Mackinaw Road Mondays: 5 At Home Art Projects

Hello there! I hope this finds you well and hanging in there. We had our first week of forward online learning. There were A LOT of ups and downs and all of the emotions. The teachers are simply amazing and have taken on the role of on-line teachers/parent support therapists in stride! We also try to do a little extracurricular activity daily. Art is something that we all enjoying doing and (most of time) has a relaxing effect on us. Here are 5 At Home Art Projects that we have tried.

My kids love Art for Kids Hub. So do I! It is easy to follow and involves various family members in different drawings. The family is fun and laughs a lot and seems to be a generally positive online presence. Our kids created several drawings using Art for Kids Hub. We then made them into paper airplanes and drove by my parent’s house to fly them into their yard. It was a good time for all involved!

We (ah-hem, I) drew bunnies (using Art for Kids Hub), hearts, tulips, and sun shapes. The kids cut them out and had fun taping them to our windows. We hope it brings a little smile to those walking by. Crew Jones also enjoys looking at them from his perch on the couch.

Also not pictured… I had some craft paint in the basement and had the kids paint a flower pot. It kept them busy for about 20 minutes and the clean up wasn’t too bad since they were able to do the entire project outside. When the garden centers open again, we will get some potting soil and a plant for the pot. The project would have lasted longer had there been more pots to paint.

Before the quarantine, I had ordered a watercolor set and paper. The kids and I will occasionally sit at the kitchen table with our plates of paint, listen to music, and create. I think I mentioned the Waterlogue app before. It turns a photo into a painting and you can choose from a variety of effects. Since it had been some time (i.e., 20 years or so) since I had painted using watercolors, I found it incredibly helpful to take a photo, use the Waterlogue app, and then paint from the Waterlogue application.

Okay, the last art project on the list, I did solo. And sort of randomly. I take that back, I did have help with my initial idea but that didn’t work out (due to the idea, not the helpers). We have had our GATHER sign in the dining room for quite awhile. (You can see more photos of the Spring Dining Room here.) I was wanting to change it out even before the quarantine but last week seemed like the perfect time. I love the frame and think that the size of the artwork is perfect for the space. As always, just ignore all of the wrinkles- lol!

My first idea involved using the kids’ Plaster of Paris to create a textured abstract art piece. It was a disaster. The plaster slowly fell off and made a huge mess. So, I started over. I used house paint that we had on hand, which actually would have been a great idea even if we weren’t quarantined. The colors naturally go with our house since I used colors that were already sprinkled throughout our home. I practiced on the GATHER side- the lettering showed through so I knew I would eventually be painting on the other side. Because we already have a very nice scenic painting in the dining room, I thought something abstract would be nice. This is what I ended up with! Not bad for using what was on hand.

My mom has also sent really cute at home art projects, including a bunny cutout project that could be decorated with magazine cutouts. (Of course, my kids decided to go the cops and robbers Easter bunny route instead- lol!) She also sent a paper bag puppy cutout project that the kids had fun with and then could use for a little puppet show as well.

Okay- that’s all for now! Have a great week!!!