Hello, friends! If you've been hanging with me on this here blog for a while, then you know that I've transformed many Christmas tree skirts to lady skirts over the years. In fact, I've been doing it for so long that it was before I even created videos! So many of my tutorials were old school: photos and WORDS, y'all. Today I thought I'd take you on a little stroll down Christmas tree skirt to lady skirt lane in case you are so inclined to create your own. And you should! It's super fun! You can check out the skirt I made last year...here!
I have a coupla hot tips when it comes to this super easy craft. First...
* Get your tree skirt after the holidays. Pop into your local home dec, big box or craft store and scoop them up when they are half off or even cheaper.
* Vintage tree skirts can be found on Etsy or eBay. I've purchased a couple of my favorite ones from eBay.
* Be on the lookout all year long! When I hit the thrift stores or estate sales, I always scoop up vintage tree skirts and stash them for later.
* Get skirts that are large! If you order some online like from Amazon, be sure to check the measurements. Some tree skirts are meant for smaller trees...and could lead to a mini-skirt for ya!
* Get your self a crinoline. I get mine from Amazon. This will really give the skirt it's fullness so it can be admired in all of it's tree skirt glory.
Here's a video tutorial I created just for you:
If you'd like to visit my other blog posts with more step by step details, here's some of my skirts and the blog posts I've shared over the years.
I can't believe this skirt is over 10 years old now! This was a hand-stitched tree skirt that I found on eBay. More details here.
The following year, I made this skirt! I will say...this one is super warm and cozy BUT it was impossible to sew threw on my machine. So the skirt is just hanging on in the back with Velcro. This, I don't recommend. Cuz when your behind feels a draft...it's too late. All the gory deets here.
You'll notice how my tree skirts keep changing on my little vintage silver tree...that's because each year I pretty much rob my tree of it's skirt! Now this green tree skirt was a little shorter than others I have used. You can check out more about it here.
Okay now this one...is actually a vintage round tablecloth! I did add the tinsel to the bottom and made it into a skirt much the same as the other skirts. More info here!
And that's it! I'm not sure if I'll make a tree skirt to lady skirt this year...even though I do have a back stash of skirts. You'll have to stay tuned on that one ;) Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Well, hello there! As you can see, I am CLEARLY snow globe obsessed at the moment. I shared my first Snow Globe lesson here and then shared a floating chalk print version here. Today I thought I'd share a version of adding color the background with little marker and water. As a teacher...or a parent who loves to create with their artsy kiddos, these ideas will give you three fun options for completing your snow globes!
Let's talk supplies:
* Pizza pan, a sheet of aluminum foil or any non-porous, flat surface
* Paper. I'm using a mixed media paper or one that's a little thicker than copy paper.
What I did find is that the lighter color markers work best...as the darker color markers are a little too dark and may hide the drawing underneath. But the real fun is in drawing a lotta these globes so you can explore a lotta printing. Also...I have found that using one of those misting spray bottles is the best as opposed to a regular spray bottle. AND the pizza pan is from Dollar Tree!
I've got a lotta winter videos coming to my YouTube channel soon. So if you need some inspo, the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe. You can do that here. Chat soon!
A couple of days ago, I shared a wreath drawing/marker painting lesson here. As I continued tinkering with this lesson idea, I thought it would be fun to try marker prints on a pizza pan. If that sentence leaves ya scratching your head, here's my video here:
For this, you'll need:
* A pizza pan, a sheet of foil or any non-porous surface for printing
* Crayons
* Water-based markers (not permanent)
* Spray bottle of water
* Mixed media paper (paper thicker than copy paper works great...but you could totally use copy paper in a pinch)
To add a little dimension to the wreath, I thought I'd add a little pop-up bow demo. I hope you have fun!
I know what it's like this time of year...constant interruptions for programs, field trips, classroom parties and the like. It's nearly impossible to keep the kids engaged let alone...keep them on track or start new projects. I found that THIS drawing activity was perfect for my early finishers and for some Winter Centers that keep all kids happy and creating. I created a how-to video just for you and your students AND these two FREE downloads!
Let's start with the downloads! I used these in a sheet protector so that my students could draw on them again and again. I found that the best deal on these protectors was Amazon. You can get a ton of them cheap! However, the plastic IS thinner that the more professional grade sheet protectors made for the classroom. Just be aware of that.
Now, if you want to take the activity a step further, check out the end of the video to see how we make a work of art out of our drawing! It's super fun.
In other news...I think I know what some folks are getting for Christmas as I've been shipping out a lot of my books lately! If you are interested in receiving one of my books before the holidays, please consider ordering soon so that they MIGHT arrive in time.
Art Teacherin' 101 is packed with everything-I-wish-I-woulda-known about teaching art. It has all of my tips and tricks for classroom management as well as discovering just who you are as an art teacher so you can be your very best. If you would like to kick off the new year with some new methods to try, this book is for you!
My new book Find Your Way was written to read to my students as they work. I do this with my second through fourth graders (and on up would work but I only teach thru 4th) and it keeps them focused and working quietly. This book is a choose-your-own-adventure style book where you go on art adventures with 7 different artists! From Vincent van Gogh to Frida Kahlo, Money, da Vinci and more, the reader can decide what adventure to take with up to 32 different endings and over 80 illustrations! Find it here.
As a teacher, I could never seem to find a book on shapes that wasn't too baby-ish. All the books seemed to be simply getting children to recognize and name shapes which...most can already do by the time they enter the art room. However, many don't know the difference between a shape and a form, geometric and organic and how shapes can be used to draw. So...I wrote Alfred the Ape Knows His Shapes and I think you'll love it!
YOU GUYS. I can't tell you how excited I am about this one! After I created my first Snow Globe lesson , I started getting all sorts of ideas on how to add color to the background. I thought...what about chalk prints?!
I first shared the process of Floating Chalk Prints back in 2014 (that's wild!) and you can check out that post here. But really...not much has changed! You'll need:
* A basin of water. And, seriously, nothing but water.
* Freart chalk, found here. Sidewalk chalk won't work...and artist chalk is so expensive and little...this stuff is seriously the best.
Okay, now...let's get started. I promise...you and your students are gonna love this!
RIGHT?! Out of all the methods I tried for adding color to the background (and I have another fun one that I'll be sharing here and on YouTube soon...I always post to YouTube first so, please be sure and subscribe to be alerted!)
Whenever I share the process of floating chalk prints, I always get the question "do you have to spray or set the chalk once dry?" NOPE! Which is what makes it even more amazing!
I hope y'all have fun! I can't open my comment section here on my blog, unfortunately, because I get spammed for days BUT...I am active on Instagram and Facebook! BTW...I recently had a fake Facbeook account created in my name and likeness. It's not me! The one I have linked here is my account. So...if you do this lesson in any way, I'd love to see! Please be sure and tag me.
And...friendly reminder...that if you are interested in receiving any of my books for the holidays, you may want to order super soon! I sign all of my books before packing them up and sending them your way. You can find them here!
Since Prang came out with their new round paper, I've had so many ideas about what can be created in a round format. Last week I shared this wreath project...and today I thought I'd share a Snow Globe lesson with ya! I even created some free downloads for you to use. All I ask is that you only use them in your creative world and don't copy then and sell them on Teachers Pay Teachers (yes, it happens. A lot.)
Now, this isn't my first Snow Globe lesson...I did a Snow Globe City project with my fourth graders that's a little different. If you'd like to check that out, go here.
Also...stay tuned! I got SO MANY ideas on how to add color the background of these Snow Globes that I have two more videos and lessons coming your way. So...the best thing to do is to subscribe to my YouTube channel. You can do so here. I have three more videos for kids that will be landing there this week!
And...I'm not just sayin' this cuz I work with Prang BUT...their markers, which I never used before working with them, are simply the best! They are heavily pigmented and work really will with this type of painting-without-painting type of project.
AND...just a reminder, if you'd like any of my books as Christmas presents for teachers, friends or the young artists in your life, might I recommend you purchase them sooner rather than later. This way they will (fingers crossed) arrive in time for the holidays. Chat soon!
Hey, y'all! The cicadas are coming! Or...in the case of here in Nashville, Tennessee, they are already here. It's been many years since our last cicada summer and while at first I was totally grossed out by these big carcass-leavin' bad boys (and girls), I know rather ... well, I was gonna say "like" but that's a stretch ... appreciate is probably a better word. I appreciate their...gee, what do I appreciate? Their cool look. It's like seeing a bug under a microscope, they are so stinkin' big!
I've shared several symmetrical printing lessons in the past and they are always a huge hit with all of my students. We've done butterflies (you can find the lesson video in the link)...
If you've been hangin' around this blog for a while (I thank you!) then you might know that I love to make my own clothing. It started with a desire to craft clothing to teach a lesson in (a la Miss Frizzle) and then morphed into wanting to make everything in my wardrobe. One thing I never seemed to be able to accomplish: Designing my own fabric.
Well...when my book Larry the Line came out, I was able to do just that! But it was easy as the pattern from the book was a stripe pattern. So it naturally repeated making for the perfect pattern.
However, there were no stripes in my new book Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes. So I thought it would be a good time to learn how to design my own fabric. I was so excited with how it turned out! When I shared it on my Instagram, I promised I'd give a tutorial...and, so, here we are!
I hope this helps!
Now I always get dress-making questions too...which I share a little about in the video. However, I'm no dress-making expert. I just know what I like and what works for me.
For the bodice of my dress, I use a vintage Simplicity pattern #4343. If you search around on eBay or Etsy, you may find it. For the bottom, I use a circle skirt pattern and always add pockets.
Creating a pattern was very hard for me to comprehend initially. So I thought I'd kick the video off with a little Post-It tutorial. I hope that helps!
And, of course, if you'd like a copy of my book, Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes, I'd love to sign one and send it your way! You can find my books here. And THANK YOU for supporting my small business! I'm an independent seller so...I'm the author, illustrator, social media person, shipper, handler, you name it!
When I was in art teacherin' school, I could have really benefited from a class about how to read books to kids. I thought that if the story was good, the kids would just listen and enjoy. Oh no...there's so much more to reading a book to children and keeping them engaged! So that I would never forget, I created an acronym: SIMPLE. And in this video, I walk you through it!
Reading and engaging students with books is a fine art but...I've cracked the code! If you follow these easy steps, you'll have em hooked and saying what every teacher wants to hear: READ IT AGAIN!
Yes, seriously, I wrote a children's book and yes, seriously...I forgot to mention it here.
It's official: I'm the worst blogger.
I think I was just so excited that I posted to my other social media accounts right away...and then I was so excited to pack up and send Larry the Line out that I just, well, forgot. But, better late than never, as they say and so...here we are.
I wrote a children's book called Larry the Line!
Now for those of you who are the OG's of this here blog, you may already know all about Larry the Line. He's a friend of mine. He can make three straight lines for me!
I came up with the poem during my first year teaching when I was trying to think of a fun and engaging way to teach students about line. It's a short poem and it's aways been a wild hit with my students. I've chatted about it here and here. And made plenty of videos about it too.
After writing and self-publishing Larry the Line, which you can find here, I decided to also create digital downloads to go with it. I had so many requests for them, especially that clay sheet (see below) I thought I'd make it happen. You can pick the downloads up here.
So...sorry I was keepin' secrets from you but now you know!
I have always wanted to be a plant person. But, sadly, after many plants whithered away under my care, I assumed I was not a plant person. Then a sweet friend gifted me a Spider Plant. It grew and thrived and made me so stinkin' happy!
That is, until it started having babies.
Next thing you know, I've got pots and pots of spider plants! And while I love them, I just can't maintain this many plants. Some new babies were not going to be able to stay. But I just couldn't throw them away.
So I got an idea...
I pulled all of the yogurt containers and other plastic containers from our recycling and decided to repurpose them into temporary planters! It was fun creating these and I used up some of my extra bits and bobs I had laying around.
I created little signs that I glued to popsicle sticks and stuck in the dirt.
I wrote out brief instructions incase someone is a plant newbie. I also named each plant because...why not?! And who wouldn't want a plant named Rosie?! I named each after a grandparent of mine.
I thought about where to leave these plants. I go to the post office frequently to drop off book orders. I often see people there who are not in the best mood. The employees are great (I love my friends at the post office) but everyone else always looks like they would rather be doing something else. I also meet a lot of older friends...who seem a little lonely. We often chat. I think they would like a plant.
So I left some in the post office to be found and loved.
And I left some outside a popular shopping plaza for maybe moms and their children to find. Perhaps a project they could enjoy together!
I did spend the rest of the day WORRIED SICK about these plants! So I may add my social media next time so they can be posted and shared...and so that I know they are loving their new home.
This made me happy to do and I look forward to doing it again. I just wanted to share in case you have too many plant friends too!
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