This post and deal are sponsored by BabbaBox. Thanks, BabbaCo!
This month the cool people at BabbaCo are offering my readers 50% off the first box in a monthly or annual membership. Woot!
I love little girls who play in the mud and get dirty…in theory. In actuality, when my kid gets messy and sticky all I can think is, “DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING OMG!” This month’s BabbaBox was almost ALL messy crafts. And frankly, I put off doing it with Annie because of it. Finally Mike said, “Heather, it’s okay. She can get a little dirty and sticky.” Which was his nice way of saying, “Stop bein’ so crazy, girl!” So Annie and I tackled the box, which had an “art” theme this month.
First up, oil painting. We had oil crayons and you were supposed to smudge the paint to get that impressionist look. Smudge. Paint. With your fingers. Gah. Annie directed me to draw a pumpkin patch, and then we got to work…smudging.
She was very proud of our pumpkin patch.
Next up, painting a shirt to look like an Andy Warhol canvas. The box came with a kit to make your own fabric “stamp.” Annie told me to carve “an A for Annabel, and two stars and a little heart.”
Then you have to cover the stamp with fabric paint. Gulp.
You press the stamp on the shirt…
…then pull the stamp off…
and repeat a few more times with different colors until you have your finished result. Eat your heart out, Warhol:
The final craft was (thankfully) not sticky. We had a block of foam and some pipe cleaners, buttons, and feathers, and we got to create a sculpture. Annie loved it.
She hasn’t stopped playing with the finished product. She calls it her “house.”
To redeem your 50% off coupon, go to BabbaBox and enter SAM50OFF at checkout!
Liz says:
This is a little random, but to keep the place clean during art, I put a large piece of oil cloth on the table. It wipes clean with a sponge, so easy! I got mine at Joann, though there are really cute patterns on etsy. Mine is a simple red and white checkered pattern. Just a thought for you. It has made me more open to play doh (ugh) and painting too. I love art, just not the mess.
Heather says:
Ooooh, I never thought of that, but that’s a really great idea! Thank you!
Auntie_M says:
FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the “clean” notes: I always used clear or white shower curtains on & under the table. I don’t like things w/ patterns (newspaper, fabric, etc) around art projects: too many patterns!!! Gack! Makes my eyes crazy!!! OKAY And my Type A personality…LOL
You definitely need to get more of those foam things for 3-dimensional collage! Annie obviously enjoyed that the most…and: non messy~lucky you!
Auntie_M says:
Speaking of clean…have you ever made “clean mud”? I’m going to tag you on my “album” on FB “Fun Stuff for Kids.”
It has all sorts of different “recipes” of fun stuff to do with kids.