Promoting Creativity through Arts and Crafts

 

When our family initially started homeschooling and developed our philosophy of education, we decided that creativity was a trait that was important to us and one that we wanted to develop in our children.  According to one of my favorite books about creativity, one of  the best gifts we could give our children is to provide them with ready-materials and time.  It’s important to let them invent, create, and have fun.  It sure makes a mess, but it’s worth it!  Arts and crafts projects that don’t use pre-drawn patterns or designs allow children to create and develop according to their view of the world.  Here are some ideas for some of the craft projects we did:

• Paper mache’ — create sculptures or scenes using newspaper and flour & water glue.  After it dries, paint with Tempra paints and add twigs, stones, dried moss, aluminum foil or mirror rivers and lakes, etc.  Great fun!  We once created the Garden of Eden doing this.
• Sawdust and glue — similar to paper mache’ but using fine sawdust and Elmer’s glue instead.
• Make kites — use a plain template and paint or color designs on the kite body to make your own design or check online or the library for books and kite shapes.
• Wooden objects — children seem to enjoy crafting with wood, so we bought lots of different ‘wood’ things from the craft store and let them paint, decorate, hammer, nail, etc. to make things.  Stencils are helpful in adding designs like planes, trains, etc.  When homes were being built around the neighborhood, we would ask the contractor if we could take the wood scraps home.  They were happy to get rid of them and they provided raw materials for some great homeschool building projects.
• 3-D art using foam shapes, twigs, dried legumes, etc.  Fun to use a basic design on tag board and then glue objects on it to make a collage or work of art
• Computer art — using simple programs that teach 3D animation, computer graphics, or photo editing.
• Kits — lots of fun!  Go to Michael’s or Craft Warehouse and look at all the kits that are available.  Latch hook rugs, felt art, beading, etc. can all be fun for both girls and boys.  Boys enjoy making latch hook rugs in an airplane theme!
• Candle-making — either dipped candles, molded candles or rolled candles using beeswax.  Kids especially have fun with this project:   take an aluminum pie plate and hold a regular candle up in the middle of the plate.  Then pour melted, colored wax into the plate.  Gently dip the plate of wax in a sink full of cold water.  The hot wax will rise to the top and will ‘hug’ the candle, making a candle holder.  Work as a team, as hot wax can burn.
• String art — look online for designs.  A pattern looks somewhat like a dot to dot page, but without the numbers.  Colored string is sewn on the page in sequences that create a woven effect and make beautiful pictures — of ships or buildings — etc.
• Watercolor — really fun and helpful if you can find someone who is willing to give a few lessons first.  Use ‘cheater’ techniques to help get started with watercolor (like dot stickers that keep paint from sticking somewhere when you first coat the page, etc.).  Small paintings make great Christmas gifts for family.
• Sewing. Boys love sewing machines!  And so do girls.  Make them earn their driver’s license first (to teach machine safety) and then give them small projects where they create designs — hot pads, pillows, and other small things are fun.  Or, have them turn a t-shirt inside out and sew up the neckline and the sleeves.  Turn right-side-out and stuff will pillow stuffing.  Then stitch up the bottom. Sewing designs on paper is a good way to develop fine motor skills.
• Theme quilts — have them make quilt blocks on a theme (we made one with a dog theme and another with an airplane theme).  Use muslin for the blocks and cut them out in 10″ squares.  Using fabric crayons, permanent markers, appliques, buttons, or photo transfers (where you print off photos onto transfer paper and then iron them onto fabric) to create blocks in the selected theme.  Give grandma a block to make — and one to dad — and one for mom — etc.   Then have the child sew the blocks together with printed fabric (also in their theme — they have fun going to the fabric store and choosing something that strikes their fancy).  The quilt top is pretty easy to make.  Add a back (stitch together like a pillow case with thin, rolled padding for the middle and then turn right side out).  Tie with yarn and stitch up the turn-space by hand.  Easy and really valued by the child when done!
• Flower and weed arrangements. Make wicker and twig (or silk flower or dried leaf) arrangements or wall hangings.  Cool glue guns, fabric ribbons (printed in themes kids like) etc. all work together to make small objects, arrangements, wall-hangings, etc.  The fun is the process — and they make nice gifts for family members.
• Ceramics. We had a great time with ceramics!   A ceramics shop has green-ware that they will show you/your child how to clean (using tools kind of like a dentist uses).  After it’s cleaned, they will bake it for you in a kiln for a small fee.  Then have child apply a glaze and take it back to the ceramics shop to be processed in the kiln again.  We chose projects like gazing balls, vases with multi-colored glazes that melted and make funny patterns, chess game pieces, etc.  You can also get plain clay from them — like play-dough.  Statues, objects, free-form pots, etc. can all be made.  When done and dried they can be fired and glazed as well.
• Model rockets and model airplanes — plastic or paper — ones that fly or are used just for decoration — all are fun and teach creativity and following directions.  Allow your child to think ‘outside the box’ as they create on their own using the base kits that are available at craft stores.
• Model airplane paints work great for painting designs on stones for paper weights.  Be sure to buy the type of paint that is safe to breathe!
• Legos. For art — never negate the value of Legos when it comes to developing creativity!  So many skills are learned with Lego building.  You might assign specific projects with Legos — a complete village or building or vehicle.  Take a picture of the finished project to remember it by.
• Photography. Art principles can be taught and artistic skills developed using photography as the vehicle. In addition to taking pictures, students can start a photography blog where they post their photos. Photography can easily be used to teach "across the curriculum". Nature study, composition and writing, art principles, and human relationships are just a few subjects that can be incorporated into photo studies.

Happy creating!  Children are only limited by time, resources, and their imaginations!

The Crayon Apron

Did you ever have a crayon apron? They were popular in the 60's as a sweet apron for children. My mother made one for me and one for my sister. I remember how special we felt wearing our very utilitarian, yet very pretty aprons. There was a narrow pocket for each crayon in our coloring set. A larger pocket could hold a notepad, scissors, a roll of Scotch tape, or some paste for gluing. Sister and I would fill our pockets and then spend hours creating art projects or pretending we were teachers in a school. The pretending must have influenced our future choices, as sister and I both grew up to become classroom teachers. The apron shown in these pictures are not of our aprons, but rather of a vintage one I purchased recently. Mom made ours out of a tiny floral print. If there was any embellishment, it would have been embroidery or something done in fabric paints. I was excited, though, to find this vintage children's apron. It's exactly the same pattern as the one Mother made for me, just in different fabrics. This was truly an apron that inspired the imagination! Perfect for your homeschool!

Tasha Tudor, Children's Author and Artist

Today we remember Tasha Tudor on her birthday. She was an extraordinary woman. A talented artist, she enjoyed nature themes and shunned modern conveniences. She is probably best known for her contribution to children's literature. She illustrated each of her books with her beautiful watercolor and drew people to her wherever she went.

Beloved Tasha Tudor, author and illustrator of many books and gardener extraordinaire, passed away at her home in Marlboro, Vermont on July 18, 2008. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28, 1915 and was named after her father, Starling Burgess. But her father, who enjoyed Tolstoy's War and Peace preferred to call her Natasha after a character in the book. Her mother's friends would sometimes refer to her as Rosamund Tudor's daughter. Tasha liked the sound of the name Tasha Tudor, and eventually had her name legally changed to reflect this preference. 



Ms. Tudor received many awards and honors for her exceptional contribution to literature. A Caldecott Honor was given for her work for Mother Goose in 1945 and again in 1957 for the book 1 is One. She also received the Regina Medal in 1971 for her contributions to children's literature. Her prose was always simple and captivating, frequently including rhyming text. Enchanting illustrations were detailed and realistic in soft colors that seemed to fade away onto the page. She was known for her love of nature and flowers, birds, and other charming animals were frequently featured in her art. 

Some of the books she wrote and illustrated are:

Pumpkin Moonshine

A Tale for Easter

Snow before Christmas

Thistly B

The Dolls' Christmas

Edgar Allan Crow

Amanda and the Bear

A is for Annebelle

1 is One

A Time to Keep

Corgiville Fair

Tasha Tudor's Seasons of Delight

The Great Corgiville Kidnapping

Tasha Tudor was one of the great artists of the 20th century. Her love for illustrating New England nostalgia and sentimental illustrations that made one think of a bygone era. She lived her life as she dreamed, simply and sustainably, preferring the old-fashioned in both lifestyle and dress. For 92 years the world was blessed by her presence and contribution to American culture, literature, and art. Although she is gone from us now, her legacy and spirit will live on through the work she so fluently contributed to all. 

The photographs today are taken from one of my favorite books: Tasha Tudor's Garden by Tovah Martin and Richard W. Brown.

Homemade Clay

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon powdered alum
• 1 cup cold water
• Few drops oil of wintergreen or oil of cloves
• Food coloring (optional)

Mix flour, salt and alum.  Gradually stir in water.  Then add oil and food coloring.  Knead until mixture is well mixed.  Store in a tightly covered container.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Homemade Paste

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered alum
• 1 quart water
• 3 drops of wintergreen or oil of cloves

Mix flour, sugar and alum.  Add water gradually.  Cook until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in oil.  Cool.  Store in a covered jar until ready to use.

Not to eat!

CrEAtiViTY Found in Nature

As homeschool parents, we generally think of nature study as a way to learn about science, or to learn about God through it, His second book.  Sometimes we view time in nature as a means for recreation and physical activity.  But this time can also provide impetus for creativity!  Nature study can produce creative results, stimulates creativity, and refreshes ideas.  It becomes a means of creating and achieving artistic expression.  Nature as a means of creative expression requires time that is spent in quietness and observation.  It is a time that happens without motors and gadgets.  A good pair of walking shoes, binoculars, a sketch pad and pencil, a bottle of water, and a small backpack to carry things in are the only resources needed.  Hiking through fields and meadows, climbing mountain trails, observing on the ocean shore, and meandering along a stream or river provide opportunity to gather, collect, and observe.  The process brings refreshment to the tired and weary, eliminating the stresses of daily life.  Even children find respite from daily stress as they spend time in nature.

How does nature observation provide a means to creativity?  It stimulates creativity in many ways.

*Nature contains every color palette ever created.  Complimentary,
analogous, and monochromatic color schemes can all be found with a
little effort and an impromptu treasure hunt.

* Nature provides a plethora of ideas for creative writing.  Subjects
can be found for story, verse, or poem simply by looking around.

* Nature shows variable subjects for sketching and watercolor.

* Nature presents objects for sculpture.  A collection of rocks,
twigs, dried plants, and sand can be glued together to make
magnificent displays.

* Nature brings many things that work together to create a centerpiece
or focal point for a space indoors.  Twigs, rocks, moss, and flowers
can create whimsical scenes on the kitchen table.

*  Nature is a perfect place to practice photography.  Waiting quietly
for a bird or animal to come near, or staging a scene, give the
participant quiet time in nature as creative abilities are enhanced.

The opportunities nature provides are endless!  Children can gather rocks, leaves, flowers, bark, and sand.  Or they can search for feathers, arrowheads, egg shells, and nests.  They can draw what they see.  They can tell about their observations by writing in a journal.  When they "glass" what they see with binoculars or scope their perspective changes.  Children can build forts or blinds.  They can observe wild animals, birds, tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, and snakes.  They can picnic on a point, or build sandcastles on the beach.  They  can sleep in a tent in the woods, or hike trails and post markers along the way.  Every experience in nature replenishes the soul and stimulates the creative aspects of the brain.

God created a universe that is personal, alive, vibrant, and ever changing.  As we experience it with our children, we reinforce appreciation for Earth and the creativity it fosters in each being who takes the time to notice it.  Through experiences in nature our children gain a better understanding of an infinite God as He speaks to the soul.

Homemade Bubbles

Homemade Bubbles


1 pint soap flakes (not detergent)
2 tablespoons glycerin
1 pint water


Stir ingredients together.  Heat mixture, then shake and strain.  Cool.  Store in a covered jar until ready to use.

Photo:  Linda, Levi, Alma, and Katie

Homemade Gummed Stickers

Stickers are fun for children and adults alike.  It's fun to stick them on envelopes, assignments, packages, and more.  Some people create entire journals or books filled with stickers!  Making your own stickers out of magazine pictures, wallpaper samples, gift wrap, or drawings is even more fun!  You can even use old greeting cards and family photos.

Here's a recipe for this fun craft.


2 parts white glue
1 part white vinegar


1)  Create a sticker sheet by gluing pictures on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper or by sketching them on.  Color if desired.


2)  Photocopy on a color copy machine.

3)  Coat the entire back of the page with the white glue/white vinegar mixture.


4)  Allow page to dry completely.


5)  Apply a second coat of white glue/white vinegar mixture.  


6)  Allow page to dry completely.


7)  Using scissors, cut out pictures to create stickers.  Leave a small, white border around each picture.


8)  To use, moisten back of sticker and apply to page, envelope, or more.

Free clip art that is appropriate for stickers can be found here.

Painting with Puff!

 

When I was a child, my first grade reading book was Dick and Jane and they had a dog named Spot and a cat named Puff.  I always thought Puff was a cute name for a cat!  But this post isn’t about reading or about cats.  It’s about a fun art project that uses ingredients mixed together that creat a paint that puffs up when microwaved.  How fun is that?  Here’s the recipe.  May it keep your children happily entertained for at least an hour or two!


In a small bowl, combine:

2 Tbsp. self-raising flour
6 drops of food coloring
2 Tbsp. salt

Add enough water to make into a creamy paste.  Using a paint brush or sponge, create a design on tagboard or cardboard.  Make another ‘batch’ of puffy paint in other colors if desired.  Paint, paint, paint.  When done, microwave the design on high for  15 – 30 seconds.  The paint will puff and should dry completely.


*To make your own self-raising flour, blend 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 Tbsp. baking powder.

A Crayon Apron

Did you ever have a crayon apron?  They were popular in the 60's as a sweet apron for children.  My mother made one for me and one for my sister.  I remember how special we felt wearing our very utilitarian, yet very pretty aprons.  There was a narrow pocket for each crayon in our coloring set.  A larger pocket would hold a notepad, scissors, a roll of tape, and some paste for gluing.  Sister and I would fill our pockets and then spend hours creating art projects or pretending we were school teachers.  The apron show in these pictures are not of our aprons, but rather of a vintage one I purchased recently.  Mother made ours out of a tiny floral print.  If there was any embellishment, it would have been embroidery or something done in fabric paints.  I was excited to find this vintage children’s crayon apron.  It’s exactly the same design as the one Mother made for me, just in different fabrics.  This was truly an apron that inspired imagination!  They are easy to make, fun to wear, and inspire creativity in children.  No pattern is needed, just invent as you go and have fun.  Your kids will thank you!  Better yet, let them help you!