The last few weeks have seen the children and I up our creative play due to us being at home more. I absolutely shudder at the word crafting and when the kids ask to "craft" I stay well clear because it actually causes me nothing but stress. However, maybe it was just the constant wanting to paint cereal boxes I hated, rather than the so many other options that came under the 'crafting with kids' umbrella.
These last two weeks though have seen my negative outlook on it all clear and we have found ourselves spending every afternoon listening to audio books and crafting away!
I have to say, I wanted to write this post because I am not a crafting mum but, actually, I have really enjoyed a week's worth of activities. Even when the kids finished their versions I sat and continued because I just felt that I was able to get lost in the activity myself. Plenty of times the kids asked to stop and they just went off and played while I stayed at the table. I found it incredibly relaxing and wanted to share that side of the experience with you.
If I want to tell you anything this week it is that us adults need to outlay creative energy as much as kids. With children, creating is allowing them to express their inner thoughts and feelings through colour, play and movement. As we grow up we can quite quickly close doors to outlets where we are physically creative.
It has been so long since I have done childish craft though, basic painting, playing with clay, making bracelets; all these things that I know are just fun we just hadn't done. With us now homeschooling I put in an order to Baker Ross (a crafting website) and eagerly awaited their delivery which came late last week. I didn't get loads of garish craft stuff, just a few simple pieces that I knew we could add our own spin to; some clay, beads, fabric banners and wooden bookmarks were among the box of treats that has provided us with entertainment.
The five crafts that have made me happy this week
I should first say that I am not taking whole credit for any of these ideas. These are all in someway taken from Pinterest (check out my board here) and modified by our level of skill. None of these are my own original ideas, we just styled them our way using Pinspiration.
So within crafting, part of my love for getting creative is that I like to look at items in a different way. Right now I am really enjoying warm colours, soft textures and minimalist shapes so there seems to be a running theme through my styling as you will see.
For me, getting some clay isn't just about making a figure or object, it's about using that clay to release a different kind of creativity; very minimal is where I am at right now and a couple of the following projects really emphasised the idea of using simple shapes to create. I love how working with different mediums can open up your mind, from abstract clay faces to simple summer bracelets; the following ideas were for kids but very much enjoyed by me, the adult!
Abstract clay faces.
Shell & Pearl Bracelets
Fabric Banners
I love painting on fabric, it is just hard enough to give you a challenge but it is very satisfying. These pre-made banners are a great quick craft. You can paint on them or like my kids, just use felt tips. Buy the banners HERE.
Rainbow Paintings
I shared a blog post about these last week (see post here) but I have painted so many rainbows since then. These are currently one of my favourite things to paint, I am really loving the simplicity of one wide paintbrush stroke. We made all of these for the kids to send in the post to their friends.
Clay craft
OK so there is already a clay idea on this list but that was quite specific; additionally lots of clay craft is really satisfying. Clay is also a great thing for kids to use. I think it is seldom used in schools now because 30 kids using clay is probably a nightmare but we have done some fun little projects that I have loved. Try this hand shaped trinket dish, yes you literally cut round your hand and let dry, or a clay rainbow hanger, just use sausages of clay and a small picture hook pushed into the top before you allow to dry (I added a tassel too). Why not try an easy mosaic, you can buy tiles from BAKER ROSS and we just pushed them into the clay.
I hope these ideas are of some use to you. I know for us they are letting us speed through the afternoons till TV time (yep, a good time of the day) and I am genuinely enjoying them. That's a big statement for a parent who really hates crafting with kids.
No comments
Post a Comment