Tie Dye with Acryllics

I've been collecting a lot of pins on Pinterest and haven't had a chance to try all of those cool crafts. My extended family met at Kentucky Lake over the 4th of July, and never missing a chance to try a craft, my very own Craft Diva and I tried out this tie dye method from Ricochet and Away!  I found it to be easier than most dyeing methods I have seen and it's something kids can easily do.  However, I would not expect to wear the finished product for at least 24 hours due to drying (and possible need for re-dyeing.) I found everything I needed for this craft at Walmart:

White cotton shirts

Acryllic Paint (I used Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint in Ocean, Peacock and Pool)

Plastic spray bottles (one for each color)

Package of rubber bands (office supply section)

Plastic gloves (acryllic will come off your hands, but the scrubbing is a pain)

I started with damp shirts and instead of rolling them the way described in the tutorial, I wadded them up into a ball.

This, my friends, is the wrong way.  I had to repeat the painting process more than once because I didn't roll the shirt, but wadded it up into a ball.

Next, combine the paint with some water in the spray bottle.  I used about 70/30 water to paint ratio, but you have to try for yourself.  Too much paint will result in a stiff mess.  Now spray.  We alternated these complimentary colors for the best effect.

After spaying them thoroughly, I put each shirt into a plastic shopping bag and squished them to get the paint distributed.  It didn't work as well as I wanted, because as I said, I wadded up the shirts the wrong way to start.  After removing the rubber bands and seeing big blank white spaces, I realized my mistake and had to roll the shirt up again for another round of spraying.

Once you get the desired amount of paint on the shirts, you need to let them dry completely before wearing (or you will wear the paint).  I also wanted to make sure my shirts didn't accidentally run in the laundry, so before I washed them, I soaked them in cold water and vinegar for an hour.  (It's probably not necessary, but it's the best way to set dye of any kind.)

I made shirts for all of the cousins, but here's the one that turned out best from my grand-nephew.

Awesomesauce!

cindy

STG Top 5 Kid Crafts

Creativity in kids should always have an outlet and my daughter is the original Craft Diva. Unfortunately, as she gets older, she's less interested in crafting although she is still really creative. Today I'm reliving the best Craft Diva crafts for kids.  These are easy to do and your kids will be proud of the results. Click on the title to see the original post with detailed instructions.

1.  Origami Ninja Stars - This has to be one of the most popular posts I ever wrote.  This is a craft Kenzie found on her own and her instructions are very simple because we managed to take some good pictures.  Use multicolored copier weight paper for the best results.

2.  Corn Syrup Painting - This is definitely one of my favorites.  You need to use a heavy sketch book paper for this one because the "paint" is heavy and thick.  You will love the shiny smooth effect you get using the paint, but don't forget - it needs lots of time to dry!

3.  Yarn Mache Bowls - These are messy, but even the youngest kids can do this craft (once you make the paste).  This is a great way to get rid of yarn stashes and your child will like having a functional bowl for small items.

4.  Tie Dye with Acrylic Paint - This is an easy tie-dye you can do with acrylic paints.  Great instructions that are easy to do, even with small kids.  It especially works well as an outdoor craft to avoid messy clean up.

5.  Melted Crayon Drawing - We saw this craft many times before we did it, so it wasn't too hard to do.  We were going with a slightly sophisticated product with a black canvas and black paper wrapped crayons from Michaels.  It's a little tricky to do it in a circular pattern like we did, so you might want to stick to the horizontal version.  Also, be careful with those hot glue guns, hair dryers and melted wax crayons with little ones.

So that's it!  While I've been writing this, my now-12-year-old Craft Diva noticed the post and commented that she wants to do more crafting.  We'll see, but if she does, you will see it right here.

Keep those kids crafty!

cindy

Kenzie Does Crafts - Watercolor Stained Glass

During our recent trip, Mackenzie did manage to do a couple of crafts.  This one is sooooo easy and great for little kids too.  You need:  blue painter's tape, heavy (watercolor) paper, watercolor paints (you could even use finger paints).  That's it.

Do this with the painter's tape:

Do this with the watercolors:

Do this with the painter's tape:

You get this:

If you would rather have the "black" window look, use a black crayon and a straight ruler to outline each watercolor design, then color or paint in the black.

I said it was easy, right?

cindy

Kenzie Does Crafts - Corn Syrup Painting

Even on our recent road trip, Kenzie does crafts!  I loved doing this one too.  It's really cool and as long as you keep it neat, you will love the result.  We even did it in the RV!  Here's what you need:

Paper (either heavy stock or glossy paper works great too)
Crayons
Karo Corn Syrup
Food Colors
Paint brushes

Draw your picture with crayons.  It's best to draw things without too much detail.

For each color paint, pour a small amount of corn syrup into a plastic cup - a couple of tablespoons should be fine.

Add a few drops of food coloring.  This is something you need to play with for the right color, however you need only a few drops, otherwise you will get black.

Using your brush, paint within the crayon lines.  This will keep the "paint" contained, because it can be a bit thick.

Once your painting is done, you need to let it dry completely.  It takes a long time - sometimes a few days.  When it is dry, it should feel smooth to the touch, not tacky at all.  In the meantime, don't let anything touch your painting because it will stick like glue to it.
Here's our finished products:

You won't find any other substance that will give you such vivid shiny colors.  We had a great time and can't wait to try it again.

cindy