Blogs: how to make a painting easel

Well, this isn't really a blog ... it's from Lowe's online "Creative Ideas for Home and Garden". There are complete, online, and FREE directions for making a sturdy two-sided easel -- paint/paper on one side and chalkboard on the other.

The directions are easy to follow and include great graphics and a shopping list of supply-needs so you don't forget anything! Many of the easels you purchase just have a shelf; on this design, the "pockets" at the bottom of each side are actually large enough to hold things.

The original shown is just plain, natural wood -- which looks great. But you and your kids could really have a great time decorating it up and personalizing it. Also, if you change the design slightly, you could make legs that adjust to allow the easel to "grow" with your child ... or make it a family easel for everyone!

One of the things that caught my eye with this particular item is Lowe's tag-line: "inspire your budding artist's creative side with an art easel. It's the perfect art station for big imaginations." This is EXACTLY what "nurturing creativity" is trying to do.

Let me know if you've ever done this project ... and send pictures too, if you'd like!

Blogs: homemade soccer game set

HT: Cassi at Crafty Crow for linking to this amazingly clever idea from A Bit of This and a Bit of That ... a homemade soccer game!

How cool would this be for an older sibling to make for a younger one for his birthday ... you could even make it football or basketball by simply changing the field and "uniforms"!

I love this one ... now if I can just find one of my older kids to "volunteer" to make it for my youngest son for his birthday, we'll be good to go!

Jojo, the designer of this brilliant idea is a Montessori mom, living in Japan ... check out her blog for other really creative ideas!

Blogs: simple yet elegant art basket

Wee Folk Art created this gorgeous take-along craft basket -- from an inexpensive basket and the ubiquitous toilet paper tubes. Go check it out, it is wonderful. I love the idea of wrapping the tubes to match the basket -- you could even use colored paper-twist to match or coordinate ... and different length tubes could be used for long-handled scissors, knitting needles or paint brushes!

Let your mind's and hands go wild with this one ... it really is a creative idea that can be used in so many ways! Thank you Wee Folk Art!

BTW, while you're over looking at the basket, stay and browse awhile thru their crafts -- done by a homeschooling mom and grandma who love crafting with kids ... Wee Folk Art has some grand ideas for nurturing creativity in the heart of your home!

Blogs: Curriculum planning gets creative!

I just saw this on Serendipity's blog and I'm so excited to begin gathering these resources for String Bean's curriculum for next year.

Seems the VERY creative minds of Elizabeth Foss and Jennifer Mackintosh have merged to create a curriculum (with all but math -- easy to add) for girls at the bend in the road, girls who are between 11 and 15 where they begin to blossom like a flower in the garden. A Fascination of Its Own: Literature for the Young Lady at the Bend in the Road goes beyond most curriculum plans and is specifically for Catholic girls.

And flowers, gardening and creativity play a LARGE role in the curriculum plans ... something right up String Bean's "alley". I love that this curriculum is written by two amazing Catholic women for their own girls ... I love that they've shared their work with others at no cost ... I love that it is a fully integrated, Catholic program that has the girls loving, learning and living their faith and their subjects ... I love these plans.

Head on over to Serendipity and check it out ... you'll love the creativity that went into all the plans, with promises of more to come!

Blogs: paper dolls need a home?

Check out Jennifer's solution! These look like the kind of dolls my own 9yod loves to make ... and what a great idea for keeping them contained! I love it! And this is one of those that the kids can really go to town with!

Thanks, Jennifer for sharing.

Books and resources: Painting

Jenn at 4real asked about books on helping kids (and adults) learn to watercolor.

Here are some books I've found helpful:

1. Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller -- very good detailed instructions; a little more Waldorf-y than I like (includes poems to unleash the creativity within) but the information is worth getting the book
2. Watercolors: for the Artistically Undiscovered (Klutz) by John Cassidy -- just fun to use; many of the pages are watercolor paper so you can do the exercises and play right away (including watercolor paint).
3. Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started by Jack Reid -- don't be put-off by the cover; this book is a gentle tutorial on watercolor painting. Reid has taught for many years, thousands of students how to paint gorgeous watercolor like the cover image!
4. Watercolor in Motion: How to Create Powerful Paintings by Birgit O'Connor -- now here's a great one because not only is there a spiral-bound books (I love spirals as you can lay the book flat without worry) but she has also done a 50-minute DVD so you can SEE what she means. I really liked this one and the kids learned alot.
5. Fine Art Studio: Watercolor by Mary Iverson -- like the Klutz book mentioned above, ths is a full kit with paints, watercolor pencils (which are so fun to use), watercolor paper and a mixing palette (altho you can use any shallow, plastic plate just as well). This one is geared for kids and includes work examples by Beatrix Potter -- one of our favorites. The recommended age is 10 but there is no reason that younger kids (with adult help) couldn't do the 40-page book!
   
   

Blogs: Charlotte gets pretty crafty here!

I can always count on Charlotte to have some cool, Catholic-inspired craft ideas. Today, she's posted some awesome Saints'n'Stitches -- some very cool outlines for making saint dolls by stitching the outlines.

You could also use these very creative drawings for making two-dimensional cloth dolls by copying the lines with a black-marker onto cloth and cutting out (you can always do basic lines to do a "back" or just repeat the front shape) and stuffing! What about fabric markers for "coloring in", just like a coloring-book page!

And Charlotte, who is always so generous with sharing her talents ... has done 12 of these and they're FREE to anyone to make dolls for their kids -- or better yet, have the kids MAKE the dolls!

Enjoy!