One of our very favorite books to read (as a family) is called The Dot by Peter Reynolds. The girls (who still LOVE to be read to), picked it out among a pile of others we were reading and I was reminded how much I love it. A phenomenal story about a little girl named Vashti who doesn't think she can draw and her art teacher that encourages to explore her creative spirit and "make her mark". Totally a simple story and message but I watched it inspire my girls to get out their art box and go to town.
If there is something I always manage to justify spending money on, it's art supplies. The good people at Michaels and Joann's know me and my kids by name as we are constantly there getting something for our latest and greatest project. Clay hand prints, tissue paper stained glass, sea creatures out of crepe paper, paper mache or watercolors or pastels, jewelry kits, super hero shields and swords, holiday decor and gifts, you name it. I'd blame Pinterest but in all truth, most of our projects come from my head or from past art projects I remember doing as a kid. Some of them are worth saving, most often, they decorate our walls for a couple of months and then go in the trash. And to be honest, most of the reason we do them is for the experience of doing them not for the end product.
Some key lessons I have learned over the course of our many successful and not-so-successful art projects:
1) Regardless of what the picture on the box (or on the Pinterest site) looks like or how much you dictate the materials and how to use them, the project will NOT turn out how you are expecting. BE OKAY WITH THIS. Even if you are making a gift, let your "artists" make it their own. Let them choose their colors and decorate with imagination. Jenna, one year, was hell bent on painting all her Valentines brown, green and black. I sat there for twenty minutes and tried to talk her out of it (ha, I could sooner convince my dog to pick up his own poop). And in the end they turned out very cool camo-looking and totally her own. Not a dot of pink or red or any hearts, and she LOVED them. She delivered each one with a great deal of explanation and style, and truth be told, they probably meant more to the recipients than any other valentine in their box.
2) Be wary of getting too complex for the artist (this might be my number one flaw). Although the color-by-number or cool beading or make-your-own mosaic might be calling your four-year-old's name, be realistic with their attention span and their tactile ability. Jenna's attention span with art projects is phenomenal (and always has been), with Kaitlyn on the other hand, I usually have for 20-30 minutes at best. Start small and have plenty of supplies. If they want to do more, then be ready to go. And if there is a partially painted object with 90% white space, still have them sign their name - DATE it - and tell them its perfect. In their eyes it is.
3) If you need instruction or inspiration, first do some research on-line or look for a kit on sale, look at the materials, and buy extra materials. I have had many moments where I have bought the super-amazing Martha Stewart project for $20 and gotten home to realize I just paid a 10,000% mark up on some white tissue paper and pipe cleaners and ribbon. Ugh. Kids art project sets are notorious for this. And often, the included materials are listed on the back of the box in a neat little list, sometimes even with pictures. It is a 100x better to be able for every girl to make 3 or 4 headbands in their favorite colors rather than one in the pre-chosen colors and it is AWESOME to be able to have back-ups in case of a mess up (like when your glue gun explodes or you have a paint pen leak). And if you do buy a kit, save the instructions in a file! You can go back in the future and recreate as many times as you want.
4) Be prepared for the mess. If you are using glitter anything, or paint, or felt balls or jewels, have a big area. I am a champion of using trash bags and masking tape to transform my kitchen table. Since the trash bags are so handy, I even use them as paint smocks to save clothes. Cut out arm holes and a head hole with a neck slit down the back and they are covered from inevitable stains. And for the more environmentally conscious, save the bags and reuse. I can usually get about 3-4 projects out of my homemade smocks and drop cloths.
5) Take pictures. I have tried to save many an art project but after a few weeks/months/years it is a waste of time and the craft usually doesn't last. The picture lasts forever and it is awesome to look back at some of our most dazzling creations (even as works-in-progress). You can even put together a book of the photos of your art projects and Viola! An awesome coffee table album or gift for grandma.
6) Invest in some core art materials: Watercolors or tempra paint, felt of all colors and stiffness, sharpies (for mom to sign things), construction paper, stamps, modge podge, foam board or cardboard, spray varnish, glue dots (I could write a whole blog on how awesome and easy glue dots are), a small glue gun, and a ruler. Especially as K has started school, these supplies double as the back bone of any good project or book report. And start saving some things as "life" happens. Egg cartons double as easy paint cups or bead sorters. Extra wrapping paper can make cute flowers on cards or presents. We have several jars of buttons and knobs and stickers. And I can name about 500 uses for tissue paper so by in bulk or hit up the dollar store.
Good luck! Have fun! And if you need ideas or have great project ideas, let me know!
No comments:
Post a Comment