Think of that hard-to-buy-for friend or family member on your gift list. If you could give them a creative gift they would not only use often but also keep for years to come, you'd call that a "win", right? Then I have the perfect gift idea for you... a keepsake gift made with your child's artwork from Kids Kreations. Welcome to part 3 of my Creative Gift Guide! What is Kids … [Read more...]
The Creative Gift for All Ages
Welcome to part two of my Guide to Creative Gift Giving! In this series, I'm sharing some not-so-obvious gift ideas that encourage creativity and develop habits and skills for success in art. I've loved art ever since I was a kid. Experiencing some early success with art helped to give me the enjoyment and confidence I needed to keep pursuing it to this day. One of those … [Read more...]
Puzzled About Creative Gift Ideas?
With the holiday season coming up fast, I'll be sharing some art-related gift ideas you might not have thought of! These gifts will encourage creative problem solving, divergent thinking, and all kinds of skills that are necessary for art and life! This is part one in a series of posts for creative gift giving. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss discovering a perfect … [Read more...]
Origami Flower Balls
The Japanese art of origami always seems like a fitting thing to do at Christmas. It’s peaceful and calming, almost meditative to work on, and it makes a beautiful decoration when finished! As with many origami projects, this unique hanging ornament looks much more difficult than it is. It’s really just the same simple sequence repeated over and over and then glued together. … [Read more...]
Easy DIY Envelopes to Fit Any Size Card
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I wanted to share this super-easy DIY envelope you can make to fit any size card! How many times have you or your students created a wonderful hand-made card for Valentine's Day (or Christmas, Birthday, Mother's Day, etc.) and then delivered it in an envelope that didn't fit correctly, or worse yet, no envelope at all??! An … [Read more...]
Light Has Come!
Religious paintings were a favorite subject of the Old Masters (trained European painters who worked between the mid 1400's to the early 1800's). In paintings from this time period, Jesus was often depicted with a glowing light that would radiate out from him. This example of the Nativity (or birth) of Christ by Dutch artist Gerard Van Honthorst (1622) is a great example of … [Read more...]
Christmas Project Collection
Need a fun art project for the last few days before Christmas break? Follow these links to some of my favorites! (Faux) Stained Glass Ornaments Origami Crane Ornaments Japanese Notan Ornaments Christmas Word Clouds Kindergarten Stars Jacob's Ladder Icicles Folded Paper Stars Candy Cane-O-Grams Art Gift Wrap Merry Christmas! … [Read more...]
Christmas in July! Folded Paper Stars with Symmetry
These hanging stars are a hit year after year with my 4th graders. You can make these in any size you want.... the size of the squares you start with will determine the size of your finished stars. (When I teach this lesson, I use 12" squares in two different colors to demonstrate the folding and gluing steps on the white board. Instead of glue, I used tape rolls with low tack … [Read more...]
Christmas in July! Origami Crane Ornaments
Students love to bring home these exquisite origami cranes to hang on their Christmas tree! I make these with my 5th & 6th graders, and even though this is not a beginner level project, every year I have at least one student with a passion for origami who already knows how to make them! While these cranes are challenging, they're definitely do-able, and they're such fun to … [Read more...]
Christmas in July! “Jacob’s Ladder” Icicles
I like to have each of my classes make a special ornament for Christmas each year. Here's an easy paper icicle that's fun for 1st grade and up. Once students get the hang of it, they'll be making these as fast as you can cut the paper! This project is a little more craft-like than I usually do with my students, but during those high energy days leading up to Christmas vacation, … [Read more...]