This week we hosted a painting class by Nicole Dahlquist of Heartful Creations. The kids learned techniques using a couple of different brush types and mixing colors to paint adorable foxes onto wooden disc ornaments. The basic design was simple enough for our younger students to participate with the option for older students to take creative license and personalize it. It was interesting to watch how the students chose to embellish their paintings. Nicole teaches art to homeschool students regularly at her studio. Her facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/artofnic.
With Christmas approaching, I like to get the kids to make gifts for loved ones. I strive to find quality activities that will both teach a skill and result in a keepsake for friends and family members. Last year we made corn husk dolls. I got our instructions from https://rootedchildhood.com but you probably find them for free doing a google search. I bought the husks on amazon and soaked them. Following the steps, the kids folded and rolled them into dolls. We then cut and hot glued on pieces of felt for their dresses. They came out so cute and made great gifts. We even put one on our tree top. Other ideas include Paper Sloyd which can be found free online and printed out. I like to use pretty cardstock from the scrapbook section of the craft store and the kids fold them into things like pinwheels, picture frames, envelopes, and trays. The complete, free book of instructions can be found here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Paper_Sloyd/mR0CAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0. This year I had the idea to have the kids make peg dolls. If you’re religious, they can be painted to look like the nativity but we plan to give them a likeness of the kids themselves or whatever the kids want them to look like. They make great toys, display trinkets or can even be turned into ornaments with a little string and a hot glue gun.
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About Annette:
I’m a homeschool mom of two, ages 11 and 5. We’ve been homeschooling from the beginning for 6 years and our preferred method is unschooling with a Charlotte Mason twist. I love homeschooling for the freedom it gives us and because I enjoy learning alongside my kids. Our favorite ways to indulge our interests are by exploring the world around us, doing experiments and activities, talking to people who are passionate about their fields, and reading well written books. I believe so much in what we do, I’ve kept it through divorce and now working full time from home. It’s my hope to continue our journey until college or whatever next step my kids choose to take.
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