- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Time to Get Crafty
Family Crafts From Flowers to Portraits By Katherine Bontrager
offers an assortment of other craft ideas for your dried greenery, including sun catchers, stickers and more.
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.
Whitted 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 s
