Hellobee

I love making things. I really always have. My Mom used to skip the toys and dolls and just bring a few crayons and a tiny notepad in her purse because she knew that they could keep me entertained and happy for hours.When I dreamed about becoming a mom, crafting was one of the things that often popped up in my mind. I purchased Lil’ Tea Cup crayons before she was even born and I already have some put away for Lil’ Tea Pot which are lovingly stored for the day when he stops chewing on everything.

Today I wanted to share with you a simple, Pinterest inspired craft – taken one step further. I wanted something that was fun and quick for a toddler that allowed them to be independent without eating the medium of choice and getting covered in mess. I am all for making messes but sometimes we just like to keep things tidy too, right Moms!?

Take a piece of card stock (I used white but you can use whatever you have) and put it inside a large plastic freezer bag. Make sure it can fit all the way in and the bag can seal. If the paper does not fit give it a quick trim. The bag has to close to keep this craft from being a messy one. Also the heavier weight card stock you have, the better because it is going to get saturated with the paint and you want it to stand up to the abuse.

Take the piece of card stock back out of the bag and put large dots of paint all over it. Use a variety of colours and the more random the better. I used acrylic paint.

Slide the paper carefully back into the bag and seal it tightly. Let your toddler go to town. They love to bang on it, mush it and experiment. I like to have two bags ready so one can be for the art project that you allow them less time with and one can just be for complete exploration. You can talk about colours changing and what it feels like, but honestly it is just fun for them to be able to make a racket pounding away! As soon as you can get the bag away from them (again why I have two bags), take the paper out and let it dry. Do not let it sit or the paper will start to come apart, stick to the plastic and it will be unusable.

Once it is dry, cut the paper into whatever shape you want. If your little ones are older let them chose a shape and try to cut. I decided to make mosaic art with Lil’ Tea Cup’s masterpiece and cut it into triangles and arranged them. You could also use a punch to make hearts, stars or whatever you heart desires.

There you go, fingerpainting without the mess!