Summer Crafting... Thank you Pinterest

So it's the "dog days" of summer, and if your weather is anything like it is here- it's HOT!! To keep us busy during the day, we've been crafting thanks to Pinterest!! If you haven't joined Pinterest, then you need to right away! (Message me with your email address if you want a invite) They have thousands of pictures with links to blogs and websites with fabulous ideas. Whether it's crafts, DIY projects, fashion, photography, recipes, educational ideas, products, sayings, you name it- they've got a picture with a link.

Here are some of our latest projects:

Quote Painting

 

This was one of my favorite projects. I wanted something inspirational to hang above my desk and thought this was the perfect craft for the both of us. So I took some of my old scrapbook sticker letters I had left over and wrote my quote.  I put them on the canvas and made sure they were secure. I then let E use Clementine paint to cover the letters. I then let the painting semi-dry and pulled off the letters. The regular sticker letters worked much better than the cardboard letters. I had to go back over those with white paint since the color paint seeped into the crevices.

Rain Food Color Painting

 This project needed to come with a warning- SERIOUSLY MESSY! I had some old food coloring that I knew I'd never use, so I thought this project would be great. The kiddo dropped random colors on  heavy card stock paper that is used for scrapbooking. Regular paper will not work. The instructions I read said only to get it wet for a couple of seconds in the rain. The blogger had let the paper sit outside for 30 seconds and said that was too long. So I thought I'd stick my hand out the door and let a few drops get on the paper. DUMB move. My white house was splatter painted with neon food coloring. Not to mention my arm, E's face, our clothes, and the floor. Thank goodness it was hardwood and not carpet! 

If you do this project (the painting looks really cool!) get an umbrella, go all the way outside, lay the painting down and move a foot away from it while still under the umbrella, let rain hit for 5 seconds, then pick up.

Bag Of Fun

 This is great for the disorganized mom (me) who has a ton of brilliant ideas but forgets to do them. I used a PlanToys cotton bag one of E's toys came in. I used fabric markers to let E decorate. I then cut up pieces of E's old art into rectangles. I wrote 20 ideas for us to do, and every week day, we pick one for us to do. Here is our 20 for the month:

1. Make something out of a box (I really want to make a sailboat out of a milk carton)
2. Make sock puppets and put on a show
3. Go on a nature hunt (write 20 things to find outside and see who can find them first)
4. Make chalk pictures (draw a balloon and have your child lay next to it so it looks like they are floating)
5. Read a book under a tree or under the stars
6. Make giant homemade bubbles (use a long cotton string tied to a stick as a wand)
7. Have a party! (guests are optional)
8. Make a hand painting (I was thinking a sunflower hand)
9. Visit a local farm or farmers market
10. Bake something for your neighbor
11. Visit the park and find 5 things green. Take pictures
12. Build a fort
13. Explore our city
14. Make a pet rock
15. Throw a toy swap party
16. Melt and make new crayons
17. Catch fireflies
18. Go on an alphabet scavenger hunt (find something that begins with each letter)
19. Go play in a fountain or spray ground
20. Learn about a new animals. You must see it in person

 Blow Art

 This was supposed to be a cherry tree, but it looks more like coral or something. :) You put a dab of paint at the end of a canvas. Then use a straw to blow the paint into "stems" and "branches." After it has dried, use balls of tissue paper and glue them to the piece. This is a super fun project and looks really neat! We will have to try for the cherry tree again another day.