Kids Spy Themed Crafts

Today I'm sharing two cool craft ideas I discovered. 
My grandson is fascinated by the "spy theme" right now. 
These two fun projects for kids, fall under that category.
Enjoy!

How to Make Invisible Ink

Be a secret agent. Write a secret message on paper and have it revealed only by the heat of a light bulb

Supplies Needed:
Half of a Lemon
Water
Spoon
Bowl
Cotton Swab
White Paper
Light Bulb

1)  Squeeze some lemon juice into a bowl and add a few drops of water.
     Mix the water and lemon juice

2)  Dip the cotton swap in the juice mixture and write a message on the white paper

3)  When your message dries, hold the white paper up to a light bulb that’s

      on to reveal the message

Fingerprinting

Pretend you are a part of the FBI, or CSI, and discover what your fingerprints look like

Supplies Needed:
Paper
Pencil
Tape


1) Draw an outline of your right hand on a plain piece of paper.
2) Draw and outline of your left hand on a piece of paper.
3) Take a pencil and scribble on a piece of paper until you have a nice big black mark.
4) Then rub your index finger in the mark. Your index finger is the one next to your thumb.
5)  Now get some tape. The best tape to use is called transparent tape or utility tape. 
     Put a piece of it over your finger, press down, and pull it off.
6)  Pull the tape off and place it on the drawing of your hand. Now you can see 
      your fingerprint.






Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here:http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Crafts-Budget-Kids-Volume/dp/0615640826

Homemade gesso

Update: Homemade modpodge works!

I am beginning work on a design for a huge canvas painting, which
will be 7 feet high by 11.25 feet wide. I priced Gesso to coat the
canvas,  at the local craft store, it is over $25 a gallon (that's the cheap
stuff). I decided to check for a homemade version of gesso.

Just in case you're not familiar with gesso, it's a binder used on
wood and canvas to hold paint so that the wood grain does not
show through the painting, or so the grain of the canvas does
not show through the paint.

 
Guess what??
I found a couple of recipes.  I'll  share them with you, after
I've created and tested them this weekend.

 This homemade gesso can be sanded, holds paint well,
and costs much less than the gesso you buy in art stores.

I'm in the process of drawing out the design for the canvas.
sewing the canvas pieces together, and then adding the
gesso. It's exciting for me to find out how well
homemade gesso works. I'll report back to you.

Homemade mod podge glue

I just found this on pinterest. I haven't tried it yet, but from all the
testimonials about its effectiveness, I'd say it is a hit!
I will try it myself tonight, and report to you tomorrow.

I use mod podge for paper crafts, paper mache projects, kids
crafts, fabric crafts, and popsicle crafts. I use it for sealing
finished paper projects, and for use on recycled  material crafts.

Here is the recipe:
Mix elmers glue with water, 50% glue + 50% water.
Shake well. Store in the jar with a lid. Costs much less!

Happy Crafting!

Kids Cardboard crafts

Kids love to play, and crafts can part of that fun.
My grandson asked me to make a "hideaway" for him. We went
to a furniture store, and got 3 large empty boxes for free, and
brought them home.


I cut the cardboard boxes into "walls". Then I cut out the front
of a house, with a door and windows. I cut a separate part for the
upper front wall, shaped like the roof, with a window. We taped
the back side of the upper wall to the backside front wall, with
duct tape.

I realized, that the walls I cut out, were going to make a cardboard house
5 feet by 5 feet, which is too large for our house, so we used only

the front wall. Painting the front of the house is fun and messy. We
put newspapers down over the area where we worked. We painted
the front door, the wall, and roof with details around the bricks,
stones and wooden door.

I cut out rectangles 12 inches by 18 inches, from the left over cardboard.
We painted these rectangles to look like pictures, to hang inside
the cardboard cottage, This is another easy and and affordable project.


Now where to put this hideaway?

We placed the front wall, and door, over an opening
that leads to a small work area in the house. I had to bend
the sides of the cardboard back a little, so the front of the house
would fit in the door opening.


The space behind this new entrance, is now dedicated to my
grandson's hideout. he enjoys being able to sit by the window,
hide from us, and play with his friends there. Inside is a
window, so I put a chair next to the window, and added
a light on the wall.


Using recycled cardboard is a great way to make affordable
crafts for kids!


Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here:
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Crafts-Budget-Kids-Volume/dp/0615640826

Huichol Arts and Crafts

Mexico, is one of my favorite places to travel. I enjoy the north, south, east, west and

the coastline. The people are kind and hospitable, and the food is great.  No matter what

part of Mexico you’re in,  you’ll find inspiration for art.

In Mexico City, the Zocolo houses art and historical objects of interest. It is in

an older area of the Federal District, near  a beautiful church, which amazingly,

remains standing.

I enjoy Mexico, for the people, the colorful houses, brightly painted tiles, 

the artwork of the indigenous people: the black pottery of Oaxaca, the tall wooden

doors, and hand painted crafts celebrating El Dia de los Muertos, in Patzcuaro, the

wooden boxes, and hand carved doors of Tzintzunzan.

The Houchil artisans of the northern states of Zacatecas, Nayirit, Jalisco, and Western

Central Mexico, create some of the most colorful, detailed arts and crafts. They add

tiny detailed bead work on cow skulls, hats, small wooden carved animals, even cars.

The women create yarn paintings, an art tradition that has been passed down for generations. 

Their arts and crafts are vibrant and incredibly beautiful. Their symbolism representing

the Gods, shows corn, peyote, and deer, which is often shown in their work.

Wikipedia defines the Huichol or Wixáritari (Huichol pronunciation: /wiˈraɾitaɾi/)  as a 

Native American ethnic group of western central Mexico, living in the Sierra Madre 

range. They are best known to the larger world as the Huichol, however, they refer to 

themselves as Wixáritari ("the people") in their native Huichol language.

I looked up as many photos of the Huichol arts and crafts, as I could find, to share with you today. 

For more information on Huichol artwork, go to: http://thehuicholcenter.org/huichol-art/

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/178-yarn-painting-images-of-a-vanishing-culture

http://www.indigoarts.com/gallery_huicholart1.html

http://www.mexicanartdealing.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=3520307

http://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/huichol+art/all

 Buy Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104 here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Crafts-Budget-Kids-Volume/dp/0615640826

Artists Who Inspire

I draw upon memories of favorite places, artists whose work I enjoy,
music, and other art forms, when creating new art and craft projects.
I'm often inspired to try new paper crafts, or a new technique, when
experiencing others work.

One of my favorite artists is M.C. Escher, whose black and white
prints never fail to fascinate me. When I was in high school, I
tried recreating Escher's style, with pencil and charcoal drawings.
I discovered I have my own style, which I embrace. Today, I still look to
Escher's work for inspiration.



I'm reposting photos  found on a website featuring Escher's work.
I hope they inspire you to create new art projects for you and
for your kids.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to know more about M.C. Escher's work, go to: http://www.mcescher.com/

Buy Easy Crafts on a Budet for Kids 4 to 104 here:  https://www.createspace.com/3813688.

Aboriginal Art

I've visited Australia a couple of times.When there, I
enjoy visiting the local markets. I especially like
paintings created by local aboriginal artists. I'm drawn
to the designs, using dots and bright colors. I'm
working on a geographic outdoor painting, so I'm
looking at photos of aboriginal art for inspiration.

Today, I'm reposting photos of aboriginal artwork for you
to enjoy.

For more information on aboriginal art, go to:
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/index.php

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-indigenous-art

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/australian-aboriginal-art-and-storytelling