Art Tuesday: Easter Garland

 Art Tuesdays kind of fell apart after the holidays, but we've still done some projects here and there.  Spring break was the perfect time to try out some ideas I've been saving up, including this paint chip Easter egg garland from Modern Parents, Messy Kids.  Except their messy kids must be older, or less messy, than mine because that is some smooth cutting at their house. 

 I loved this project because it was:

1 - Not really that messy
2 - Collaborative; ALL THREE girls could do something
3 - Quick

4 - FREE (thank you, Home Depot)

It appealed to each girl in a different way, which is just the best kind of activity.  Ginger has been really working on scissor skills this year, and cutting eggs was just challenging enough without being frustrating.  Hazel is a smooth cutter, and also enjoyed putting the cut-out eggs in numerical order, and helping string them.  Poppy loved all the colored cards, and holding scissors for probably the first time.

 And me?  I liked making a pretty, homemade, seasonal decoration with my girls that I will have no qualms throwing out because we can - and will - just make it again next year.  Or sooner than that - no one ever said egg was the only shape you could do this with.

Paint Chip Easter Garland

What you need:

• An Easter egg cookie cutter or other template
• Sharpie or pencil
• Scissors
• A stack of paint chips (about 3-4 per rainbow color)
• Twine

 We got our paint chips at Home Depot because the Behr ones are nice and wide.  But once we started cutting, I realized something I hadn't noticed at the store (might have had something to do with being in Home Depot with three kids.)  Some of the cards (the medium and dark ones) have FOUR colors; some (the light ones) have THREE.  Most of ours had four - oh, well - but I think the three-ones are better because then you only have one white line going across your egg instead of two.  But it doesn't matter that much.

 What to do:

Trace the egg on the back of the paint chips, making sure it's not where the words are.  I also numbered them before handing them off to the girls for cutting because that makes it easier to put them back in order than eyeballing it. 

 Cut out all the eggs.  Punch two holes in the narrow end of each egg - I had a small heart-shaped hole punch in the Crazy Box - I think a small punch is better than a regular three-hole punch.

 Thread twine or yarn through the holes - I used my baker's twine; MPMK used waxed cotton but I'm not sure what that is - maybe dental floss?  That would work.

Hang it up to show the world!