With schools cutting their arts budgets right and left
across the country, families are searching for ways to help their kids channel
their creative talents and practice their arts skills by doing crafts and
projects at home. Using your printer and basic craft supplies, your children
can create some imaginative artworks that are sure to inspire in them a love
for the creative process.
Cherry Blossoms
Japan is famous for its cherry blossoms. You can
infuse a bit of geography into this lovely project. You'll need to print a
black and white photo of a Japanese setting you find attractive. If you're
running low on printer cartridges, you can order them at https://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/ for an affordable price. Then, take a
neat little twig and glue it on your photo. After, glue small scrunched-up wads
of bright pink tissue paper to form cherry blossoms. This pretty mixed media work can
even be framed for the wall.
Merry-Go-Round Centrepiece
For this project, you'll need a circular block of
Styrofoam or florist's foam to create the base of your merry-go-round along
with a handful of popsicle sticks. On your computer, locate colouring pages of
carousel animals. Print them and have your child colour and cut them out. Glue
each one to a popsicle stick and then push each stick to the foam. You can
embellish your merry-go-round with a central pole (a cardboard tube works well)
and any other supplies you have on hand like ribbon or glitter.
Button Tree
Find a colouring page of a beautiful tree in and print
it out. Have your kids colour the base of the tree and any other areas of the
picture. Then, glue some inexpensive plastic buttons in multiple colours and
glue them throughout the tree foliage. Your kids will have fun gluing and
choosing buttons for their special tree.
Custom Stationary
Ask your kids to make your holiday cards this year.
They can print out vintage Christmas scenes for instance on cardstock. Have
them print in black and white and then they can colour elements of each scene
with coloured pencils for a cool retro look. They can even personalize the
insides of the card with a message or special holiday greetings.
Decoupage Blocks
If you have old wooden blocks that no one builds with
anymore, you can turn them into decorations for your home. Have the kids print
out cute seasonal scenes sized to the sides of your block. Then, they should
cut out each scene and paste it to each side of the blocks. Using Modge Podge
or another clear sealer, coat each image two to three times. Make sure that
each side is dry before turning the block and don't apply a second coat until
the first is completely dry. You can even do this by using photos instead of
seasonal scenes.
Be sure to tap your printer to add to your creative
fun. You'll find lots of other fun printer projects when you search online.
Your kids are sure to enjoy craft time and these projects will certainly
enhance your quality time together.
John Sollars started Stinkyink.com in 2002, a
printer cartridge supplier in the UK. He knows a thing or two about printing
and he enjoys sharing his ideas and insights online through blogging.
