Elementary students are sure to feel successful with this Georgia O'Keeffe-inspired art project. This lesson is ideal for grades 3-5, although you can adapt it up or down depending on your needs. Oil pastels are the key to achieving this rich and expressive, painterly effect... and kids love using them. They are vivid and bright, easy to work with and yield stunning … [Read more...]
The Perfect Gift? A Creative Keepsake!
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...]
Rock Babies – A Creative Activity for Preschoolers
Get your littlest ones outside, looking closely at nature, and thinking creatively... and you might even brighten someone's day with the result! Our son, Adam, made these adorable "Rock Babies" (his name for them!) when he was a prescho0ler. He's in his 30's now, and I still have them! I keep them in a kitchen drawer that I get into daily, and they still put a smile on my … [Read more...]
Dot Painting on Rocks
There's something about mixing art and nature that's just irresistible. So when you combine rocks with dot painting, you can't go wrong! While the painted rocks in this post were done by an adult (my friend, Tricia), kids love it, too! This project is perfect for a Mother's Day, Father's Day, or Valentine's Day gift, an after-school or Mom's Night Out project, or even your … [Read more...]
A Heart for Moms…. or Anyone!
Hearts, flowers, and a handmade touch are things that come to mind when I think of a gift for Mother’s Day. So why not combine all three to show some love to a mom.... your own or another special mom in your life? My friend Hazel McNab is famous for her hearts. She inspired herself with a challenge and a creative goal and painted a heart a day for several years. Now Hazel … [Read more...]
Say, “I Love You” with Clay
There’s something about ceramic projects that makes them such special keepsakes. Maybe it’s the permanence of the glazed and fired clay, able to last well beyond a generation. Maybe it’s the tactile nature of the medium itself and the way it reveals each impression left by the artist’s hands. Or, maybe it’s that there tend to be fewer of these projects than the more common 2D … [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...]
Recycled Magazine Flowers
Here is another unique project that we used for Mother's Day cards, but would be fun to do anytime! My 5th graders had a blast making these (even the boys, who usually resist anything to do with flowers!) and it gave me the opportunity to review the concept of radial symmetry. I even had parents ask me how we did it so they could go home and make some recycled magazine flowers … [Read more...]
“3D” Flower Collage
My 2nd graders used these whimsical flowers for their Mother's Day cards this year, but you could also make a colorful garden picture while teaching the concepts of symmetry and layering. Attaching the blossoms with layers of double stick foam tape gives a fun 3D effect that unfortunately doesn't show up well in this picture!Materials:Construction paper or card stock, white … [Read more...]
