Seashells Crafts
Seashells Crafts
Crafts For Fostering Creativity in Children
Children love to experience the joy of making something that did not exist before they put their hands on it. Quite typically after creating their object of beauty they will turn around and give it away immediately to their teacher, parent or friend. Children instinctively know that the best gifts come from their hearts, and they put their hearts in every craft, a product of their creative minds and hands.
Playing is a child's job, and creativity begins with a playful mindset. Teachers and parents only need to provide few materials and be careful not to do anything to discourage creativity. Some basic examples of craft products everyone should have are crayons, markers, paints, colored paper, clay-like products, scissors and glue. Over time some other products can be added to one's crafting collection like feathers, wiggly eyes, pom poms, beads, yarn and other fiber products, stickers, glitter, pipe cleaners, craft foam sheets and cutouts.
Craft supplies do not need to be restricted to things you buy at the craft store. Think toothpicks, cotton swabs, aluminum foil, new coffee filter papers, paper plates, styrofoam cups, tissues, and gift wrap. Go outdoors and gather leaves, pretty rocks, flowers, seashells, or seed pods. Crafting for kids is also great opportunity to recycle in the home. Think paper towel tubes, baby food jars, metal cans, cereal and cracker boxes, plastic soda bottles, and newspapers. Even junk mail can sometimes yield free stickers or other interesting items. Clothing that is too worn out to give to the local charity can be harvested for buttons, appliques, and cut up for fabric pieces.
Creative crafting can go to the kitchen, too. Remember gingerbread men and gingerbread houses? You can start there, but let your imagination stretch to new culinary horizons. Start with a new "artist's canvas" like giant sugar cookies, pancakes, toasted bread, or even a bowl of oatmeal. For your "artist's palette" give your child a choice of nuts, peanuts, cereal pieces, raisins, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, or chopped apple. Occasionally include a few treats like candy sprinkles, chocolate chips, icing in tubes, cinnamon sugar, and small candies such as gummies or candy-coated chocolates. Now that you have the materials, assemble animals, draw a face, write a name, or just allow the child to create whatever masterpiece comes to mind. Of course, you are not restricted to sweet treats in the kitchen. You can do the same kind of thing with pizza and pizza-type ingredients, for instance.
Some children are absolutely creative wizards. Show them a few supplies, and in moments they are in their element. Others may sometimes need a few ideas to get them rolling. You can start with a ready-made craft kit or an idea from a children's magazine or website. If the end result does not look like the picture, that is fine. Think of the picture as a suggestion only. For creativity's sake, abandoning the picture is probably a good thing. Sometimes the parent can help get things moving with a few ideas to prime creative juices. For example, start with the child's handprint. Lay the child's hand on a sheet of paper, spread their fingers, and trace around the entire hand. See how many different things you and the child can make from this beginning. Add embellishments to make a turkey, a face with kinky hair with fingers up, or a face with a beard with fingers down. Make animals, flowers, aliens, or monsters. Next time, begin with a footprint.
Encourage your child in their creative craftings. Many educational experts have affirmed that creative outlets are great for a child's cognitive development and more. However supported some things are by research, numbers or study, we still know certain things as a matter of experience. Children love to be creative. Here is a quote by Dieter F Uchtdorf: "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."
About the Author
Michelle Patelle, writer, mother and homemaker, invites you to visit springcoloringpages.org, summercoloringpages.org, and christiancoloringpages.org. Coloring pages can be a component of creative crafting.
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Stained Glass Art, Craft and Pricing
Stained Glass is about creativity that is pure excitement, passion and yes fun satisfaction. It happens when you least expect it for some it happens while staying at a cottage at the beach. The salty air, seashells and interesting things lying on the beach spark creativity. Stained Glass art and craft is born every day in the souls of those in need to make something.
Creativity equals satisfaction. Creativity must be affordable and accessible to everyone.
Stained glass art is a passion yet at the same time a medium that people are drawn in by its textures, light and infinite colors. It is different from drawing, pottery, and other forms of art yet it fuses all other mediums to come up with a new way of viewing our world.
Sadly, many people who attend craft shows think of stained glass as a decorative craft. Often I will tell an acquaintance that I own a stained glass business and they automatically ask me if I could make them a sun catcher, lampshade, or maybe a sidelight. Most people don’t understand the cost of glass, foil, came and solder, not to mention the patina and use of tools and time.
Most who walk into Wal-Mart can find a stained glass lamp for $20. The problem is that they probably purchased something made in China and sadly made by someone who earned pennies just so big Wal-Mart could profit off of slave wages. Another concern is that due to a profit margin most who makes stained glass lamps or sun catchers must cut corners in the types of materials and the amount of materials they use.
It was mentioned recently by a stained glass artist in Roanoke, Virginia that they’ve been commissioned to fix stained glass pieces made in China and noticed that the pieces weren’t properly soldered. It comes down to that you get what you pay for.
Another strong association for many of us is religious art in church windows. These are all appealing and appropriate uses of stained glass, although lately I’ve noticed churches in Roanoke using opaque glass as opposed to translucent. It’s not a design just some pretty glass they thought they would hang.
It is exciting seeing contemporary stained glass art. Stained glass as a hobby is easy to learn, and it isn’t hard on the hands and lastly don’t take as long as say knitting. It’s a great hobby for retirement communities, home schooled children and aftercare programs. I’ve actually made stained glass panels with 10 children ages 9-13.
Like a painter, I explore light, color and texture. Like a sculptor, I create pieces that are both 3-dimensional in reality and also give the viewer a 3-dimensional illusion; and they are tactile - at a recent show, nearly everyone who stopped to look at my windows also touched them and felt the contours. Most people love glass, and are fascinated by its transparency or translucence, and the way it toys with light. Colors and textures float in it as though in free space, and shift with changes in the light source as though alive.
Most people love glass, and are fascinated by its transparency or translucence, and the way it toys with light. Colors and textures float in it as though in free space, and shift with changes in the light source as though alive.
Stained glass is often called an architectural art form, because it is usually a part of a building. However, the work can serve two distinct functions within the architectural setting. Some work is architectural in design, comprising abstract or geometrical features that are continuous with or reflect lines and shapes in other components of the building, or maybe modify the look of the world beyond the window. It is part of the architect's try and creates a new place. The connection that the window in the wall of the building is not seen as a connection between outside and inside, but as a frame for art and the daylight is used to bring the image to life.
Glass of different degrees of transparency is used so objects or what is beyond the window may be visible through it. They become part of the work - dynamic because they are subject to different lighting conditions.
Stained Glass is enjoyable for those to look at its beauty, and miracle that the everyday person can make. So go out and get some glass and make something you don’t have to hang on your refrigerator but in your window.
See the world through light!
About the Author
Lori Rehfeldt is a stained glass artist and owner of www.stainedglassa2z.com and stained glass artist at the community school in Roanoke, VA.
