So apparently that whole rumor about kids getting sick often is more like a guarantee. These past two months it feels like it's been one cold or another and I am over the MOON that Eve is starting to feel more like herself!
All that time spent at home while she was sick had me scratching my head to come up with other ways to collaborate that were more crafty. Being housebound for so long you can only paint so much without going a little crazy and I needed to find activities Eve could safely participate in.
There were so many great projects to choose from so I picked out a few that I knew Eve could work with me on. It also doesn't hurt that Christmas is coming up and I know a couple of special people who love homemade gifts!
So here is the first project!!
TIP: If you are letting a young child help you with this project you might want to have an activity for them to work on while you set up and cut out the paper shapes. If they are old enough to use scissors let them join in on creating different shapes. In our case I gave Eve a bowl of buttons, the jewelry tweezers and the container we were going to put the liquid watercolor in, to play with. She had fun using the tweezers to sort out the buttons and it was a great opportunity to encourage her fine motor skills.
We used Saunders Waterford Sheets that are made of 100% cotton and had a great texture which was perfect for these DIY earrings.
Pour the liquid watercolors into your plastic containers so they are ready for dipping. I recommend laying a rag or paper towel directly underneath the containers so you not only protect your table surface, but it will be easier to dab the excess paint on to the towel later.
STEP 4:
This is the BEST part! Use your tweezers to carefully dip all of your shapes into the liquid watercolors and dab them on your paper towel or rag to absorb any extra paint. Get as CREATIVE as possible and try mixing up different colors and patterns or even create a variety of shades using just one color. This was definitely Eve's favorite part of the whole process and we probably spent at least an hour trying out different ideas.
Make sure to check out the Blick Art Materials Project Ideas Page for more amazing DIY adventures.
All that time spent at home while she was sick had me scratching my head to come up with other ways to collaborate that were more crafty. Being housebound for so long you can only paint so much without going a little crazy and I needed to find activities Eve could safely participate in.
That is when someone brought my attention to an awesome list of DIY projects found at the
There were so many great projects to choose from so I picked out a few that I knew Eve could work with me on. It also doesn't hurt that Christmas is coming up and I know a couple of special people who love homemade gifts!
So here is the first project!!
Watercolor Paper Earrings
I kid you not, these make the PERFECT gift on so many levels. Not only will the recipient be blown away by the originality of these earrings but even more so when they find out they weren't bought but HANDMADE. And by you no less! If you are a parent or grandparent try to get some of the kids to help you out. My daughter had a fabulous time dipping the paper in and watching the watercolor blend with the others to create new colors. Not only is it a collaborative and bonding experience but it teaches them color theory and fine motor skills.
The possibilities are endless when you let your creativity run wild with this DIY project. I have added a few photos of the earrings I created but just imagine how many different avenues you could take.
The possibilities are endless when you let your creativity run wild with this DIY project. I have added a few photos of the earrings I created but just imagine how many different avenues you could take.
Materials Used for this Project:
- Armada Paper Shapers
- Martha Stewart Screw Punch
- Watercolor Paper (I used Saunders Waterford Sheets and I found that it was the perfect texture and thickness)
- Blick Liquid Watercolors (Perfect for dipping the paper into)
- Jewelry Tweezers
- Jewelry Pliers
- Earring Parts
- Small container to hold the liquid watercolors. (I used an old plastic container leftover from a fruit platter I had purchased)
- Paper Towel or a Rag
- Mod podge or Varnish (optional)
TIP: If you are letting a young child help you with this project you might want to have an activity for them to work on while you set up and cut out the paper shapes. If they are old enough to use scissors let them join in on creating different shapes. In our case I gave Eve a bowl of buttons, the jewelry tweezers and the container we were going to put the liquid watercolor in, to play with. She had fun using the tweezers to sort out the buttons and it was a great opportunity to encourage her fine motor skills.
STEP ONE:
Cut out a variety of shapes and sizes that you want your earrings to be. If you use specialty scissors like the ones we did you can create all sorts of fun patterns and edges to the earrings. The scissors added a ton of personality and also saved on time spent cutting shapes.
We used Saunders Waterford Sheets that are made of 100% cotton and had a great texture which was perfect for these DIY earrings.
STEP TWO:
Use your screw punch to create holes at the very top of your paper shapes where you want the earring piece to go, making sure that the hole isn't to close to the edge of the paper or it may become to flimsy and easily rip. Always remember to use a hard surface like a cutting board when using a screw punch since it will leave marks and damage whatever surface you use. (Yes, we had to learn the hard way this time around... sorry desk)
STEP 3:
Pour the liquid watercolors into your plastic containers so they are ready for dipping. I recommend laying a rag or paper towel directly underneath the containers so you not only protect your table surface, but it will be easier to dab the excess paint on to the towel later.
STEP 4:
This is the BEST part! Use your tweezers to carefully dip all of your shapes into the liquid watercolors and dab them on your paper towel or rag to absorb any extra paint. Get as CREATIVE as possible and try mixing up different colors and patterns or even create a variety of shades using just one color. This was definitely Eve's favorite part of the whole process and we probably spent at least an hour trying out different ideas.
Make sure to lay them out to dry either on the paper towel or any other surface you don't mind getting stained. If you are doing this project with a child then this is a great opportunity to talk about color theory!
STEP 5 (optional)
This is an extra step I added that wasn't in the original DIY project where I decided to add a sealant to the earrings for increased longevity. I wanted to save on time so I used a varnish spray that I've used on my watercolor paintings but honestly I would probably recommend taking the time and using Mod Podge. The spray added a varnish smell that took time to disappear and the Mod Podge seemed to add more durability to the earrings.
STEP 6:
Use the jewelry pliers to open the eye of the fish hook on the earring and thread your paper shapes onto the wire. Then use the pliers to pinch it closed. Make sure not to pinch it too tight otherwise the paper shape won't have any movement or room to dangle.
AND THERE YOU GO!
You can start to wear them immediately or package them up safely to be gifted to your loved ones. Another idea for those creative folks who love making jewelry would be to try selling your unique creations at craft shows or through Etsy.
I would absolutely love to see some of the earrings you create and invite you to post them on my Facebook Page so not only I can be inspired but others as well!
Here are some earrings I created when Eve went down for a nap. If dipping isn't your thing you can always try hand painting them, in my case I created feather earrings. I also tried cutting out shapes in the middle of the earrings to try something new. There are so many things you can do with this project for example, if you are into origami just imagine tiny, watercolor, origami animal earrings! Talk about original!
Make sure to check out the Blick Art Materials Project Ideas Page for more amazing DIY adventures.
Eve and I are working on a few of them right now and I'll be posting our experiences together in the next few days so stay tuned!
Thank you for checking out The Mischievous Mommy Blog!
If you have any questions about this project please don't hesitate to ask, I would love to hear from you!
