As luck would have it, I happen to go to ArtBeat to get a birthday gift for my niece when I noticed the Thursday night drop-in mosaic workshop and beginning instruction. I was so excited, and even though my evenings were pretty full I made a real effort to get to the workshops. They were drop-in, inexpensive, and full of encouragement to try something new. I was hooked!!
My first project was a trivet that Jan helped me design, pick colors, and cut tiles. When I brought it home my family was impressed with my creation!! Through the Art Beat workshops I also made a small side table and house numbers for friends and family members (see below).

In August 2006, my family and I moved to London and I got the opportunity to really pursue mosaics. I attended a mosaic class at the Hampstead School of Art and studied under the direction of a professional mosaicist. I learned about many different styles, materials, and techniques and really expanded my repertoire (see below). We have since returned to Arlington and I now have a studio in my basement where I have created a number of different projects (see below). I currently have two pieces that were chosen to be included in “The Art of Mosaic 2009” that is currently at the Somerville Museum. What started out as an interest in mosaics has now turned into a passion, but none of it would have been possible without Art Beat. Art Beat is a place where you can explore many different artistic pursuits without spending a lot of money or having to purchase and store a lot of materials. Art Beat allows you to try your hand at many different arts or crafts and if you are lucky your hobby may turn into a passion!! To see and learn more about mosaics attend “The Art of Mosaic 2009” www.MosaicsNewEngland.com currently running at the Somerville Museum until Oct 31, 2009, and if you feel the urge to be creative check out the offerings at ArtBeat!!!

Suzanne Baratta Owayda – Sept 2009

Fireplace Screen – completed Dec 2007

Fireplace Screen – completed Dec 2007

“Garden Reflections” garden ball – completed Dec 2008

“Santorinin Blues” – completed August 2009 Currently on display in “The Art of Mosaic 2009”

Pineapple Planter – completed April 2009

An Eco-Art Challenge is a great Idea for a class room or group of kids or adults. You can use it as a fundraiser and find sponsors, or just a friendly competition. The rules are simple: find something that would otherwise be thrown out, and turn it into art!

Here are the entries in our own Eco art Challenge this year:

A1: A Piece of Pieces for Peace
Artists: Margot  with Max, 10, Henry, 8, and Lily, 4, of Arlington
The Fox family thinks about being “green” as way to contribute to a more peaceful planet. They painted a cardboard box with green paint, and then gathered items from around the house that they would otherwise have thrown out or recycled. They used a glue gun to attach the items to the cardboard, creating a peace sign.

A2: Pop Art Flowers
Artists: Eileen and daughter Siena, age 2.5, of Everett These bright and beautiful flowers literally pop out of plastic cups! A thin layer of paint and a pair of scissors have transformed used cups, magazine pages, and wooden spoons into artful flowers finished with buttons, pom-poms, and crumpled plastic bags – all items found around the home. This project was not without its challenges – assembly and construction took lots of figuring out and lots of hot glue – but the mom and tot team took inspiration from the spring flowers outside in the garden and the traditions of folk art, as well as the work of artist Tara Donovan who transforms everyday objects into stunning art.

A3: A Little Robot
Artist: Lolita age 6.5, of Arlington

Inspired by a friend’s alien creation, Lolita decided to make her own robot.  She scoured the kitchen for used grocery items like boxes and towels rolls, glued them together, and layered newspaper, tape, tissue paper and paint. When she was done, the robot wouldn’t stand up straight, but with a little help Lolita was able to solve the problem. Every robot should be so lucky!









A4: 3 Dancers
Artist: Virginia Kelly of Walpole

When Virginia created these three graceful sculptures she was taking a welding class. Inspired by her daughter, a dancer, she first sketched the gestures of the dancers, then welded them from pieces of scrap steel. She decided that her entire project would be completed using only recycled materials. That proved to be a challenge, especially figuring out how to make pages from the Boston Globe look like fabric. After much experimentation, Virginia was able to drape the newspaper in careful folds and then sew it together with wire. The final challenge – finding wood for the bases – was solved when she found pieces of wood of unknown origin while driving along Rt. 95.









A5: Fishy, Fishy in the Bathroom Tile
Artist: Heather Hartshorn of ArlingtonHeather takes found art seriously. She started her collection of tiles when she went to paint-a-plate parties and wasn’t pleased with her results; at home, she smashed the work into pieces. If someone accidentally broke a dinner plate, that only added to the collection. When she moved into a new house she found old bathroom tiles that were interesting enough to save along with beads that had broken off of flower pots. Inspired by mosaics in the subway, and determined not to buy any new materials, Heather even discovered great glass pieces on the street. She combined all these finds into a very fishy mosaic, finished off with grout she found that was seven-years old.









A6: Zragz – alien from Pluto
Artist: Ezra  age 7 of Arlington

When Ezra got together with his friends to make recycled art, he remembered a project he had started for school about the moon. That inspired him to create Zragz the alien. Zragz is made of paper mache and masking tape, and is not very strong. Exra found it hard to hold Zragz up for painting. Because he is weak inside, Zragz needs lots of outer armor for protection. Ezra crafted it out of pie tins and aluminum foil. Zragz has one giant eye, because someone punched one eye and it went into the other one. The eye is made from an old duct tape tube. Zragz is finished off with ribbon.  All of the materials Ezra used came from the kitchen.









A7: Fairy Table
Artist: Anna  age 9 of Arlington

Anna believes that “if you build it, they will come.” She transformed a pizza box spacer into a tiny jeweled table for fairies. It was so much fun that she has now collected three more spacers to decorate. Although the project is tiny, it was not without its challenges.  The spacer had holes in it that the jewels could have fallen through. Anna covered them with tape before using glitter glue to attach rhinestones, teensy mirrors and pearl drops. Time for a fairy tea party!









A8: Spring Awakening
Artist: Claire Donnelly, 23, of ArlingtonInspired by the flowers in bloom outside and the joy of life, Claire crafted a window box out of cardboard and filled it with blossoms. Each flower is a cell of an egg carton and has a center of rolled cardboard tipped with paint. The stems are made of wire wrapped with plastic bags, and the bright green foliage is from a ginger ale carton. Stems are anchored by a printer cartridge holder, and the box is filled with brown paper mulch. Claire’s challenge was to make the flowers look “semi-realistic”; as a finishing touch she added plump little honey bees happily feeding on the flowers.









A9: Mrs. High Heels Robot
Artist: Aviva , age 6.5, of Arlington

Aviva was inspired to make a robot of her own when she saw her friend Lolita’s robot creation (#A3). Aviva used a mac and cheese box, paper towel rolls, paper mache, duct and masking tape to form the body. She decided to use yogurt containers for the robot’s feet, and that’s how her creation came to be known as Mrs. High Heels. The high heels posed the usual problem, however: they made the robot tilt over. It turns out that adding strands of ribbon hair helped with balance.









A10: Webkin Shower
Artist: Isabella , age 7 (now 8), of Arlington

Isabella loves her Webkin, and wanted it to be comfortable. She decided to make a house with all the amenities you would find in a real person’s house. A shower is an obvious necessity. Isabella found a sturdy box for the shower stall and made a non-slip mat out of bubble wrap. A towel rack and the pipe for the showerhead were both made with wood from a broken window shade. At first Isabella couldn’t figure out how to break the wood, but then got some help from her parents and a saw. The shower itself is a Styrofoam disk with a stream of yarn water.  If you look closely, you’ll see a tiny bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap resting on a shelf inside the shower stall. Lather up!









A11: Digital DJ
Artist: Sylvia , age 9, of Winchester

Sylvia and her parents decided to take apart some old computers.  When Sylvia saw the hard drive disks inside, they reminded her of record players. That inspired her to construct a digital DJ and dancer. The most difficult part of the project was deconstructing the computers. Once they were in pieces, it was easy to figure out how to make heads and hands and turn everything into a fun conversation piece. The only parts not from computers are the electrical wire used for the arms and the wooden base, cut by her dad.









A12: From Core to Sky – Preserve the Beauty of the Earth
Artist: Susan M. Smith of Framingham

The sight of a graceful dining room chair by the side of the road inspired Susan to stop and imagine transforming it into a work of art that would reflect nature. The chair was in good condition except for the seat, which was torn.  Susan decided to make a cushion from the plastic air bags that are used in shipping (on display beneath the chair you can see a sample of a cushion that will hold 250 lbs!). The next challenge was what to use for covering, and she decided on a beautiful piece of new fabric (the only part of the piece that is not recycled). To hold scraps of fabric from her junk closet in place along the sides, she drilled holes and pushed the fabric in using an ice pick. The celestial motifs are designed from glitter glue applied to a plastic plate and allowed to dry, and then glued in place like an appliqué.









A13: We’ve Got the Whole World in our Hands
Artist: Rev. Dr. Fran Bogle, Framingham

We can make choices every day to care for our planet. That’s the thought that inspires Fran, who coordinates the UCC Just Arts Collective in Framingham. To emphasize the point, everything used in this work is something we hold in our hands: knives, forks, spoons, bottles, coffee cup lids, plastic gloves, and the top of a cake plate. There are also pictures of endangered animals taken from old National Geographic magazines. The challenge was how to hold everything together. Fran found that the glues she had didn’t work, so she settled on using tape.  As a result, this piece is fragile, just like the world we live in.









A14: Scrabble Table
Artist: Elizabeth Irvine of Watertown

Scrabble enthusiasts will love this whimsical table that Elizabeth rescued from the side of the road on trash day. She tightened the joints, sanded the wood, and added a fresh coat of paint. But what to do with the top? Elizabeth’s yard sale finds included old scrabble tiles that she glued to the top in a not-completely-random way, leaving real words among the scrabble.

A15: Hummingbird by the Playroom Window
Artist: Elizabeth Irvine of Watertown

It’s obvious from her Scrabble Table (#A14) that Elizabeth loves yard sales. Over the years she has gathered many interesting objects that end up in the bottom of drawers and closets. Spring cleaning resulted in this fanciful “playroom window”. The structure is an old frame mounted on alphabet blocks and embellished with found jewelry, buttons, shells, tiles, and game pieces.  The velvety and silky fabrics of pillow cases form the backdrop for a hummingbird, an original painting she created some years ago that inspired this work.



















F1 Title: “So I herd u like Jellyfish?!!”
Artist: Paige  14, from Franklin

This graceful mobile is fashioned out of coffee filters tinted with food coloring. Its dangling tentacles are strings of plastic bottle caps interspersed with ribbon and beads. At first Paige didn’t know how to make it hang, but solved the problem by making a structure of popsicle sticks and a pipe cleaner. Although she says she has no idea exactly what inspired her, Paige has an art room at home that has a collection of recycled materials, always ready to be made into art. Sounds like inspiration to us!









F2: Capezibead
Artist: Ali , age 13, of Franklin

Inspired by a faded ballet shoe, Ali decided to restore it as a work of art. She used cardboard and wire to create a support, and then embellished with buttons, beads and sequins found at home and in her art classroom.









F3: The Tree from the Trash Can
Artist: Allison , age 13, of Franklin

Foam, wood, and two soda cans glued on top of one another form the base of this tree inspired by the woods near Allison’s home. She used wire coat hangers for the branches and lots of soda tabs for the leaves. Look closely and you’ll see little squirrels scurrying along the branches; they are made from pistachio nut shells and bits of plastic bag.

F4: Star Spangled Denim
Artist: Alicia , age 13, of Franklin

Looking at the American flag she has at home inspired Alicia to hunt for materials that could be used to make a recycled art flag. The background is poster board, and the stripes are made of corrugated cardboard painted white and egg cartons painted red. Soda tab stars are arrayed across a piece of denim from an old pair of jeans.









F5: The Twin Towers
Artist: Njeri , age 14, of Walpole

Recreating the Twin Towers out of recycled materials, Njeri used debris found on her desk and items from recycle bins. The towers are plastic bottles covered with paper and painted silver. They are connected by a AA battery “bridge” and surrounded by smaller buildings made of staples and bottle caps.









F6: African Giraffe
Artist: Patrick , age 13, of Wrentham

This richly textured metal giraffe was originally formed from wire, but Patrick found it difficult to hold the pieces together. He ended up using pipe cleaners as an armature and covering it with aluminum foil. Inspired by the shape and structure of the African giraffe, Patrick was able to achieve the textured look by crumpling the foil and rubbing on paint to give the “spots” more definition.









F7: Recycled Fashion
Artist: Alexa, age 13, of Franklin

Looking much like a real closet, this miniature tableau holds dresses, gowns, and casual duds befitting a teen fashion queen –complete with tangled hangers and high heels strewn on the floor. Alexa created this work out of old Barbie shoes, the top from a pink Payless shoe box, old wallpaper and jewelry wire, and a coat hanger contorted into a clothes rack.

F8: Crazy Volcano
Artist: Aaruni, age 12, of Sharon

Some artists base their work on things they see or experiences they’ve had. Aaruni based this piece on her own personality. “I am very crazy and energetic, like the colors and designs I used in my artwork,” she says. Wanting to make an expressive volcano, Aaruni realized that clay might be too heavy and take too long. Instead, she used a bottle to provide the basic structure and taped newspaper around it. The top covering of aluminum foil is spotted with paint from a colorful explosion of wires.









F9: Board Breaker
Artist: Katherine, age 12, of Franklin

Katherine studies Taekwondo, and wanted to capture the gesture of breaking boards – her favorite part of the sport. Her characters are made of soda cans. One has a black belt and is on her knees holding a board made of folded brown paper. The other is kicking with sturdy legs made from towel tubes. Hi-yah!









F10: Spoon With Cherry
Artist: Teagan, age 12, of Franklin

Inspired by objects found in her kitchen, Teagan created this “real life sculpture.” Uncertain whether to make the handle out of cardboard, wire, or clay, she settled on clay covered with aluminum foil. She used a plastic lid for the bowl of the spoon and painted a styrofoam ball to look like a cherry.









F11: Buster the Dinosaur
Artist: Emma. Age 13, of Franklin

Loving dinosaurs is easy. Figuring out how to make one – and then actually building it – is another story. Emma used a milk carton, paper towel rolls, water bottles, and soda cans for the body of Buster. His spiky spine is made of old cds. She covered everything in paper mache to hold it in place, and then added a thick coat of paint along with puff ball spots.









F12: Butterfly
Artist: Alexis, age 12, of Franklin

Alexis wanted to stay true to the spirit of recycled art, so she used items she found around her house that weren’t being used anymore. Inspired by a recycled butterfly that she saw while researching the project, she decided on a butterfly made of different materials. The body is a pink princess toy phone covered in plush pink fur that is held on by beaded wire. It sits on a cd spindle and can spin around. The wings and antennae were the most difficult parts of the project, as the wire was hard to work with. They are covered with white and purple ribbons from old hair bands.









F13: Sports Box
Artist: Nikki, age 12, of Bellingham

If you’re a sports fan like Nikki, you not only like to play sports and watch sports, but you also like to make sports art! The balls in this box represent lots of different games: tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball and ping pong, to name a few. They are made of Styrofoam painted in bright colors and sit in an old shoe box, much like real balls might be stored in a garage. The word “sports” is spelled out in wire hanger and glued to the front of the box; fitting the word in place was Nikki’s biggest challenge.









F14: Candy
Artist: Tess, age 13, of Medway

You can’t miss this cute little sweet shop, inspired by candy stores in the mall and other places to get sweet treats. The giant cotton candy sign (made of pillow stuffing) rises above the roof to announce its delights to the world. Sit on one of the round button stools (anchored on Q-Tips and cork from the wine cabinet) and you can order from a delectable menu of drinks, ice cream, and other goodies. Look for the giant bins of candy that you can purchase by the pound; these are old medicine bottles filled with buttons, beads, and shiny sequins. We’ll ring everything up on a cardboard cash register while you sit sheltered from the sun under a felt fabric awning.









F15: Wings of Color
Artist: Mikaela

Ready for a night out on the town? Get your sparkles on as this bird has, and get ready to rock! Mikaela crafted her playful creature after the bright colored birds and animals she admires. She used a plastic bottle, fabric from hair bands, and lots of glue and sparkles.









F16: J.P Slither
Artists: : Christian (6); Arianna (5); Sam (3); Amelia (5) and Carly (3), all of Franklin

These friends found so many water bottles in their recycle bin that they made a slithery creature almost 5 feet long! Its scales glisten with glitter as it slinks along the ground, sniffing the air through sequined nostrils, with a red yarn tongue darting ahead in search of food, while its beady spiral eyes try to hypnotize.

F17: Flying Flower
Artists: Hannah, 10, and Anna, 11, of Franklin

There were lots of interesting items in Hannah’s garage that these two friends could use to make a giant flying flower. They were inspired by a kite and the flowers in Hannah’s mom’s garden. The center of the flower is a tin Easter basket filled with glass marbles. The petals are 2 liter plastic bottles and there’s a bubble-wrap flag dotted with beads to catch the wind.









F18: Super Sparkly Boat
Artist: Emma, 6, of Franklin

Emma looked in her family’s recycling bins for inspiration. All the materials she took out made her think of a boat. She started with a pad of air packs that are used for packaging, and then attached three giant plastic bottles. To those she added berry containers and smaller bottles as cabins. Glitter-filled pontoons add stability, and a baby formula scoop serves as an anchor.









F19: A New Way to Read Your Newspaper in the Morning
Artist: Samantha, age 15, of Norfolk

You’ve heard of alphabet soup? This is even better: read your newspaper while you’re eating out of it. Samantha had seen a handmade bowl similar to this and decided to recreate it using newspaper and glue.









F20: Organization Made Better
Artist: Samantha, age 15, of Norfolk

Samantha found an old bulletin board in her house and thought it could look a whole lot better. She painted it white and then created a border out of recycled ceramic tiles and grout.









F21: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Artist: Samantha, age 15, of Norfolk

This wall hanging is an apt reminder of the three Rs. Inspired by a friend’s decoupage project that used newspaper, Samantha tore up newspaper and glued it on three canvas boards. She used watercolor to paint some newspaper green. Then she tore that in pieces also and formed words with it as she glued them in place.









F22: The Robot
Artist: Dan, age 12, of Franklin

Dan used milk bottle caps, a cereal box, cardboard, soda cans, wood and cardboard tubes, googly eyes and foam to create this really cool piece. He was inspired by his brother while making his art and used whatever materials he had on hand at home and school to create it.









F23: The I-Spy Table
Artists: Declan(9), Lucas(6), Nadia(2) with parents Virginia and Andrai of Bellingham

Inspired by the famous I Spy Books where you need to find items hidden among many other items, they used old broken toys and various objects around the house and from the craft bin to cover this end table that was un-yard-sale-able and headed for the dump.

As Mother’s  Day approaches, I find myself thinking about  my mother, Florence, who died this time last year at the age of 86. Mom had spent her later years living quietly alone, doing crossword puzzles and reading the Bible, and once or twice a week making her way across the street to go to church. Having spent many busy and chaotic years raising nine children, she cherished the long hours of quiet and solitude that her circumscribed life provided.

That irritated the heck out of me. Not that she had the peace and quiet she craved – I need that for myself, too –but that she was satisfied with a world that had shrunk so small. Mom had been my first teacher. It was through her eyes that I first began the curious search of the world around me that led me thousands of miles from home and light years away from my beginnings. If my own world was still expanding to fit my hopes and dreams, how could her tiny apartment, a pencil, and a puzzle possibly be enough for her?

So I pushed her. I gave her books and games and music and movies that she never read, opened, listened to or watched. I bugged her to go out, go to the library, call people. Still, she sat in her chair, hour after hour, day after day, contentedly working out the answers to 7 downs and 26 acrosses.

Finally, in what felt like a desperate attempt to push my mother to act like the person I knew was hiding inside her, I made her do a craft project with me. Yes, that’s right. I forced my elderly mother to make tissue paper flowers.

You have to understand, my mother never admitted to needing anything, would never let on she wanted anything, and would barely tell you if she liked something. If you asked her what she wanted to eat, she would shrug and say “Food’s food.” If you asked her what kind of flowers she liked, she’d say, “It doesn’t matter.” If you asked, shall I open the window? Her response would be, “Yeah, OK, I guess.” Now that I think about it, those responses left us needing to fill-in-the-blanks much like a tricky crossword puzzle – only without the clues.

As a kid, I was indefatigably curious and bursting with strong opinions. It came as something of a surprise for me to discover – directly from my mother– that those characteristics drove her  crazy. Because I knew in my heart of hearts that I was her favorite, I became convinced that she secretly found me delightful, and that somewhere inside, she was just like me.

So, years later, there I sat, torturing Mom into making tissue paper flowers with me. It wasn’t easy. She grumbled when I showed her how to position a bead on the end of a pipe cleaner, and grimaced when I suggested she choose her favorite colors from the piles of tissue paper cut into circles, stars and sunbursts. She finally got the hang of pop! popping the stem through a round of paper, slide! sliding it down to the bead, and squish! crumpling it, adding more tissue one piece at a time so that later it could be teased open into a blossom.. “There, you happy?” she said, as she finished her first flower. “Make another one,” I replied, and honestly, there was a part of me that expected her to finally come alive and say “Oh, this is so much fun!  They’re beautiful!”  All she gave me was an irritated a little shrug.

But I knew she’d had a good time.  I knew it!  She might not have said so, but the next time I visited there was a full bouquet of paper flowers in a little vase on her windowsill. They were still there, bright and cheery, months later when she started to fail.

After her funeral, we started packing up Mom’s things. I picked up the little vase of flowers and looked at the red and yellow poppies, the blue carnations, and the pink star flowers we had made. I hoped that they had actually given Mom the joy I had imagined for her. At the very least, they were symbols of the two of us– two alien life forms– sitting together at the kitchen table trying to connect in some small way, creating something beautiful.

Do you want to decorate eggs for Easter? Are you working with young kids? The following are some tips from ARTBEAT Your Creativity Store. Please add to this discussion from your own experience with egg decorating.

Tips:

• -To make perfect boiled eggs, cover eggs with water  in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then run eggs under cool water.
• -Draw on eggs with a wax crayon, then dip in dye. Make sure the dyes you use are food safe if you plan on eating the eggs afterwards. (PAAS egg dyes are available everywhere and are food safe; the stronger Ukrainian egg dyes, available at ARTBEAT Your Creativity Store are not food safe.)
• -To blow out an egg, first shake the egg to break the yolk. Then use a small nail to make a little hole in the top and a slightly larger hole in the bottom of the egg. Blow gently until the egg is empty. Or save yourself some trouble by using Blas-Fix, a cool tool from Germany that pumps the egg clean (available at ARTBEAT Your Creativity Store)
• -For more intricate eggs try the Ukrainian Pysanky technique using wax to create layered designs and dipping into brilliant dyes (older kids and adults).

I know there are other techniques like covering the eggs with onion skins tied on with colored wool and then boiling them, so if you’ve tried anything else please contribute.

Fun Fact: The artist who decorated this year’s Massachusetts egg for display at the White House works right here in Arlington! Stay tuned for more information.

Children learn by repetition. Ever notice how a child will sing the same song over and over, ask for the same story, want to watch and talk about the same movie? It’s the same with art projects.  When exposed to the same art media over and over,  children will

• learn new technical skills as they practice handling art materials in the
ways they’ve been shown to use and care for them
• gain valuable organizational  abilities as they learn to follow directions and
master processes
• express their creative independence as they make choices of color, shape, and    texture
• develop the ability to focus on a calming but dynamic activity
• gain confidence in their own ability to control the outcome of their projects
• experience a sense of accomplishment as they complete a project that becomes a valued gift or keepsake
• take pride in repeating their successes and adding new skills to the ones they have already learned
• discover a way to entertain themselves rather than be entertained

As adults, we sometimes become impatient with repetition and feel it’s time to move our children along to something new.  But think about all the activities  that you choose to repeat, like playing your favorite sport, enjoying a hobby, watching a favorite movie, rereading a book you loved the first time around, cooking a favorite recipe, going to the same place for vacation.

Today’s children have so much stimuli by way of electronic games,  TV, and computers that they can have difficulty sitting still and focusing on one thing at a time – and that can add to the stress they feel every day. Taking time with an art project is a way to relax – and repeat – a satisfying experience.

Start doing art projects together early – the same projects again and again – and you’ll be not only helping your child develop rewarding habits,  but you’ll create fun family memories at the same time.

This is a great gift for the home, or someone with a garden or sheltered porch. Can be sealed for outdoor use.

Step 1: Buy a terracotta flower pot (unglazed) whatever size you choose. I used a pot about twelve inches high.

Step 2: This step is optional, but very cool. In the project pictured I used a cement mold of a green man face and adhered it to the side of the pot. The other design this mold comes in is a Buddha face. You mix the cement and add the colorant included in kit to match the pot. Pour into mold and allow dry for 24-48 hours. Save a little cement in a sealed plastic container to use to adhere it to the pot (mosaic glue won’t work as well for this step).

Step 3: Find tiles. This can be as simple as going to your local craft store and purchasing bags of colorful Mosaic tesserae, or maybe you have a collection of sea glass, seashells, or pretty stones at home. You can also make your own tiles by breaking old ceramic dishes (cover the plates with a towel and smash with hammer; always wear protective eye gear).

Step 4: Plan your design. You are going to glue the stones and tiles directly to the pot before applying grout, so you need to give some thought to the design and layout and color scheme. If you molded a face, now’s the time to attach it with the cement so it’s where you want it.

Step 5: Glue tiles. When ready, use a mosaic glue (like Weldbond) to glue the tiles down one section at a time. Use enough glue to secure each tile and work your way around the pot. The glue sets in 5-10 minutes, so the pieces won’t fall off. Space the tiles about 1/8″ apart, Allow glue to dry for 24 hours.

Step 6: Grout. Wear protective gloves while you do this next step. Mix up sanded tile grout (many colors are available at your craft or hardware store) using a plastic pot you can throw away. Take a handful of grout and smush it onto whole pot, making sure that the grout gets into all the crevasses between the tiles. Discard the extra grout (never dump it down a sink). Let the grout set for 5- 10 minutes, then take a very lightly dampened sponge and wipe off excess grout. Allow to dry for 24 hours , then polish with a dry cloth or rag.

If your pot is going to stay outside, apply 2 -3 coats of a grout sealer.

Pick out a plant to go inside. It’s best to keep the plant in a inner plastic pot so that moisture seeps down and out the bottom rather than through the sides of the tiled pot.

lyra aquacolor crayons

When you need a gentle face paint, something safe enough for babies and certain not to itch, choose our Lyra Aquacolor Crayons. These easy-to-use, richly-pigmented crayons are water-soluble.  You can wet them and draw directly on the skin, or use them as paint sticks, taking color from them with a wet brush.  They rinse off easily with just water. These same Aquacolor Crayons are a favorite art material that can be used throughout the year, making them a great value.

For a stronger opaque paint, choose our tube or pan face paints. Apply them with a damp brush or sponge for a vibrant color that will wash off with soap and water.

Klutz Body Crayons

The most durable face paints are our Klutz Body crayons (also made by Lyra). They’re cosmetic grade and are applied directly to the skin without water. They are oil-based and need to be removed with cold cream or another cosmetic remover. All have been tested for skin safety.

Henna Kit

For adults and older kids, our safe henna kits, which include beautiful pattern stencils, will give you brown or black tattoos that last up to three weeks.

You can create great body art even when you don’t feel artistic! Our wide assortment of temporary tattoo

books offers lots of skin decorating fun. Our Klutz face and body painting books show you how to color everything from full-faces to kneecaps. But it’s OK to keep it simple: sometimes a single design -like a star on a cheek – is all that’s needed to bring a costume together.

Here is a simple way to create an inspired summer wardrobe for yourself. If you wear a lot of T-shirts, then this is the way to go – no special artistic ability required!

Supplies needed:

• T-shirts (you should splurge on a high quality shirt; the design will show up better)
• Fabric Markers (we used Alex brand Fabric Markers and Lyra fine tipped fabric markers)
• Design books, including coloring books (look for books with patterns, borders and traditional cultural images. Here we used a Dover Tibetan design book)
• large piece of flat cardboard or T-shirt stretcher board

Start by finding a nice design to use. Bolder designs (without fine details) are easiest to trace. Put the cardboard inside the T-shirt so the surface that you want to decorate is stretched flat a bit. Make sure you center your work area, if the image should be centered, so it doesn’t look weird when you wear it.

Place the book design you chose under the shirt, or use a photocopy of it (you can copy and blow up images at a copy center or at home with a scanner). Lightly trace your design with whatever outline color you prefer. Here we used a light brown.

*NOTE* Drawing on cotton fabric is hard! Use short lines and try to avoid catching the fabric with the tip of the marker. Work in whichever direction helps you avoid catches.

If you choose to color in your design there may be visible marker strokes, so an outline with a little shading usually looks best.

When you are done, let the shirt dry and then heat set according to the marker package directions (usually by ironing the shirt inside out for a few minutes).

If you enjoyed this, then you can try brush-on fabric paints, or the really cool Teejuice markers by Jacquard.

Do-A-Dot Markers

These washable markers are easy for little hands to hold and tap on paper for fun, colorful designs. Children love twisting off the caps and can learn more about colors as they find the right one to twist back on each marker when done (some children are so fascinated by this that’s all they want to do!).

Project:
Bring out white copy paper and have your toddler practice “dab, dab, dabbing” with different colors on different sheets. The goal is to end up with a few sheets completely covered with different colors. Later, when they’re dry, cut each sheet into different-sized circles and strips. Also save the odd shapes that are left.
Take a new sheet of paper and draw a bold outline of an animal, or a face, or any shape, like a heart or an egg. Together, choose pieces of the colored paper that ‘fit’ into the shape you’ve drawn (although any arrangement is fine). Keep arranging papers in different ways, and as an optional final step, glue them in place.

ARTBEAT’s Creative SandAdventures™ kits are cards that start as a simple design that can be embellished in increasingly creative ways as skills are learned. Children can easily learn the basic steps at three years old. As with most activities, creating a rhythm to the process helps the child both learn and feel successful:

1. Pour several color of sand into small cups that fit the child’s hand (Dixie cups will do)
2. Take a piece of plain copy paper and have the child help you fold it in half and make a nice crease by rubbing the fold. Then open the paper; this will be your sand-catcher.
3. Place a SandAdventures© design card on top of the paper. Find the edge of the design that is cut into the board and peel up the paper that covers the sticky surface. Have the child lightly touch the surface with one finger to feel the sticky.
4. Have the child choose a color of sand and pour it onto the sticky surface (its ok if they dump the entire package). Then have them rub the sand in circles with their fingers to be sure it sticks (listen to the sound it makes – a bit like brushing your teeth).
5. Help the child pick up the card and tap it (“tap, tap, tap”) onto the paper. Almost magically, all the sand falls off, except over the sticky design, which is now in color!
6. Bring the sand cup close to where you both are sitting. Have the child help you pick up the paper so that the extra sand falls into the fold, and guide it back into the cup, watching it fall back in.
7. Now begin to peel up the paper covering the background and repeat the steps above, helping them choose a color that is very different from the first one used. If you think the child has the patience to continue for longer, instead of peeling up the entire background at once, peel up a section at a time and fold or tear off the paper to make stripes of different colors.
Sand Art sucess 8. When all done with the project, have the child help clean up: throw away the scraps of paper, brush the fallen bits of sand into a heap to be saved as a mix, or tossed.
9. The finished sand painting can be put on display to admire, or it can be given as a greeting card to a grandparent, sitter, or other favorite person.

Learn more about our sand art kits

Colored Tissue Paper

Take some sheets of brightly colored tissue paper, and cut or tear them into smaller sizes that your child can handle. Set out some small containers, and have your child help tear the tissue into smaller pieces that will fit in the containers. Your child might also find it fun to sort them decoupaging kidsinto colors as you do this, naming the colors (or singing them) as you put them into the cups.
Bring out a couple of sponge brushes (small sponges will also do), dampen them a bit with water so they’re not too stiff, and some thin white glue (or Mod Podge, which we prefer because it is a glaze as well as glue).
Working with your child, pat some glue onto a box or piece of cardboard (or an empty plastic drink bottle, or almost any spare surface – a clear or white surface will be brightest and most colorful when done). Have your child pick a piece of tissue paper and pat it in place on top of the glue. Then dab glue on top of the tissue. Add more pieces of tissue, one at a time, next to and slightly overlapping the first. The result: shiny, pretty colors all over.

One of Whitted’s most popular craft ideas centers around self-portrait collages, which can be completed by children even as young as three or four. “Each family member creates a self-portrait using easy collage techniques,” says Whitted. “No drawing skills or mirrors are necessary, and you don’t even need to use scissors. Ingredients are inexpensive and often things you have at home.”

Each family member needs one 8-inch by 10-inch piece of a white mat board, clear-drying glue and sponges or brushes for the glue. Have an assortment of paper in a range of colors: tissue paper, wrapping paper, office paper – anything that is easy to tear into scraps. Also have pencils, both regular and colored, for any extra necessary details. (Self-adhesive mat boards are available with removable liners for those who’d prefer to forgo the gluing.)

“Before using glue, have everyone tear paper into the shapes for eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth, and place these features on the board says Whitted. “Have family members arrange them to look like their face, or what they imagine their face to look like. Using a pencil, have everyone lightly draw the shape of their face around the features placed.”
Next is the assembly stage. Have every artist carefully glue the features in place, using the brush or sponges. “Now have everyone tear or cut paper in varying skin tones and glue them down to fill in the face area,” says Whitted.

paper collage portraitWhitted encourages parents to ask their crew questions such as: Do you have rosy cheeks – or would you like to? Do you have laugh lines around your mouth? “Then use small pieces, no larger than a fingernail, for detail areas,” she says. “It’s OK to leave spaces between the pieces of paper; if pieces overlap, be sure that all the edges are glued down. Brush glue over only a small area at a time.”
Remember to add in the details, including dark eyelashes, freckles, beauty marks and so on. Add in a neck, ears and hair, and don’t forget such finishing touches as clothing, earrings, hats, eyeglasses, crowns and tiaras, Whitted says. “Once the glue is dry, fill in spaces with colored pencil or marker,” she says.

Finally, let your crew decide whether to hang up or even frame their handiwork. “And don’t forget to sign and date your keepsake artistic creation,” says Whitted. “You’ll be glad you did in years to come!”
These same techniques can be used to create pictures of other people, animals or anything in children’s expansive imaginations. Whitted says that dimensional objects are also fun to add, such as thread, yarn or real fabric.

Among the other arts and crafts projects that are big hits with Whitted’s clientele is the use of colored sand. “There may not be another material as soothing to humans as sand,” she says. “We like to lie on it, dig our toes into it, and children will play in it for hours. It’s also a wonderful all-natural art material. Layer it in glass containers for a fun landscape; add a tea-light for nighttime illumination, and paint with it, using glue, or make a ‘loose’ painting that can change each day and be poured away once you’re done.”

Another sure-fire hit? Colored tissue paper. “With 20 colors in one package, tissue paper is so versatile, no home should be without it,” Whitted says. “Wrap presents with it, use it to make bouquets of flowers, or create ’stained glass’ artwork by tearing it into pieces and applying with glue to almost any surface.”
Need yet more creative, crafty ideas? Help your children embrace their family heritage and make a family tree, or go through the dozens of leftover photographs sitting around and let each child make their own photo album. Whatever you do, cherish this time, and work to keep the imagination, creativity and fun flowing!

Featured in MomsToday.com (iparenting.com)