Crafts: DIY: Distressed Painted Terra Cotta Pots

I'm so glad spring is around the corner, I'm ready to start planting. These clay pots were some that I found at a garage sale this winter.  I have been waiting to be inspired by some warm weather to do anything with them. Well it's here and time to have some fun with my pots. I wanted to jazz them up a bit and make them some fun colors, but I don't like the look of just plain painted pots. I love the way the old, chipped and weathered painted terra cotta pots look. So I thought of a way to help give them an aged look. It's an easy way to get that look without all the time. They turned out gorgeous 

Needed:

Terra Cotta pot

Acrylic paint: regular or outdoor (I use the regular that way they age nicely)

White crayon

1. Remove all stickers and adhesive from the pots. If the pot has been previously used make sure it's been rinsed of all debris. 

 2. With the flat side, run the crayon around the edges and on part of the surfaces. I added small clusters of small dots or dashes.  You can add shapes, phrases or designs. The more crayon you add the more the white/clay color will show through. 

3. Paint a thin coat of paint to the outside and inside of the pot in your desired color.  For the sake of time and paint, I just painted the inside of the pot half way down. Let dry

-For best results painting, try not to paint from side to side, keep the brush strokes going up and down as much as possible. 

-Use a small amount of paint on the brush at first, for a thinner coat.  The thicker the coat of paint, the harder and less it wipes off. 

4. Once dry, using a slightly damp rag, gently rub the paint off in the areas where you had applied the crayon. The harder and wetter the rag is the more the paint will come off. If for some reason you rub off more paint than you would like, just apply another thin coat, let dry and start again. 

5. Optional: For second color (which is what I did)- apply the crayon again, in the same areas and also in different spots than before. Use the crayon more this time, to make sure that the original color and base color show through. 

6. Paint on the second color the same as before and let dry. Then wipe off paint like you did in step 4. 

Lime green base and a pale yellow topcoat. 

Purple base and teal blue topcoat. 

Pink base and teal blue topcoat.

Kid Crafts: Painting with Toilet Paper

      Lately the toilet paper roll has been getting a lot of press in the craft world. So today I thought we would have fun with toilet paper. Why should the roll get all the attention, when the paper is what does all the hard work.

      Since Spring is around the corner, we tried to keep with a Spring and Easter theme. 

Needed: 

Acrylic paint 

Glue

Water 

Toilet paper 

Paper plate or card stock

Scissors

Twine or yarn

Optional: glitter glue 

1. Cut out shapes from the paper plates. The plates gives it the added support needed from the weight of the paper. We did an Easter egg, leaf, cross and the outer edge or the plate for a wreath. 

2. In small containers mix equal parts of glue and paint and then add water till it gets watery. ( It doesn't take that much, just depends on how thick your paint is)

3. Using small pieces of toilet paper, paint the plate cut outs.  This is were it gets messy. They liked the added texture that the  paper gave it. So experiment with the color and texture.  They added some glitter glue after they finished with the paper. 

4. Let dry and then using hole punch or tip of scissors, punch a hole at the top. Cut a piece of string to size and tie it through the hole.  

Hang your new Spring art some where were everyone can see the kids beautiful messy fun. 

As always I love to hear from my readers. So please let me know how this worked for you. 

Kid Craft: Coffee Filter Shamrocks

St. Patrick's Day is something we have fun with at our house. So to add a little green around the house we are making shamrocks. Over the Christmas break I found a new interest in coffee filters. I keep finding myself coming up with new things to do with them. So here's my coffee filter spin for shamrocks.

Needed:

• Green, yellow and blue food coloring 
• Small paint brush
• Coffee filters 
• Small pan or container (to contain the dye)
• Tacky glue
• Sticks from outside or store

Steps: 

1. Cut shamrocks out of the coffee filters. I did multiple ones at a time.  

2. In three separate container add:  2 tbsp of water in each container. 

• 1st container: 7 drops of green
• 2nd container: 4 drops green and 3 yellow
• 3rd container: 4 drops green and 2 blue

3. Using a small brush, paint the coffee filters the 3 different colors inside the pan. Let dry

4. Cut two small slits into the center of the shamrock.

5. Two at a time insert the the tip of the stick through the two holes.  Add a drop of glue to hold them together and to the stick.

Then your finished. Put into vase to display the flare.

I love to hear from my readers so let me know how this worked for you.