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Crafting with Kids

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Sure there are some great satellite providers in your area and yeah, maybe there’s snow to romp around in but shouldn’t you do at least one craft with your kids while they’re out on break this holiday season? Here are a few of our favorite ideas for crafting with kids
Mosaic Art: If you can get your hands on some tile, grout and a back to put them on you’re ready to craft! The great thing about mosaics is that they don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful and they’re really open to interpretation so let your kid go wild.
Paint by Numbers: They still sell these all across the United States and if you’re looking for an easier way to teach your kids to stay inside the lines you’ve got nothing to lose. Mix things up by painting colors that AREN’T mentioned in the shapes!
Glass Etching: Say your kids are a bit too old for finger painting – get some etching material and some glasses and get to work. It’s a tedious and precise process but very rewarding.

Arts And Crafts That Can Educate Children

admin — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Children love to create and all types of art projects can become learning experiences. Helping to teach children about the environment is easy if you do projects using recycled materials. There are so many projects that can be made with recycled or re-purposed materials and talking about the environment while doing a craft project is educational and fun.

Using items found around the home such as egg cartons, old cereal boxes, and other types of cardboard are all ways to teach the theme of reusing items to create art. In past times art projects were often created with items found around the home. We can bring back this practice while talking about how reusing things is good for our world and what being green means. There are many art projects available online that incorporate objects found around the home. These can be made into art projects or gifts for special occasions that everyone will appreciate.

With small amounts of paint, glue, scissors and imagination, you can teach your children to create. This process can be a essential skill that when learned can lead to lifetime skills of creativity using everyday objects to create beauty in our lives and helping the environment.

Top Arts And Crafts Festivals In The U.S.

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In my quest to find the best Arts and Crafts Festivals in the United States, I was delighted to learn that many were in nearby states.
My first discovery was in New Haven, Connecticut where there is the Annual Craft Expo. It-s a delight!
New Hampshire offers the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen-s Fair. This is said to be the oldest in the country.
Nearby Vermont has Vermont Fine Furniture & Woodworking Festival. This is a woodworker-s dream
Indiana is very proud of the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival.
Canton Flea Market is Mississippi-s finest. This is an awesome show.
North Carolina hosts The Seagrove Pottery Festival. Take advantage of the demonstrations offered.
In North Dakota there is the Grand Cities Art Fest. The setting is beautiful.
Visit the Columbus Arts Festival in Ohio. There-s live entertainment to feed your senses while you take in the all this fest has to offer.
Rhode Island has Gaspee Days Arts and Crafts Festival. Put this one on your list of things to do.
Now back to Vermont for the Vermont Open Studio Weekend. This is another May event.
Ripley West Virginia Mountain State Arts & Crafts Fair is held in July, and it is wonderful.

Fun Arts And Crafts For Children

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Kids love using their imagination to create many things. Their ideas will come to life using glitter, paper and foam stickers. Have your child create a cute birdhouse using small pieces of wood and glue then painting it with their favorite colors. On a rainy day have the kids color, cut out and paste together different shapes to create a masterpiece for mom and dad. Add glitter and glue and watch them have fun with their imagination! Girls can create their own line of jewlery with kits that have colored stones made to assemble and wear right away. Paint by number kits are great for those who love art. They can even mix and match the colors to create a whole new look for their picture. Lincoln logs have been around for many years and kids will love “building” a home from scratch. Crayons, markers, colored pencils, and washable paints are some of the ways to open up their creative side and bring out the artist in everyone. Have them make a funny mask to wear for Halloween. Whatever ideas you can think of to bring out their imagination, go for it! It may surprise you how talented they really are.

Making Arts And Crafts With Non-Toxic Materials

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Making arts and crafts with your family should a be fun-filled activity, but more importantly it should be safe. Many arts and craft materials are chock-full of harmful ingredients these days, and who can enjoy finger painting or learning to color inside the lines with harsh fumes and toxic ingredients involved?

Don’t worry, here are three steps you can take to make sure that craft time is safe:

1. Read labels. Avoid craft supplies with key phrases such as “DANGER”, “POISON”, “WARNING” or “CAUTION”, as these may be extremely toxic. Also beware of any product that includes words such as “HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED”, “AVOID SKIN CONTACT”, or “FLAMMABLE” on their labels.You can find a quick rundown here

2. Be aware of potential hazards. We all know kids (and perhaps some adults) don’t always use craft supplies in the way they were intended. A felt-tip marker quickly becomes “makeup” or a paint covered brush becomes a chewing stick. Always provide constant supervision during craft time in a well-ventilated area.

3. Provide non-toxic substitutions. Use craft supplies designed for childrens’ use instead of adults to avoid toxic pigments and solvents. Look for water-based paints, glue, and markers; not only are they safer, but also easier to remove from the walls when things go awry! Making your own craft supplies such as a flour and salt-based dough or flour-based finger paints are also great ways to to ensure craft time is toxin-free, as well as expanding the crafty fun!