Color me happy – A green recycling art project

 Featured in Times Republican

Recycle your unwanted crayons and share the responsibility of a clean and green earth.
In this easy and fun to do project we will create fun shaped crayons by just melting and remolding unwanted crayon stubs that would accumulate and just be thrown out and sit in landfill forever. It’s perfect for any occasion and a wonderful group project.

 

What you will need is
 

• The crayon stubs

• Muffin or cookie pan ( you can also select fun shapes like hearts, gingerbread, flowers etc.)
• Muffin Liners

• Oven

1. Peel of the paper from crayons.
2. Chop crayons into 1/4 inch pieces

3. Place muffin liners in muffin pan and fill the liners in the pan with colorful crayon pieces spacing out different colors.

4. Preheat the oven at 250 degrees.

5. Bake crayons for 12-15 minutes. (Leaving crayons in oven for too long may result in one solid color)

6. Let it cool for an hour.

7. Once they are cool remove them from pan and separate the liners.

Enjoy all new colorful crayons! 

 

.

Thought tree: A green art project!

Featured in Times-Republican!

While scribbling the ideas for this month’s art project, I started wondering, what is my expectation as an eco-friendly mother from mother’s day?

I counted some ways we all have celebrated this special day always… cakes, flowers, cookies, gifts, clothes, chocolates, greetings, jewelry, dine out, etc.

Well, none of them satisfied my mind. It’s a day to celebrate mothers influence on society and our thoughts and ideas to celebrate are so confined to the not so green and commercial eye.

Aisles everywhere are loaded with tempting ways to satisfy wants and wish for more. It is so disappointing to see the amount of sugar consumed and waste produced by each celebration and I wonder how much of it will be responsibly disposed.

We all celebrate so many occasions throughout the year. Celebrations are so much fun and will always be because they are from us and people around us. They are about getting together, enjoying and cheering and sharing laughter’s. A few hours of glee should add smiles and memories to our lives and not a heaping pile to the landfills.

Every time we have a celebration at home I take it as an opportunity and try to teach my girls about the 5R’s of green living. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Responsibility and Reconsider. It’s very challenging at times to convince them to be more creative, less materialistic, think outside the box and care for environment. But, I do believe that educating our kids about the green living is a step forward in raising the child who appreciates and is thankful.

This month’s art project is a thought tree, a simple project which emphasizes on questions we need to ask ourselves every time we are thinking of buying something. They can make such a positive impact on environment and on our budget.

What you will need
• Paper stock
• Construction paper
• Glue

• Pencil

• Eraser
• Markers

Hand tear construction paper and stick it on paper stock in shape of tree using glue. Using markers write the questions.

Well, about the mother’s day celebration we will be celebrating it as a share mom’s chores day. That way, we will have more time sharing the stories from their birth to first steps to first words and everything else.

Wish you all a very happy mother’s day and responsible earth’s day.

Back to school art project - 5 simple steps in right direction as a family!

Featured in Times-Republican

Summer vacation is almost over. Stores are so filled with back to school supplies, clothes and new decors. Not to mention … It's school time again!

A new school year is also the beginning of a period defined by mixed emotions for everyone; exciting yet crazy days full with conflicting schedules, getting homework done while keeping up with demanding extracurricular activities, and the famous pick and drop kid’s scenario. I tell you, if we mothers get paid for driving around our kids…we will be so rich!

So, it’s time to bid a not so desirable farewell to those lazy laid back mornings, that comforting cup of tea with a lavish book reading and say hello to chaotic beginning to the day, followed by super chaotic evenings.

On a positive note, life offers us a fresh start every moment and back to school with new everything around is a wonderful opportunity to talk to our kids about aspirations and small things that can make big changes in our lives. Tell them about our dreams that came true and dreams that we are still working on…times when we felt proud and times when we almost gave up on things. Stories of our success and failures can empower them and make them relate with events in their lives and apply.

I am so scared of swimming. My daughters are so fishes. They dream of swimming like Michael Phelps and make us proud. They tell me all the time, mom, its ok come and try. It’s nothing. It’s so comforting. We will teach you. I tell them it’s so easy for you and so hard for me…because it’s all in the mind.

The other day she had to do her vault and bars routine in her new gym for first time. She was so nervous. She came to me and she said it looks hard mom…and I said like swimming for me. It’s all in the mind mom, right? I am going to do this, will you learn swimming. I said yes! And she went and gave it her best. Now, bars, beams or vaults…bring it on! She rocks them all…

As for me I am going to enroll for swimming lessons.

This month’s art project is make a list of 5 things you and kids want to accomplish together in coming year, 5 simple steps in right direction as a family.

What you will need

• Chart or cardboard
• Construction paper
• Stencils (optional)

• Pencil

• Scissors

• Paints

• Sponges

• Markers

• Glue

Using pencil draw 5 shapes on construction paper. Cut them using scissors. Stick them on chart using glue. To cover the remaining area, dip the tip of sponge in paint and pat gently on the paper. You can use same sponge for all the colors. Just go from lighter to darker for beautiful overlapping effect.

Make a pizzazz artwork for the family room using inspirational words, craft supplies, stickers, sequence etc. Express your style stating your family goals.

It’s never too late for anyone to be what they could have been! Push each other, be each others strength and keep up with the good work!

Thanks for visiting and have a colorful day:)

You crack me up - A super fun and colorful Easter craft!

Featured in Times-Republican

Spring is definitely in the air! The warmer longer days, rain, sprouting seeds, colorful blossoms, green grass and chirping birds fill our lives with so much happy feeling. As we transition from winter to summer, spring reminds us of rebirth, renewal of spirit and a fresh colorful start.

This month’s art project is colorful, cheerful and fun to do Easter craft.

What you will need 

• Card stock
• Construction paper
• Pencil and eraser
• Scissors
• Paints
• Q-tip
• Wiggly eyes
• Egg stencil
• Glue
• Markers 

1. Using stencil draw 3 adjacent eggs on the card stock. Cut them using scissors and make sure that they stay attached to each other.
2. For chicken's face, stick wiggly eyes using glue on the middle egg. Cut and stick construction paper for beak.
3. Using scissors cut zig-zag on both outside eggs for cracking impression as shown in picture. 
4. Using marker draw symmetrical zig-zag design on front and back of outer eggs. Dip Q-tip in paints and fill the empty space with polka dots by gently pressing it on paper.
5. When dry, fold and write a message:))

Wish you all a very happy and colorful spring!

Colorful butterfly - Fun art project using clothespin!!

For this simple and creative butterfly all you need is

• Clothespin
• Paper napkin
• Scissors
• Markers

Using scissors cut paper napkin in a circle or oval shape. Squeeze paper napkin in the middle and clip it with the clothes pin. Color the wings using bright markers.

Fun ideas around project

Hang butterflies at a uniform distance on a jute twine.
They make fun party decoration's and invites and gift wraps ( stick them using transparent tape on plain paper or black and white newspaper)
You also clip butterflies in corners of picture frame.

Thanks so much for following and lovely lovely messages!! I am so happy:)) Have a colorful day!!

What is even better than recycling!

Recycling is good..
Reuse is better..
and Reduce is awesome!