making doll pillows and accessories for her and her sister to play with was an easy and motivating way for Maia to get started sewing.

Maia quickly moved on from making smaller doll-sized items to wanting to make the real deal. So she made this full-sized pillow as a gift for her aunt. Then another for my birthday. And quite a large one for Daphne. Yesterday she even started a ladybug pillow for a friend. (Yes, we've been going through a lot of stuffing lately.)

Next up, I'll share Maia's first sewing machine lessons...

But in the meantime, here are some resources for hand sewing with kids:

Beginning embroidery (and sewing) on a hoop at Maya*Made
"Sewing School" book review and project, again at Maya*Made
Sewing and Embroidery for Kids with Shelf Liner at Filth Wizardry
Experimenting with different sewing stitches with Zilker Elementary Art Class
Sewing simple felt ornaments with kids at Suchity Such

Question: Have your kids done any hand sewing? If you have any tips on getting started, please share them with us in the comments!

On the Cover (And My Issues with Being Seen)

2013-05-03T17:40:25-04:00

I'm on the cover of VERVE Magazine, a local magazine with the mission of "Covering Asheville's most fascinating women." This is equally exciting and nerve-racking for me. The last time I was on the cover of something was when I was born—2 weeks early in an ambulance on April Fool's Day. I'm sure I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about how I felt about my questionable fame then.

This time around, I've had a chance to observe myself responding to the cover and I realize I have issues.

This is normal, right?

I mean, we all have issues. Some of us have issues with cockroaches. Some of us have issues with sugar. Some of us have issues with being seen. Some of us have issues with all of the above and more (yeah, that might be me).

Now I recognize that this sounds ridiculous coming from a blogger who is purposefully writing to share her ideas with others.

Maybe writing on the web is the perfect combination of sharing freely and yet remaining safely hidden (even it it's just in my own mind).

A book feels the same way. I wrote a book that I want to share with as many people as possible, yet I don't have the same desire to eat a whole box of chocolates sitting on the floor behind the sofa.

One of my favorite parts of living in a big city like Boston was how anonymous I could be. Walking down the street and not knowing anyone and secure in the knowledge that no one knew me? I relished that.

This is probably not something you're supposed to tell others.

Just for the record, I love people, too. I have wonderful friendships that I absolutely cherish. But I'm better one on one or in smaller groups. I don't go around talking about myself or telling people what I do.

Writing this blog feels intimate. I'm inviting you into my home.

When I wrote my book, I was writing for you and imagining sharing my ideas over a cup of hot coffee in your home. Maybe walking around your house with you, brainstorming ways to create or tweak your ideal art space, talking about ways to fit creative activities into your busy day, even sitting down with your kids and showing them some of my favorite art activities.

Groups are good, too, in modest doses. I LOVED getting hands-on with kids and their parents at my recent bookstore event. And I am truly looking forward to the others that are scheduled.

I'm still not sure exactly why I suddenly feel so exposed by being on the magazine cover. Not sure why I have these issues with being seen. Let's just hope I don't sabotage myself too badly when I'm on TV tomorrow morning. Maybe you could send some good anonymous vibes my way...

By the way, the VERVE article itself is quite nice. You can read it online or pick up a paper copy if you live in the Asheville area.

Stained Glasses (Or, Fun and Games in Our House...)

2013-05-03T06:00:00-04:00

Kids can be: Silly. Experimental. Persistent. Creative. Playful. And (add in a few bonus adjectives here). All in the space of a few minutes.

Or one art activity.

When we were making the quilt stained glass window for our front door recently (which we LOVE, by the way), we all started off on the same page...

The kids and I cut shapes from sheets of colored film and arranged them on the sticky contact paper.

But it wasn't long before Daphne and the two older girls noticed that the world looked different through the colored film.

And away they went in a whole new direction!

Maia and Stella started experimenting. They layered color films. They held the films close to their faces and then farther away.

And then they made glasses.

(We may or may not have been reading the first Harry Potter at this time...)

And cut them out of the colored film, adding pipecleaners for the side pieces.

(Yeah, I know the "side pieces" probably have an official name. I even wear glasses and I can't for the life of me think of what it might be. So "side pieces" it is for now. Please feel free to enlighten my in the comments...)

If Stella and Maia weren't acting silly before the Harry Potter glasses, the addition of self-made, image-changing accessories did the trick.

Meanwhile, Daphne and I plugged away on the quilt stained glass art project...

Question: What accessories have your kids had fun making? (They've made some, right? Surely, my daughter isn't the only one to very seriously plan out a pair of paper shoes...)

The Kids' Arts and Crafts Directory -- Now Updated!

2013-05-01T09:34:23-04:00

Don't forget the Kids' Arts and Crafts Directory when you're looking for an art activity to do with your children. A friend has been updating it for me and it's now almost completely up to date. Yay!

Whether you're looking for a specific kids art activity or just browsing for inspiration and ideas, the directory is the place to go! It is organized by type of art activity to make it easier to help you find what you are looking for, whether it's a painting activity or some ideas for cooking with kids. Are you wondering if we have any fun kids' stained glass art projects? Why, yes! We've done one or two of those (or, ahem, over 40!). Looking for new watercolor techniques to experiment with? We've got more than a few of those as well...

And if you're just browsing for inspiration or to start planning your summer activity list, pin your favorites (or whatever you do to keep track of ideas you come across).

Happy exploring!

Breathing...

2013-04-30T17:38:20-04:00

Note to self:

Breathe deeply, slow down, enjoy the little things, and don't get too caught up in that crazy long to-do list you just wrote.

Perhaps you could use a note like that as well? Feel free to borrow mine!

My First Bookstore Event :: A Hands-On Family Art Activity

2013-04-28T16:07:56-04:00

I had my first bookstore event at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina yesterday. It was just perfect in every way. (From my perspective anyway! I hope the bookstore and the families attending liked it as well....)

The whole trip was a fun experience.

Driving to Chapel Hill by myself was a bit of a treat in itself, as anyone who takes road trips with kids can imagine. Listening to podcasts and my own music and stopping when I wanted to... Not often experienced, I can tell you.

Flyleaf Books is a great bookstore with a strong line-up of events. It's new to Chapel Hill since I moved away from the area 7 years ago. If it had been there then, I know I would have spent lots of time (and money) there! The bookstore is right next to the Foster's Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd—where I often ate lunch.

My bookstore events are all about hands-on family art activities. Thank goodness! (I talked Linnie, the events coordinator, into moving the podium out of the way completely.)

But hands-on art activities for families? I can totally do that!

I had a tissue paper suncatcher project planned for the Flyleaf event, setting out the following materials:

Contact paper (in frames that I cut out of colored cardstock)
Colored tissue paper
Colored feathers
Markers
A hole punch
And yarn for hanging the suncatchers

Kids and parents alike jumped right in, each using their own unique aesthetic and combination of materials to create colorful suncatchers.

Some used the precut tissue paper squares. Some tore their tissue paper into random shapes and sizes. Some cut their tissue paper into letters.

Some set the tissue paper down flat. Some scrunched it up first.

Some added feathers. Some stuck to tissue paper.

Some drew on their tissue paper. Some drew on their frames.

One eight-year-old took the hole punch and, instead of punching the two holes at the top of the frame for hanging, just kept punching all around the frame creating "swiss cheese" (his words).

And here's a suncatcher created with the holes from the hole punch and rainbow yarn designs.

So even with a simple art activity like these tissue paper suncatchers, there was a huge variety displayed in the finished products. I loved it! And I loved talking with everyone, too, as I made sure everyone had the materials they needed/wanted as they created.

Each family went home with several suncatchers to hang in their windows! And many with signed copies of my book as well. :)

Announcements & Upcoming Events

I wanted to announce the winner of the Artful Parent Arts and Crafts Pinterest contest. Roost Books and I worked together to choose the winner and there were so many great kids' arts and crafts boards that it was hard to pick. But we did eventually and the prize goes to Jacqueline Smith! Her Artful Parent Contest board is just full of creative ideas for kids.
If you're in WNC, make sure to watch WLOS News 13 on Saturday morning at 7:25 am (you know, if you're up that early). I'll be on with host Ingrid Allstaedt, talking about kids' art and demonstrating an activity or two. Think good thoughts. (I'm a little nervous about the idea of being on TV.)
Also, if you're in the Asheville area, I hope you'll come to my event at Malaprop's Bookstore. It'll be a hands-on art activity, so bring the whole family!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.