art

Tree Art Bulletin Board

July 13, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This bright tree art bulletin board is inspired by the stunning storybook called “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart. I discovered the book at a local library and instantly fell in love with the tender story and vibrant illustrations. The picture book provided just the inspiration I was looking for to redo a bulletin board begging for a change.

In the storybook, an old pine tree teaches a young sapling about the benefits and dangers of wind. Over the course of the story, the old pine weakens and deteriorates and the young sapling slowly grows bigger. By the end of the story, a storm wind has knocked the old tree down, and a seedling soon takes its place.

The vivid silkscreen illustrations in this heartwarming children’s book show the same scene on each page in different weather, seasons, and times of the day. Tree trunks, needles, and skies are designed in beautiful, varying color schemes. Woodland animals are included subtly in silhouette form on many of the pages.

A pink and red-leafed woodland tree design that fits in with a spring blossom theme.

_______

As I am accustomed to doing an art-themed bulletin board using the same tree in different seasons or times of day, I soon realized that drawing inspiration from the color combinations in the book would work nicely for a new tree art bulletin board. The tree art design is easy to replicate in a space you have available.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

________

Supplies To Collect

Colored tree trunks prepared for a picture book-inspired tree art bulletin board project. An easy-to do, all ages art activity.

_______

A selection of quality sturdy paper and a few other supplies are needed for this woodland papercraft project. Gather the following:

tree template
9-inch x 12-inch fade-resistant construction paper in a variety of colors
cardstock in an array of colors
glitter cardstock
glue stick
paper punches
woodland animal stickers
pencil and scissors

_______

Preparing The Tree Art Craft

To plan out this tree art bulletin board, decide on a few different color schemes. I chose eight, but you can easily go with four. View the picture book “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart for color palette ideas.

Select a background color, tree trunk hue, and leaf colors for each tree art design. Use the paper choices you have available to pick color combinations.

Tip: Acid-free or fade-resistant paper is worth investing in for papercraft projects. The colors stay bright much longer.

_______

Then use a template to cut out paper tree trunks. Feel free to download the template below to make your craft preparation easier.

Download this free, user-friendly tree template for art and craft activities. The template is perfect for bulletin board art.

_______

Tree Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

_______

Use two different-sized heart paper punches to create leaves. A few metallic paper leaves add a little glitz and are often children’s favorite collage pieces to use.

Note: The tree in the picture book is a pine. I chose a deciduous tree for my designs because its leaves work well for collage projects.

Next, glue a tree trunk to each background piece of paper.

Afterward, invite children to affix heart leaves to their trees using a glue stick.

Sunset-themed woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

_______

Finally, participants can add paper punched and/or sticker woodland animals to their tree scenes. I used paper-punched birds and butterflies, and sticker deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, bears, squirrels, and porcupines.

Night-time woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

_______

The Tree Art Bulleting Board Display

_______

Displaying the tree art is easy when using a rectangular bulletin board. Arrange the art in a sequence of color designs, and repeat the pattern for the whole display. An alternative is to display the art randomly or in another pattern of your choice.

_______

_______

More About “The Wind and the Trees” Picture Book

In addition to being an inspiration for art projects, this gorgeous picture book by Todd Stewart is perfect for a tree or nature theme. Through colorful pictures and wisdom-filled print, it communicates the life cycle of trees. It also shares the following details about how wind benefits and hurts trees:

How The Wind Benefits Trees

tree roots grow deeper
tree bark becomes stronger
messages and signals are carried from one tree to another
seeds are scattered so new trees can grow

The Dangers Of Wind To Trees

roots are stretched
tree trunks and branches dry
older trees get knocked down

Lastly, the pictures also depict a variety of woodland animals for children to spot and name, such as bats, owls, squirrels, bees, eagles, a raccoon, and a porcupine.

_______

A blue and green-leafed woodland tree art design with the colors of a cloudy everning.

_______

_______

Related:

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Book-Inspired Tree Art

Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

Neon Fingerpaint Tree Art

Maple Leaf Activities

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

Chinese Money Tree Activities

_______

[Read more…]

Unicorn Watercolor Art

July 11, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Tempera paint pucks are a great medium for decorating a unicorn template, as they have a whimsical watercolor look. They come in a variety of bright, vibrant hues, and an added bonus is that the paint dries quickly. In this unicorn watercolor art project, painted unicorns are included in a pretty paper craft scene.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Supplies to create a stinning unicorn scene with tempera paint pucks and fadeless construction paper. A free unicorn template is available to download.

_______

Gather the following supplies to complete the beautiful unicorn scene:

non-toxic tempera paint pucks in a variety of colors
paint cake trays or muffin tins
paintbrushes and pots
8 ½ inch x 11 inch white cardstock paper
8 ½ x 11 inch green and light blue cardstock paper
metallic cardstock
circle paper punch
pencil and scissors
glue stick or glue gun
waterproof tablecloth or newsprint

_______

The Unicorn Watercolor Art Project

To start this stunning mythical-themed art project, first trace and cut out unicorns from white cardstock paper. Download the free template below for the activity, or choose your own design.

Download this free unicorn template for art and craft projects.

_______

Unicorn PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

_______

Next, cover a table with a waterproof tablecloth or newsprint.

Then set up stations with a paper unicorn, paintbrush, paint pot filled with water, and tray with tempera paint pucks in bright hues.

Invite each participant to dip their paintbrush in water and generously wet a paint puck, and then begin painting their unicorn. Between colors, paintbrushes should be rinsed in a pot of water.

Tip: Prewetting tempera pucks with a paintbrush and water makes this activity easier for little learners and helps them get off to a good start.

When completed, set aside the decorated unicorns to dry. This will take under an hour.

If there is time, participants may enjoy more watercolor painting on a rectangular or square piece of cardstock or copy paper.

After everyone has finished, rinse off the paint trays, pat them with a paper towel to remove excess water, and let them dry.

_______

Creating A Unicorn Scene

To create a beautiful unicorn scene for each painted creature, cut a narrow, green strip from fadeless construction paper to represent grass.

Using a glue gun or glue stick. adhere the green strip to the bottom of a piece of light blue construction paper.

Then punch or cut a circular sun from metallic cardstock in a hue that complements the painted unicorn.

Finally, glue a sun and unicorn to the blue and green construction paper background, and pencil in a unicorn eye.

Note: Older children can complete these unicorn scene steps on their own.

A stunning unicorn art project with tempera paint pucks and fadeless construction paper. Download a free unicorn template for the activity.

_______

Watercolor-painted cardstock or copy paper would also work nicely as a backdrop for a painted unicorn.

_______

Non-Toxic Paint Pucks

Non-toxic tempera paint pucks are a nice resource to have in your collection of art supplies. Here is a little more information about them:

Tempera paint pucks are watercolor paints in a puck or cake form.
These easy-to-use paints come in many beautiful hues.
Color possibilities are limitless, as the paints can be mixed to make new hues.
The paint cakes sit nicely in art trays or standard muffin tins that stack easily and take very little room when stored.
The non-permanent paints can be used on paper, cardboard, fabric, and wood.
Adding differing amounts of water to the cakes results in different effects and lighter and darker shades.
Crayons and oil pastels work beautifully with the tempera paint pucks.
This art medium requires minimal preparation and clean-up time and is easy to use with a large group or classroom of students.
The tempera pucks and trays are inexpensive to buy and last a long time.

_______

Related:

Unicorn Playdough Tray

Unicorn Puppet Craft

_______

[Read more…]

Spin Painting Butterflies

May 19, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

There are few art projects that are more exciting and fun than spin painting. And using a salad spinner is an easy and low mess way to create spin art. I’ve featured this painting technique in a few projects on my blog. In this post, I feature spin painting butterflies.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this art x science painting activity:

salad spinner
butterfly template
cardstock paper
pipe cleaners
tempera paint
paint pots
spoons
tape
white glue or glue gun

_______

Creating Spin Painting Butterflies

To create the spin art butterflies, design a butterfly template and trace it onto cardstock paper in the color of your choice. It is optimal for the butterflies to be the size of the bottom of the salad spinner. To help figure out the correct size, trace the bottom of the salad spinner basket onto a piece of paper. Lay the butterfly template on the circle and adjust its size if needed.

Then add a little piece of rolled-up tape to the bottom of one paper butterfly, and position it securely in the salad spinner basket.

Next, pour tempera paint colors of choice into paint pots. Add a little white or yellow paint to brighten up the colors if desired.

Afterward, spoon blobs of paint in a variety of colors onto the butterfly.

_______

Then spin the salad spinner at a moderate rate. It is ideal for the butterfly to remain on the bottom of the spinner. Spinning it super fast may loosen the butterfly resulting in it sticking to the side of the basket. This will smudge up the paint.

Next, open the spinner and carefully lift out the butterfly. Remove the tape and let it dry.

Finally, cut out a one-piece butterfly head, thorax, and abdomen from a complementary piece of sturdy paper, and bend a pipe cleaner length into antennae. Glue both to the center of the butterfly using white glue or a glue gun.

Oh-so-fun salad spinner butterfly art activity. An easy-to-do, all-ages art activity.

_______

Invite each person participating in this activity to create one or two spin art butterflies.

_______

Spin Painting Butterfly Variations

After spinning the salad spinner the first time, you can choose to drop in more paint and spin again.

Create this spin painting butterfly in a few easy steps. This is a process art activity everyone in the family will love.

_______

After the first spin cycle, the butterfly in the above picture turned out mostly yellow. With a little more paint added and another round or two of spinning, the butterfly is more colorful.

If the butterfly does stick to the side and the paint is smudged, make a print with it on a new piece of paper. Cut the butterfly out and use doubled sided tape to secure it onto a new piece of paper for a 3D effect. Add a cardstock frame for a finishing touch.

Butterfly paint prints look stunning when displayed on a cardstock background.

_______

And gluing a painted butterfly, ribbon, and bead garland to a dowel makes an awesome butterfly wand.

Beautiful spin painitng butterfly wand craft your little learners will love. An all-ages process art project.

_______

The Science Behind Salad Spinner Art

Centrifugal force is used in creating salad spinner art. When the salad spinner is spun around, centrifugal force pushes the paint away from the center to the edges of the butterfly.

_______

How to create beautiful spin painting butterflies with a salad spinner. This is a super fun process art activity everyone will enjoy.

_______

Related:

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Salad Spinner Heart Art

_______

[Read more…]

Popcorn Spice Mother’s Day Craft

May 13, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A simple and aromatic Mother's Day craft that is super fun to make. Use spices, sesonings or herbs for this sensory craft activity,

_______

This simple and aromatic popcorn spice Mother’s Day craft is so fun to make. And it really caters to the sense of smell. Warning: there may be a few sneezes while doing this activity!

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies Used In The Craft

The following easy-to-find supplies are used in this spicy craft:

popcorn seasonings: butter salt, jalapeno cheddar, ketchup, and all dressed
small bowls and spoons
dessert plates
brown cardstock paper
cream-colored cardstock paper
scissors and pencil
glue stick
tablecloth

_______

The Popcorn Spice Mother’s Day Craft

To make this craft, first, cover a table with a washable tablecloth.

Next, trace and cut out four “wooden spoons” from brown cardstock paper. Use the printable below for the spoons or design your own.

_______

Spoon PrintableDownload

_______

Then spoon popcorn seasonings into small bowls.

Four popcorn seasoning flavors for an aromatic Mother's Day craft project.

_______

Afterward, use a glue stick to spread a thick layer of glue on the head of a spoon.

Next, hold the paper spoon over a dessert-sized plate and sprinkle a generous amount of popcorn seasoning on it.

Then shake off excess seasoning and let the spoon dry.

An oh-so-easy and fun popcorn seasoning Mother's Day craft to do in one sitting. Explore the sense of smell with this aromatic craft activity.

_______

Repeat the process with all the spoons and seasonings.

Then use the glue stick to affix the spoons to a paper background.

_______

Finally, add the words “You Spice Up My Life” and “Happy Mother’s Day.” Feel free to use the template below for this craft.

Mother's Day craft template for an aromatic keepsake project for mom.

_______

Spiced Mother’s Day Craft PrintableDownload

_______

This template is perfect for grandma.

Mother's Day craft template for an aromatic keepsake project for grandma.

_______

Spicy Mother’s Day Craft TemplateDownload

_______

The bright yellow butter salt and ketchup seasonings add pops of color to the craft. Herbs or other spices could be substituted. What seasonings would you use?

_______

Mother’s Day Floral Craft

Mother’s Day Crafts And Gifts

_______

[Read more…]

Dot Marker Easter Bunnies

April 8, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

These dot marker Easter bunnies are easy and fun to create. This project is the third in a series of silhouette bunny canvas art activities on my blog, all completed with dot markers. Long-eared fluffy-tailed bunnies make the perfect subject for the art technique.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Try making these dot marker silhouette bunnies in a few different colors. This easy-to-do bunny art project displays well.

_______

Using dot markers on a canvas board is a satisfying way to create art. Gather the following supplies to do it:

6-inch x 8-inch canvas board
non-toxic dot markers
bunny silhouette template
pipe cleaners
wiggly eyes
buttons
scissors and pencil
glue gun or white glue

_______

Making the Dot Marker Canvas Art Project

Steps to create bunny silhouette art with dot markers, a template, and canvas board. Give this art project a try today.

_______

First, cut out a bunny head and shoulders template from sturdy paper in a size that fits the canvas board of choice. A smaller canvas size works well for this project and is easy and economical to purchase at a dollar store.

Next, lay the bunny template on the canvas.

Feel free to download this bunny template to use for the canvas art project.

Download this bunny head template to make a spring bunny wreath craft.

_______

Bunny Head PrintableDownload

This bunny head template is for individual and one classroom use only,

_______

Then select a dot marker color of choice and fill in the bunny-shaped cutout. For my first bunny, I used a purple shimmer dot marker. On the canvas, it has a purply-pink hue.

Tip: Lighter-hued dot markers work best for this art project.

Afterward, take off the cardboard cutout and let the silhouette bunny design dry. Dot marker art dries quickly, even on a canvas, so it won’t take long.

Finally, using white glue or a glue gun, affix two wiggly eyes, a button nose, and a curved pipe cleaner mouth to create a bunny face.

Make this easy and fun dot marker Easter bunny art activity today. It's an all-ages bunny-themed spring art project everyone will love.

_______

This art project is so much fun, you may wish to create bunny art in a few different colors. Displayed together, the bunnies make quite a statement. You can also use two or more dot marker colors to create each silhouette.

Make this easy and fun canvas art bunny today. It's an all-ages bunny-themed spring art project everyone will love.

_______

Make this easy and fun dot marker spring bunny art activity today. It's an all-ages bunny-themed art project everyone will love.

_______

More Silhouette Bunny Canvas Art Activities

Spring Bunny Canvas Art

Silhouette Bunny Art

_______

[Read more…]