Paint

Charlotte’s Web – Watercolor Web

This year we’re using BookShark Reading with History as I have mentioned before, which comes with some really great read aloud books. We’re just finished with Charlotte’s Web, a favorite of mine from growing up. To add a little more Charlotte’s Web to our day, we did this watercolor web as an art project.

Charlotte’s Web – Watercolor Web

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To start off our Charlotte’s Web webs, I started off my making a spider web on paper with a marker. I used a Sharpie to prevent the marker from running with water. Make you web look however you want, each one of ours was just a little different.

Grab your favorite water colors, paint brushes, and some water. You may also want to cover your painting surface. We used homemade watercolors because I hadn’t thought this one out ahead of time. Use regular paint if you like as well.

I love seeing how each child paints their web. They each have their our outcome in mind. Or they are just about seeing how much paint they can get on their paper.

Our finished pieces are hanging in our half bath in these awesome artwork frames that I bought years ago. It keeps their art displayed and the art in our home changing.

You’re child can draw (or paint) on a spider, or make their own “miracle” in the web with wording of their choice once the paint dries.

Have you read Charlotte’s Web with your kids? It was a hit for all of us. And then we watched the movies too. First the older one, made in 1973 (which is the only one I had seen prior to this) and then the 2006 version which you can watch on Amazon Prime video. I love reading the book and then watching the movie, both with my kids and on my own.

Garden Stakes Arts and Crafts

by Ashley Mullen

We are into the the thick of garden planning and soon planting, like this weekend if I get other garden work and prep finished. While my kids love the idea of a garden and getting on snack on it, they avoid the real work, and stick to the craft side of things like making garden stakes.

But since I love knowing what we planted where, garden stakes are quite important, and they can look great too.

Garden Stakes Arts and Crafts

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Wooden Spoons

Our main garden stake this year is going to be this wooden spoons that we painted. I picked up 3 packages of 3 at our local dollar store, taped off the handle and let them paint the spoon top. You don’t have to buy new wooden spoons for this, please don’t think that’s what I’m saying just because I did. Grab some old ones out of your cupboard and use those instead. Use a permanent marker to write on them.

Paint Sticks

I don’t actually use the paint sticks that they hand out when you buy paint, mainly because I use it right away and it doesn’t need more than a quick shaking. You can use paint sticks just like the wooden spoons, paint (or don’t if you don’t want to) an use a permanent marker to write on them.

Rocks

Do your kids love painting rocks like mine? Pick out a few good sized rocks, let them paint them and then use either another (black) paint to write/spell out the vegetable name. Make sure to use a paint that will stand up to the weather. I really like the FolkArt Acrylic Paint, it paints great and really stands up to the Saskatchewan weather.

How do you mark your plant rows? Or don’t you? We didn’t last year and spent some time playing the “what’s this?” guessing game..

Turkey Toilet Roll Craft for Thanksgiving

by Ashley Mullen

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving, meaning turkey time! Not only are we eating turkey but we are making some cute turkey toilet rolls. They make great pieces for your holiday table, or where ever else you would like them to go.

Turkey Toilet Roll Craft

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It’s super simple, perfect for your youngest, and makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. You’ll need some paper plates, paint, and a empty toilet paper roll.

Cut your paper plates in half.

Then paint your turkey’s tail feathers. Let your kids paint them however they want. Some of those that graced our home had stripped tail feathers.

Our toilet paper rolls were brown so we didn’t bother to paint them, but we did glue some googly eyes on.

I also chose to staple our turkeys together so they would hold together better than if we used glue.

I love this little craft for all age groups.

Alternately, instead of cutting the paper plate before painting, it may be easier for younger children to paint first, having a larger “canvas” is easier.

Thanksgiving Turkey Handprint Craft

by Ashley Mullen

One of my favorite holidays is coming up, really fast if you’re in Canada like me, Thanksgiving! Last year we sent out some cute mail to our family, a little “we’re thinking of you even if we’re not with you” a cute turkey handprint craft.

Thanksgiving Turkey Handprint Craft

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It’s super simple, perfect for your youngest, and makes a great keepsake. All you need is paint and paper. A paint brush is helpful but not necessary.

Take the turkey hand and paint it. Brown on the palm and thumb – the turkey body and neck/head. Paint each finger a different color.

Press said hand down onto paper. Little fingers move, let it be what it is, it just makes it unique to each child’s work of art.

Once your turkey has dried grab a couple markers for the finishing touch. Some yellow legs and feet. An eye, we used black. As well red for the wattle. <— if that is wrong, let me know, I had to look up what that was called.

We did ours on this little poem.

These are what we sent out, Grandparents got one from each of my little turkeys.

I have more printables in my free resource library that you get access to when you sign up to my weekly newsletter. The the turkey printable is available for you now, without signing up though I would love for you to sign up.

Wine Glass Pumpkins – Halloween & Thanksgiving

by Ashley Mullen

This is the first year in four years that I can decorate for Halloween. I started my decorating with some cute wine glass pumpkins. Yes, we are already decorating for Halloween even though its only September, just goes to show exactly how much I’ve missed being able to put anything out for Halloween, not for myself, but for my kids.

Wine Glass Pumpkins

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You need no crafting skills, or anything like that, because I don’t have any, and I think mine turned out rather great still. Cute and crafty.

Here’s the thing: I did these ones myself, but your kids could totally do them. If you don’t feel comfortable with them having glass, and wine glasses can be delicate, pick up some plastic ones. Use flameless tea lights instead of real candles.

I got my wine glasses from the dollar store, they were $1.25 each – I later found our Walmart has some for a buck. No matter how new they might be, wash them, and wipe them down with some rubbing alcohol.

I taped the stem before I started painting the orange of my pumpkin, and it just so happens that my paint color was was Pure Pumpkin. Painting on glass isn’t hard, but it isn’t necessarily easy either. The first coat went on easily.

I found squirting the paint on the glass, thickly, then using the foam brush to lightly spread it over the first layer. Too much brushing will remove the first layer of paint.

Once the orange fully dried, remove the tape. I chose to not put tape over the orange and just free handed the green paint.

You can also add a face to your pumpkins. These are perfect for Halloween, like I said, but because I didn’t put a Jack o’ Lantern face on mine, I think they’ll be perfect for Thanksgiving too.

Some tea lights on top, set on top of my beautiful hutch and I have started my Halloween decorating. Without having to take it down in a few weeks.

Do you do much decorating for Halloween?

Alternatives to Handing Out Halloween Candy

Our 6 Favorite Halloween Books

Paint

Charlotte’s Web – Watercolor Web

Charlotte’s Web – Watercolor Web

Garden Stakes Arts and Crafts