Pop Happy for Popcorn Day!

Happy Popcorn Day! Here's a nifty bit of artsy-ness that includes a wee bit of recycling and a whole LOT of glue!
What you need:
*white glue (or colored glue)
*food color or liquid water color (or colored glue)
*popped popcorn
*pom-pons or other collage-able fun
*glitter
*tape
*wax paper or splat mat
*clear plastic lids like the kind that sit on your frappacino

scrumdilly-do it:

Set out your materials on a sheet of wax paper or your handy dandy splat mat (a couple of plastic placemats will work in a pinch). Prep your colored glue. This part will work best if you can make a couple of bottles of colored glue to have on hand. Kidlets can of course use a paintbrush to use the glue as paint but what fun is that? It's all about the SQUEEZING! If you can, pick up a couple of the tiny bottles of white glue. Back to school time is great for discounts but you can always pick up a couple of larger bottles at the dollar store. Add a few drops of food color or liquid watercolor, put the cap back on and shake, shake, shake! Rest the bottles upside down to help get the color mixed into the glue. If you have a small squeeze bottle floating about, mix up your wee one's favorite color into some glue and have them use that. Remember, kidlets will use as much glue as you give them so keep the quantity down othrwise you will have a mountain of glue dripping all over the place. Not only would that be wasteful, it would be MESSY! You don't have to use a clear plastic lid but the clear plastic will allow for pretty sunlight to stream through if you choose to hang this piece of art. A yogurt lid or any other plastic lid will work but if you are a person who hits Starbucks quite often, these lids are PERFECT! Flip your lid over so that the top faces you. Tape up the straw opening with a couple of pieces of tape and flip over so the top is resting on the table.Now it is time for the first batch of glue! Have your wee one squeeze as much glue as they like into the lid. If you have the lid facing the right way you will have a small lip to hold the glue in. The goal is to coat the bottom of the lid with glue.If your wee one is getting a little too glue happy, cut them off by handing them a bottle of colored glue. Encourage them to squeeze a little color into the lid also.Next up is popcorn! While I am sure you and your wee ones are snacking away on the popcorn, don't forget to add some to the lidful of glue, a few pieces at a time. The idea is to layer. Glue, popcorn, glue, popcorn, etc. So go ahead and add some popcorn to the mix...Add some more glue in a different color perhaps and then add a dash or two of glitter, add some more popcorn, more glue, pom-pons and what have you. Eventually your wee one will decide he or she is done and their lid will look a little something like this:Set aside overnight to dry and check back here for the next step. Mine is still all gluey so I have to wait also. Make sure to have more than one lid on hand so that your kidlet can make a couple of these. Experiment with other disposable items. You may want to use the plastic container the lettuce came in just cut the sides down a little bit and tape up those holes! Have fun!

Revisit last year's links:
Popcorn themed books
Other popcorn related fun!

Hooray for Hat Day 2008!

Yay! It's Hat Day! Here's a nifty hat you can make from around the house supplies!
What you need:
*paper plates
*paint, crayons or markers (or colored plates)
*scissors
*scrap paper in long strips
*pipe cleaners (optional)
*tape, white glue
*stapler or hole punch
*ribbon, string, yarn or twine

scrumdilly-do it!

Set out your supplies on a splat mat or other mess friendly surface. Each kidlet should get one paper plate to transform. If your plates are white, have your wee ones paint, color or draw on them to fancy 'em up a bit. I painted mine. Do this to both sides so make sure to allow time for side one to dry.Have your wee ones pick a side to be the top of their hat. (You may want them to do this before they paint as the top of the plate will make for a better surface to stick things on. At least, it will keep the glue from dripping everywhere!) They are going to fancy it up with long paper strips that have been cut or torn by your or them. They may dribble glue all over the top and then add their paper scraps or they may use tape to secure them. It all depends on what type of sticky your kidlet prefers. As your wee ones fancy up their hats, have them think TALL. Bend one end of a strip of paper and adhere to the plate then let it loop a little before securing the other end or maybe don't secure it at all. If you are using pipe cleaners, make sure the tape is out. Pipe cleaners are not exactly glue friendly and that can be frustrating for your wee ones. If your wee ones are not so wee, you can up the ante on this project and have them do a sort of weave to decorate. You will need to cut a bunch of slits in the plate using an exacto knife or blade. NEVER let your wee ones near an exacto blade! Do this as soon as their plates have dried and with your wee ones far away from your sides. Then, your kidlets can slip the paper into the slits to anchor each side. Once all their bits of pipe cleaners and paper are arranged, flip the plate over and secure with tape. This is a little more hands on but it allows for some good moments of hand to eye coordination, problem solving and small motor skills.Once their hats are all fancied up, set aside so that the glue may dry if glue was used. Otherwise, you can either staple two strings of ribbon, yarn or twine, one to either side of the plate or you can punch a hole in each side and knot a stand of ribbon on each side. It is all up to you and your wee ones.Place a hat on top of a head and tie under the chin and viola! Fancy hats! If the hat is slip, slip, slipping about, tape a small square of foam or felt to the center of the bottom of the plate. This will help a wee bit with all the sliding. Make sure to take pictures! Not every kidlet likes the feel of something tied under their chin!

Happy Hat Day!

Hats! Hats! Hats!

Howdy folks! Tomorrow is Hat Day! What kind of hat are you going to make? Grab yourself some around the house supplies like coffee filters, paper plates, paper bags, newspaper...you can make a hat out of almost anything! We would love to see pictures or read your ideas. Make a hat and share it with us! Check back tomorrow for a nifty Hat How To, or, you can take a gander at last year's post.

Happy Hat Day Folks!

Trees! Trees! Trees!

They are EVERYWHERE!
I spotted more than a dozen trees today but these were two that I stopped for....

Squeezing out a little more Christmas fun...

the Guerilla Art way!

Okay, I still haven't ordered my copy of Kerri Smith's Guerilla Art Kit but I will, I promise! Inspired by Ms. Hula's renegade adventures with her wee ones I have decided to come through with an idea I have been entertaining for almost a decade now. Be a renegade tree decorator and document it!

what you need:
*heavy paper/card stock
*paint
*markers, glitter,glue, etc.
*tape or a stapler
*scissors
*digital or old skool film camera
*dry erase board (optional)
*foodie garlands from your holiday tree

scrumdilly-do it!

Set out your craft/art supplies and have your wee ones construct a most fabulous tree topper. The more outrageous the better! I did a GIANT star.Cut your shape, paint, decorate as you will and let dry. Once dry, make a loop-dee-loop out of a strip of scrap paper and close using a whole mess of tape ot a stapler.Affix to the back of your topper.

Next, gather up any "throw-away" garlands you and your kidlets may have constructed for your current tree. If you don't have any, gather up some cereal or pasta and thread and whip a garland up. I used a mini box of fruit loops for a three foot garland.Bundle up if it's cold, grab your camera(s) and go on a Christmas tree hunt! You know, all those sad and lonely kicked-to-the-curb Christmas trees that start appearing right around now? Those are the ones! Keep an eye out and when you find one, do a quick guerilla make-over, add a dry erase board with the date and location to the shot and snap a picture. Remove your decorations and move onto the next tree.**

You can even have your wee one's jazz up a shoe box to hold your Guerilla decoration kit. Keep it in the car for when a lonely tree calls your name. Keep your kit in a homemade bag and carry it with you on walks. The more your kidlets look for the trees, the more exciting it becomes! Believe me! I've been taking pictures of the trees since 2000 and I get all trigger happy on New Year's Eve. I have never decorated them before and can't wait to start! I'll post pictures as soon as I spot a tree! I had my kit with me yesterday but sadly didn't see nay trees.

I promise to post pictures soon and please, please, please if you do this, I would LOVE to see your pictures!

**Don't forget to remove your decorations after you take your pictures. Leaving them on would be a lovely and fabulous gesture methinks but it may also be too enticing for some types to steal away and litter the place up with. Keep our streets clean, right?

Have a Happy New Year! I wonder how long and far out we will see trees? I once snapped a shot of a tree in June!

Happy Boxing Day!

Don't throw all that gift wrap out! Make a nifty gift wrap collage!

What you need:

*gift wrap scraps
*ribbon scraps
*gluestick, tape or kid friendly glue
*carboard, cereal boxes, paper plates, gift boxes
*scissors
*glitter and other bits of fun
scrumdilly-do it!

Gather up all your gift wrapiness. You know, that pile of torn paper and ribbons and tags. Set out a selection of the goods for your wee ones to art it up with along with scissors and adhesive and something to glue it all onto.Have your wee ones cut or tear pieces of their favorite paper and arrange them onto their work surface for some collage fun. You can use broken-down gift boxes, paper plates, cardboard or heavy paper for your work surface.They can do random placement or make a torn picture. Cut, tear and glue away, add some glitter for fun and you will soon have a nifty memorable holiday collage! Don't forget to recycle the rest!
Other ideas:

**Collage onto a gift box and refold so that your wee one can have their own nifty treasure box for all those stocking-stuffers.

**Cut the scrap gift wrap into strips and make some more paper chains!

**Cut long strips of paper and have your wee ones collage onto a paper plate. Don't forget oodles of ribbon and you can make a paper plate hat not unlike the baby shower hats we so love to force new mamas to wear!

You may even want to save a box of scraps to keep around for when inspiration strikes. Kidlets can even art up the blank backs of the paper.Have fun!

Festive fun with paper plates

I did this project last week with something else in mind (which I promptly forgot) and then this morning I thought of another way to do it but have no picture of the finished deal. Perhaps you will be inspired and send ME pictures!

Paper plate wreaths!

What you need:
*paper plates
*paint (tempera, acrylic or washable)
*marbles
*scissors
*glitter, sequins or tissue paper
*paper clip or hole punch and string
*white gluescrumdilly-do it!

Set out your supplies in a paint friendly area. Set evrything out on a splat mat or plastic tablecloth. Give each of your wee ones a paper plate and let them squirt 2 to 3 colors of paint onto it. You may want to water the paint down a tiny bit if it is super thick.Add a marble or two and have your kidlet(s) grasp the plate in both hands and wobble it just a smidge to get their marbles to roll around and mix up the paint. Add glitter and/or sequins if you like for some pizazz and sparkle.Set aside to dry.Once dry, help your wee one(s) cut out the center of the plate leaving a paint splattered ring. This will be your wreath. You can set out torn bits of tissue paper, pipe cleaners, cut up straws and more sequins so that they can decorate their wreaths even more. Glue or tape a paper clip to the back near the top and you have an instant hanger. Or, yo ucan use the hole punch to punch a hole for threading some yarn to use as a hanger. Have fun with the colors, do red and green for Christmas or jazz it up in silver and blue for a New Year's wreath. Add a clothespin to the back at the top so that you can clip a holiday card or photograph to hang in the center of the wreath. There are oodles of options, have fun and don't forget to take pictures! Send me your pics and I'll post them here with a link to your blog.

Have A Happy Holiday!

Sack it up!

Hop on over to Kids Craft Weekly for my newest scrumdilly-do project; Lunch Sack Holiday Cards. If you're not a subscriber to Kids Craft Weekly, make sure to sign-up! It is chock full of nifty, crafty, artful ideas (if I do say so myself!) This week's weekly includes four holiday projects along with some nifty gift ideas. Here's a sneek peek:

Repurposed Art: Paper Chains

When I was 5 years old, I fell ill with pneumonia...twice! Amidst all the colorforms and coloring books, someone had given me a pad of gummed orange paper strips. I remember laying on our old scratchy brown couch wrapped up in a vintage silk quilt making link after link to form this tremendous paper chain. I thought these papers were the bees knees. What better way to make a paper chain than to repurpose your kidlet's own fabulous art? You can even make art for the sole purpose of chaining it up!

What you need:

*flat, colorful paper artwork
*scissors
*glue stick, white glue or tape (kidlets LOVE tape!)scrumdilly-do it!

Take scissors to your kidlet's artwork cutting it into thin (no more than an inch and a half wide) strips at least six inches long. Place withing reach of your wee ones. If your kidlets are old enough to do this, allow them to do so. Scissor work is always fun for wee ones and it helps strengthen those wee finger muscles. Decorative edged scissors would work also but sometimes cutting with them can be frustrating.Once all the strips are cut, begin with the first link. Have your kidlet hold their strip in front of them, horizontally and artwork side up. They will need to add adhesive to one end of the strip. Once the glue is on the end, curl the ends under to form a loop, pressing together so that the glue holds.Next, take another strip and insert halfway through the completed loop. Add adhesive to one end and connect, making two complete loops or links, if you will.Continue on until your kidlets have a chain deemed worthy for the tree, their bedroom or wherever it is they wish to display it.You may want to have your wee ones complete a pile of unattached links to alternate with. Sometimes adding a new link to a loop can be frustrating so starting off with a bunch of links to join can ease that frustration. You can also use old holiday cards, gift wrap and/or magazines for this project. Have fun!

Revisiting Tinfoil Festive

 Many thanks and homemade cookies to blogger bethany actually for repurposing tin foil festive into Holiday Cards! Check out her blog for some fabulous pictures. What a great idea, I wish I had thought of it! Anyone else doing something extra spiffy for the holidays?

More Holiday fun coming tomorrow! (I misplaced the book that jump started my circle frenzy so that will be coming in January. Sheesh, where has all the time gone?)

O

I'm in a round sort of mood what with all the cookie baking and glass balls floating about for the holidays. I've put together a list of books about circles and dots. You can find my newest listmania list here and stay tuned for some round worthy art fun coming up this week.

One thing you can start on is making your environment an all circles all the time kind of place. Get out your kidlet's balls and/or other round toys and play. Talk about their shape and ask your wee ones if they can think of other things that are round. Grab a stack of paper plates and some crayons or markers and set up a circle inspired art center. When you are in the car or out and about create a circle scavenger hunt. Once you open your eyes up to circles that's all you see!

Arting it up for Thanksgiving...

the Old School way...

Come on, you remember doing this, don;t ya? Whether or not you like it, think it is art or just plain silly I tell ya, kidlets LOVE doing this. It's a nifty trick, turning your hand into a turkey. This project could probably give you some much needed kitchen/clean up time, just make sure your wee ones can handle scissors before leaving them alone!

What you need:
*yours and/or your kidlets hands
*markers, crayons, pencils, etc.
*kid friendly scissors
*construction paper, scrap paper, magazine pages
*tape and/or glue
*feathers, ribbon, fabric, tissue, etc.

scrumdilly-do it!

Set your wee ones down with all their materials. Really, the supply list you could use for this is endless. Help them or have them trace their hands. Cut out hand shapes. You may want to do this for younger wee ones and while you are at it, cut out enough hands as there are dinner guests, you can turn these turkeys into place holders or table decorations!

Next up, decoration time, color, glue, tape and bedazzle your turkeys. When you're done, give them a name and put on a show and tell. Most of all, have fun! Let your kidlets get creative, let them go wild with the masking tape. If they want a pink turkey, let them have a pink turkey, the goal for this is to give them all the freedom they want to turn their hand print into something else. Who knows what they will come up with!While you're at it, read them a fun book. I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner but two of my favorite Turkey stories are Twas' the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey and Pete's Chicken by Harriet Ziefert with pictures by Laura Rader.Happy Turkey Day! Don't forget to ask your wee ones what they are most thankful for and while you are at it, don't forget to ask yourself!