For the sake of the arts!

If you are a parent then you know (or you soon will) the dilemma of what to do with your kiddo's artwork begins early on.  It is likely more difficult for some than others to decide on what to save, what to discard, and how to display and preserve those precious memories.

I have seen so many great ideas on the Internet and Pinterest. I shared my own idea here though I am likely not the first to do something like that. 

I used my kiddo's art again today. He painted some coloring sheets and I used them to wrap some small gifts. I loved how they turned out and I think it makes the gift that much more special for the recipient. 

Night-Night Blanket

My little man is growing up fast. He is fast approaching the big 2nd birthday. He is getting so big and is out growing the baby blanket we use in his crib. I use the term "blanket we use" loosely as it ends up smooshed into a corner of his bed nightly. But, it's significance is more so that it is part of a nighttime, morning and nap time routine/ritual. 

Every night little man is covered with his blanket and every morning he sweetly hands it up to me and we smooth it over the edge of the crib. He is very particular. He has resisted my attempts at switching it for a different blanket. 

It is lightweight, he likes the pattern, and so on. I decided I would make him a blanket with similar features, but larger to accommodate his growing size. (He is very tall like his dad.)

I used a flannel on one side (the pattern) and a fuzzy thin fleecy fabric on the back, (the gray). I didn't use a tutorial but this one (http://melissadark.blogspot.com/2011/09/easy-baby-blanket-tutorial.html) closely approximates what I did. 

One thing I did not do that I would do different if doing this again is to wash the fabrics before starting my cutting, pinning & sewing. Still, I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Little man is sleeping with it even as I type this. 

A personal touch - hand stitched note cards

Like most people, I love giving and receiving things that have a personal touch. Whether it is handmade, personalized, or just carefully selected to represent the giver or recipient; the personal touch shows when the effort has been made.   

This year, at Christmas, our family (as they have a tendency to be) was very generous and thoughtful with the gifts they gave to my son. I wanted to do something special that would truly signify our gratitude. 

I love a handwritten thank you. I love beautiful stationary. I also love getting my son involved whenever, wherever, and with whatever I can. It is never too early to learn. However, as he is still a bit shy of turning two, I recognize there is a limit to what he can do. He can't very well write his own thank you notes yet. So, I tried to think of ways he could contribute. He can scribble with markers, crayons, and colored pencils. He can finger paint and even paint with a brush. Of course, the result is precious art!  Any of those would work for what I had in mind.  

This is our creation!

 

It is easy; you can do it too!  

What you will need for this project:

Scissors

Glue stick or double sided tape

Card stock 

Thread

Sewing needle

A seam ripper (or similar tool to perforate the card stock)

Some custom artwork created by your little(s)

I used my little guy's crayon art, marker art, and finger paint art for my cards. In this example I am showing the card using only my little guy's finger paint art.  Mixing and matching them all turned out great too!  (But you will have to take my word for it, I forgot to take photos of the other cards I made.) If you have been collecting those precious art creations and running out of room to store them, here is a good way to put them to use and share them with others!

Steps:

1 - Collect your supplies. 

2 - Next, cut some card stock to your desired card size.  I used 8.5 by 11 and folded them in half. I had more room to work that way. 

3 - Cut some shapes from your kiddo's art and place them onto your card. (Use a glue stick or double sided tape.). You could also let your kiddo place them if you want. Just one more way to get them involved. 

4 - Using your perforation tool, puncture holes in the card outlining your shapes. (You will want something behind the card like styrofoam, cork board, folded towel, etc...). No need to be precise about placement of the holes. It adds to the handmade look. 

5 - Using your needle and thread, stitch through the holes. 

I added a signature to the back - "mommy & me cards"

6 - Now you can write your note of thanks (or whatever use you decide). Best of all, your little one had a part in creating it. 

Enjoy!

PS-disclaimer...you know it and I know it, but it won't hurt anyone for me to say it. Any involvement by a child in this project should be age appropriate and closely supervised by an adult.