Fun: Lifelike Redux

I recently wrote about an exhibit that's currently at the Walker, and how much fun it was to see. One little girl took it a step further and recreated some of the pieces when she got home. The Walker got wind of it and posted on their blog about her project.

The recreation....

...and the original

How cool is that? This is what happens when we let kids embrace their creativity and have fun! You just know that she'll remember going to the art museum and seeing this particular exhibit for a long time, because she got to have so much fun.

Happy Valentine's Day

To you, my readers! Thank you for spurring me on to keep being creative!

I made this with a class of kindergartners today. 

What a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day! 

If you're wondering, it's crayons and watercolor paints on cardstock paper. The holes, made with a paper punch, were for threading yarn through (which I didn't have time to do as I was helping smaller hands figure that out). The cool thing about crayons, they're what's known as a "resist." Watercolor paints won't stick to them. So you draw with the crayons first, then paint over the picture and the paint stays off your drawing. You can make some pretty cool effects with that. I was just playing around and showing the kids different things to try.
The drips on the upper left are also fun to create. You glob some very wet paint down and then blow really hard to get it to spread out.
There's nothing better than handmade Valentines.

Video: Crochet Coral Reef

The "Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef" started out as a math experiment and has become a world wide art project. How cool is that? I first heard about the project from an article in American Craft Magazine.

What a creative way to get people thinking about the garbage that winds up in the oceans too. It's one thing to say, "There's a lot of plastic junk that gets dumped in the ocean, and that's not a good thing for the environment." People are going to think about that a lot more when faced with beautiful art made out of that same trash.

10 uses for pipe cleaners

I love pipe cleaners! They're so versatile and can be used in many ways. Here's a top ten list, just off the top of my head, of different uses for those fuzzy, bendy things.

1. Jewelry! Pipe cleaners can be turned into rings, necklaces, pins. No glue needed (except if you want to put a clip on the the back).

2. Creatures! Like balloon animals, but without the threat of them popping or deflating. From simple outlines to complex creations with googly eyes added for more personality, let your imagination run wild.

3. Flowers! From a simple little bloom to a whole bouquet, you can create flowers that will never need water or wilt.

4. Christmas ornaments! "Tis the season" as I write this so it seems appropriate.You can make a candy cane by simply twisting red and white pipe cleaners together, as this example shows.

5. Personalized napkin rings! At my house, every person has their own napkin holder (not made from pipe cleaners though). If you've never tried that, your kids can try their hand at making their own.

6. Pencil topper! Your kids will never lose their pencils again, because they won't want to lose these.

7. Hair pieces (or fascinators, as our British friends call them). Maybe not quite as over the top as this picture, but your kids could make a crown or something like that.

8. Decorations! You can make a quirky centerpiece for your table or fireplace mantle.Instead of paper chains, you can substitute pipe cleaners (which again means no glue!).

9. Gift wrapping! Instead of ribbon or string, try accenting your gifts with pipe cleaners instead. It's easier for little hands to create a bow with that material too.

10. Shoelaces! Your young kids might like this--they could match the color to their outfit. Use the cushy plush pipe cleaners for this.

Do you have any other suggestions to try? Any fun ideas I didn't think of?