Summer Shell Crabs Craft for Kids

School’s out for summer! Now what?!? While we are super excited to be outside and not be on a strict schedule, we still need some indoor activities for when it rains, or for the older kids while the littles nap, or while mom works… It’s going to be a long (but fun!) summer. These adorable […]

A Comparison of Two Skin Tone Colored Pencil Sets By Jean Van’t Hul, The Artful Parent

We enjoyed exploring and testing the Faber-Castell World Colors pencils that we received to review and were interested to see how their skin tone colored pencils compared with other multicultural colored pencils out there. So we tested two sets side by side. Faber-Castell’s World Colors and Crayola’s Multicultural Colored Pencils And by we, I mean […]

Father’s Day Clay Change Tray

Father’s Day is coming! What do you get that dad, grandpa, and/or father figure in your life? These clay change trays are the perfect handmade gift for any guy’s desk, dresser, or nightstand.  

Mother’s Day Painted Coasters

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! What do you give that special lady in your life (besides wine)? Something handmade from the kids, of course! These Mother’s Day Painted Coasters are not only cute and guaranteed to make mom cry, they are actually useful, and best of all, a rainy day afternoon time-filler!  

Paint Splatter Easter Eggs – Mess Free Craft for Kids

It’s been a long, cold winter…. While we wait for spring to come, here’s an egg-cellent Easter activity for the kids. These Paint Splatter Easter Eggs are fun, festive, and best of all – mess-free! 🙌  

Valentine’s Day Tie Dyed Doilies

Love is in the air! And all over our craft room… Thanks to these adorable Valentine’s Day tie dyed doilies!  

Watercolor Decoration Christmas Craft for Kids

1 more week til Christmas! 🎅😱🎄 Hoping that sentence brings excitement and a sigh of relief that you feel prepared… but I’m sure it also brings a slight feeling of panic as there are always last minute things to do! Either way, take a few minutes with the kids to make this adorable watercolor craft […]

Halloween Painted Rock Faces Craft for Kids

Ghosts 👻, Goblins 👺, and Ghouls 👹! OH MY 😱! Halloween is a BIG deal in our house. We go all out with costumes, parties, treats, and decorations! These painted rock faces are the perfect front porch pumpkin companion or non-candy treat for your little tricksters.

Fingerprint Magnet Craft for Kids

Now that you’re smooth sailing through the back to school routine (Hah! We all wish!), and still recovering from the long Labor Day weekend, it’s time to think of the next craft holiday – Grandparent’s Day! Oh, you didn’t realize it was this weekend? Don’t you worry, these fingerprint magnets are the perfect personalized craft […]

Mermaid Necklace Summer Craft for Kids

Summer is in full swing! We hope you are enjoying the heat and spending time in the water, whether at home in the kiddie pool or with your toes in the sand at the ocean! Either way, these magical mermaid necklaces are a fun way to display your beach found or store bought seashells.  

Dad Rocks! Father’s Day Hand Lettered & Painted Rocks

Father’s Day is right around the corner, how do you show extra appreciation to those special men in your life? Tell them they “Rock” by giving them hand lettered and painted rocks! This fun Mommy & Me craft is the perfect gift for Dad, Papa, Uncle or whoever is that stable rock in your life.

Mother’s Day Painted Wood Wall Art

What do you give that special Mom or Grandma in your life? Chocolate, jewelry, and especially wine, are good ideas. But a homemade gift on top of that is always appreciated. These Mother’s Day painted wood wall art pieces are sure to remind Mom just how much you care. <3  

Earth Day Recycled Bird Feeder Craft for Kids

Spring is in the air and if you’re anything like me, you’re trying to get excited about spring cleaning (yay). While you’re pitching and purging, save a few empty milk cartons and don’t toss those take-out forks just yet! Grab a few twigs from the front yard and let’s celebrate Earth Day by crafting up […]

Valentine’s Day Eraser-Stamped Tote Bag Craft for Kids

Now that the holidays are behind us and packed away in the basement, it’s time to think about the next holiday – the holiday of love. Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays for not only my husband and I to celebrate our love, but also to show the kids a little extra love […]

How to Draw A Turkey

Let kids personalize their Thanksgiving with this “How to Draw a Turkey” art project.  Our turkey is based on the book,“The Very Stuffed Turkey” by Katharine Kenah. We encourage you to read it first and then start drawing! Imagine, create, experiment and discover. Art is where children learn to express ideas and feelings, solve problems, and develop […]

The Rock Painting Trend is Spreading Positivity!

Hide and Seek Rock Painting There’s a new trend hiding around every corner of the world, and it ROCKS-literally! People are taking the classic activity of rock painting a step further by hiding these inspiring works of art in public places for others to find.  See how this easy and fun activity is making landslides […]

Behind the Creativity with Franz, Artist Extraordinaire

An interview with Franz Spohn, artist extraordinaire: 1. You are the “Artist Extraordinaire” at Faber-Castell.  What is the best part about being the Artist Extraordinaire?   To begin, I consider it quite an honor. To have the opportunity to work with lots of kids, families, educators and of course, the many wonderful folks at Faber–Castell. This […]

Halloween Art Lesson – Draw a Haunted House

This Halloween art lesson is inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.  Halloween Art Lesson Objective: Students become acquainted with Hundertwasser’s art and architecture, then create a Hundertwasser-inspired haunted house in the spirit of Halloween. National Core Arts Standards Creating: #1, 2, 3 Presenting/Producing: #5 Responding: #7,9 Connecting: #11 http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/ Materials: Faber-Castell Oil Pastels or Faber-Castell Beeswax Crayons Pencil Brush […]

Owl Moon Texture Art Lesson Plan – Art & Literature Series

This texture art lesson plan teaches students to create texture art through the use of a variety of line work and painting effects on their own image of a Great Horned Owl.   “For one minute, three minutes, maybe even a hundred minutes, we stared at one another.”   OWL MOON by Jane Yolen, illustrated by […]

Upcycled Robot Project for Earth Day

Create your own robot using Faber-Castell Metallic Colored EcoPencils and Recycled Materials Robots are everywhere… if you have a creative mind, Faber-Castell Metallic Colored EcoPencils and a few other handy materials. Look around for the robot parts disguised as recyclable materials such as empty plastic containers, cardboard tubes and small boxes, plastic beads, caps from […]