Crafts With Andrea: Lets Paint!

Hi ladies!  I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  This week flew by for us and I was busy as usual.  We rounded off our week with hosting snack day at preschool and having some neighbors over for pizza and play time yesterday evening.  So, I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

First of all, I have to start with my finished sewing project I mentioned last weekend.  I attempted to make a vest for my puppy.  She is a 9 month old doberman.  We live in a cold state and she has zero body fat, so she is constantly shivering.  I drew a “pattern” on newspaper (freehand) and whipped up a lil something I thought might work for her.  It turned out to be a bad idea.  She will not leave it on, but I love this fabric and have leftovers I plan to use elsewhere, so it’s not a total loss I guess.  I tried, that’s all that counts, right?  lol  I am trying to get a pic for you all, it is pretty funny, but she is not cooperating as usual.

Now onto my theme for this week….PAINT.  Kids love to paint.  There’s something about smearing thick lines and swirlies of color on paper that is so much fun.  There are many versions of painting for kids on the market and we have tried most of them.  Here are a few I recommend…

Remember Paint With Water Books?  These are still a ton of fun!  Use a paint brush or Q-Tip dipped in water and the colors appear like magic on the page.  My son can complete a whole book in one sitting if I let him though.

Crayola Color Wonders also offers a low mess option for children.  They have finger paints, gel paints, a light up version and these basic brushes (our fave). Of course you have to use them on either one of their character themed books or on the special paper sheets in order for the color to show up, but they are pretty neat.

When it’s time for things to get a little messy and a ton more fun, try these….Washable paint pens are great, we like the Elmer brand (yep, made by the glue people), washable Tempera paints are great (we like the big $0.99 bottles at Michaels), brushes in all sizes including sponge brushes are great, and we also like to experiment with different sponge and foam stamps and stencils.

Don’t forget that sometimes the most basic toys offer some great fun…my son loves water colors.  Give him some brushes, water and water colors and he is entertained for a good half hour.  Mixing the colors on the paper is a great way to teach them about making colors beyond the primary ones.

Painting is not just for the kids though.  There are some cool things you can make for your home with $0.99 acrylic paints and unfinished wooden items from the craft store.  This week I headed to Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts and picked up an unfinished “word” and chalkboard to use in my dining area.  I painted the word “HOME” and the chalkboard in a cream acrylic paint.  I also painted some little wooden knobs I found there and hot glued them onto the HOME as feet.  Take a look…

Jo-Ann’s sells a bunch of unfinished wood items ranging from letters, words, frames and boxes. Acrylic paints also come in a rainbow of colors, so you could customize the color for your decor.

Happy painting!

Andrea