ART PROJECTS TO DO AT HOME
While our community is #stayinghometogether, we've put together a few projects you can do at home.
We always post the projects and live streams on our Facebook page, so that's a great place to see all the latest creative inspiration.
Decorate Cupcakes
Tori, our education coordinator, walked us through a few piping tips on Facebook Live. She taught us how to use different tips to decorate cupcakes.
These are fun and easy tricks that are great for beginners!
Paint Daisies
Taylor Johnson led us through the steps to create this daisy scene with acrylic paint.
Follow along with us and paint your own jar of daisies.
Swing Dance
Join Carrie Carr of That Swing Thing as she teaches you the basics of vintage Charleston, the craze that set the whole world dancing in the 1920s.
You don't need a partner for this dance, just a little bit of energy and a willingness to learn.
Create Paper Crafts
If you have construction paper, you are in luck! We found a bunch of cool projects for you to try.
Some of the projects might call for another type of paper, but we think most, if not all, of the projects can be done with construction paper.
Have fun and let us know how it goes!
Spread Hope
Dixie designed a star for the Stars of HOPE digital star program. Join her in creating a design for someone you think needs a little hope right now.
You can download the template here: https://bit.ly/2YZCwRN.
Make a Paper Plate Banjo
It's Wednesday, and today you can join Tori as she makes a paper plate banjo!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Create Paper Plate Crafts
Almost everyone has paper plates!
We gathered a bunch of paper plate projects for you to try: masks, games, interactive art, animals, and just general fun.
Have fun and let us know how it goes!
Make Cloud Dough
It's Art Project Monday, and today you can join Tori as she makes super fluffy play dough!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Draw ANYTHING You See
Back by popular demand! Heather Clements Art joined us for another live stream tutorial.
She revealed an approach to drawing that can help you draw literally anything you see. Through the dispelling of mental blocks, and the building up of right-brain skills, you will realize that you can draw more than you thought and enjoy the process!
Supplies needed: paper, pencil, and eraser is optional.
Here is the link to download the reference image, but promise to never look at it right side up. You must keep the image upside down in order for the exercise to work.
Make Handprint Flowers
This Wednesday, you can follow Tori as she makes handprint flowers. Perfect for Mother's Day!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Create Craft Flowers
Mother's Day is this Sunday! Show her you love her with flowers: craft flowers.
No matter what's around the house, you're bound to have the materials for at least one of these projects.
We hope all the mothers out there have a wonderful day! Thank you for everything you do!
Make a Watermelon Fan
This Art Project Monday, you can join Tori in making a watermelon fan to prepare for the hot summer months ahead.
You can use these same steps to create an orange, watermelon, or any kind of fruit fan. Your imagination's the limit!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Make an Origami Box
Enjoy Art by Sara joined us to give step-by-step instructions on how to create your own origami box with a lid!
You can decorate it and use it as a gift box. It's the perfect tutorial for Mother’s Day or anytime. No box, no problem!
Make Fingerprint Animals
Our Wednesday project is fingerprint animals! How cute!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Create Comic Book Art
In honor of #NationalSuperHeroDay, we created a list of comic book inspired crafts to do with your family!
Make a Coffee Filter Butterfly
Our Monday project is a beautiful butterfly made out of coffee filters!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
How to Draw a Portrait
Leila Shuffler joined us for a tutorial on how to draw realistic, true-to-scale graphite pencil portraits.
If you want to follow along, you will need the following supplies:
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A ruler, a good pencil sharpener, a good quality drawing pad, drawing pencils #2, #4, #6, blending stumps, a sandpaper pad (if possible), a Staedtler or Pentel retractable eraser, and a makeup brush.
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A copy (color, if possible) of the photo on a 8 1/2 x 11” sheet of copy paper or a matte photo paper.
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Then you need to grid a sheet of drawing paper by drawing with a ruler, very light lines in the exact number vertically and horizontally as the original. For example, the original has 10 squares vertically and 8 squares horizontally. Each square needs to be the same size. You can use a #2 pencil to softly grid.
Download the Marilyn Monroe photograph.
Watch Leila lead you through the steps of scaling your paper.
Follow Leila as she leads you through the beginning stages of drawing.
Paint a Koi Fish
Taylor Johnson led us through the steps to create a koi fish scene with acrylic paint.
Follow along with us and paint your own koi fish pond.
Make a Seed Bomb
In celebration of Earth Day, our Wednesday project is a seed bomb that you can create with your family!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Celebrate Earth Day with Art
We created a list of Earth and nature inspired crafts to do with your family on Earth Day—or anytime.
Make a Popsicle Stick Puzzle
Make your own puzzle using popsicle sticks!
Watch Tori lead you through the steps in the video or follow the written instructions. You can download the written instructions here.
Learn How to Juggle
Jason Hedden, the Chair of Visual & Performing Arts, Gulf Coast State College, led a live stream tutorial on how to juggle using items from around your house!
There was a slight internet connection issue, so you can see the end of the tutorial here.
If by the end of the tutorial, you become a successful juggler, please post videos and tag us. We'd love to see them!
And check out our Facebook page every Friday to see a new live stream tutorial.
Create Hand Art
Trying to keep your hands from touching your face? Use them to make art instead!
From fingerpainting and palm art to sock puppets and shadow puppets, this list has something for everyone.
Make a Triceratops Dinosaur
You probably have a few empty toilet paper rolls lying around right now. Why not use them to create an awesome dinosaur or two?
This project will lead you through the steps of creating a diplodocus dinosaur. You can download the template and the written instructions.
Or you can watch the video, where Tori will lead you through the steps!
Make a Diplodacus Dinosaur
Don't want to make a Triceratops dinosaur? Why not make a Diplodocus instead!
This project will lead you through the steps of creating a diplodocus dinosaur. You can download the template and the written instructions.
Or you can watch the video, where Tori will lead you through the steps!
Do an Easter Activity
As we were looking through our art supplies, we found these Easter activity sheets and thought we'd share them with you!
Hopefully they print out well for you. They're quite large, so we had to take a picture of them to post here.
Here are the links to download them:
Write a Children's Book
So you want to write a children's book. Whether you want to do it for fun, self-publish your book, or even find a publishing company. Check out the links below to learn how:
This is a great step-by-step guide that gives you a good general overview of all the steps to follow when writing a children's book.
Here is another step-by-step guide that has great information.
And another step-by-step guide—this one about self-publishing.
And another one that covers both types of publishing.
You can never have too much information. Each guide has slightly different details that can be helpful to you as you decide what kind of book you want to write, how you want to publish and how to get published.
Tips for editing and other tips.
Having trouble finding a theme? Take a look at this list to gain some inspiration.
Need help zeroing in on a character? Take a look at these tips to help you develop your characters.
Just remember that when you write a children's book, you need to know what they look like, but you don't have to use words to describe them because the pictures will do that for you.
Finding the right editor can be the make or break moment for your book. Here's a guide for that.
And, of course, self-publishing is only part of the journey. You still have to market your book. This guide will help you with that.
And here's some miscellaneous information that may help you stand out from the crowd.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Miscellaneous information about publishing the traditional way.
We've talked to so many community members with ideas for children's books. Maybe this is your chance to try it out! If you do, let us know. We do sell local books in our gift shop!
Create a Cartoon Character
Our executive director, Jayson Kretzer, led a drawing tutorial to lead people through the steps of creating their own cartoon or comic book character.
If you follow along and create your own character, we'd love to see it. Just post it and tag us! And check out our Facebook page every Friday to see a new live stream tutorial.
Send Hope to Healthcare Heroes
The Stars of HOPE organization is encouraging people to send love and hope to healthcare workers and here's how you can join in:
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Color it with pretty images and messages of hope
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Post it to Facebook and tag a hospital and us (because we'd love to see it and share it with our audience)
Doing this project will let our healthcare workers (and workers across the country) know that we're thinking of them, AND it's also a great time to discuss how COVID-19 and self-distancing is effecting everyone, and how we can all help.
You can also post stars with messages of hope on your windows to bring hope to your neighborhood, and tag other essential workers who need words of encouragement.
Paint Watercolor Clouds
Olga Guy created this short tutorial for us to show three different ways you can paint clouds with watercolors.
It's a exercise that easy enough for children, but adults will love, too!
Outdoor Art Projects
We created a list of super fun, outdoor art projects to take advantage of our beautiful weather on our Facebook page.
There's everything from squirt gun and catapult art to leaf and land art.
Paper Plate Flower
Paper plates are so versatile! You can make so many different things out of them, you'll probably see them quite a bit on this page in the coming weeks.
For this project all you need are four paper plates, glue or a stapler, scissors, and pate, color pencils, crayons, or markers.
You can also use coffee filters! Gale told us on Facebook that if you use coffee filters and want the bottom layer to be stiffer, mix a little white glue into the bottom layers of coloring medium, or just brush it on after the color dries. She always makes the bottom layer green to represent the leaves, green lightweight floral wire will hold it together and can be the stamen in the middle. Thanks, Gale!
Then, you can download the instructions or follow the video demonstration to learn how to create your own paper bag kite.
Paper Bag Kite
You're probably using paper lunch bags less often now that we're staying at home, so why not turn one into a kite!
You'll need twine, ribbon, or string, a paper lunch bag, a popsicle stick, crepe paper or tissue paper, and something to decorate the bag with—crayons, paint, markers, etc.
Then, download the instructions or follow the video demonstration to learn how to create your own paper bag kite.
Drawing for the Fun of It!
Heather Clements joined us for a live stream tutorial called,"Drawing for the Fun of It!"
She wants to show you that anyone can draw with approachable exercises great for kids and adults of all ages!
Drawing is all about the process, which means she's going to teach you to embrace having fun while you draw. In a few exercises you will let loose and embrace the area outside of your comfort zones.
You'll embrace play and the idea that it doesn't matter what it looks like in the end as long as you have fun creating.
Paint a Galaxy
Taylor Johnson led us through the steps to create a galaxy scene with acrylic paint.
Follow along with us and create your own night sky.
Coffee Doodle Art
Grab some coffee and thick sheet of paper like a mixed media or watercolor paper and get creative!
Splash coffee on the paper, wait for it to dry, then draw whatever comes to mind using the coffee stains as inspiration.
Download the instructions or follow the video demonstration to learn how to create your own coffee doodle pages.
Origami Projects
You can make just about anything with origami—the art of paper folding.
If you don't have origami paper, cut thin paper like wrapping paper into 6 inch-by-6 inch squares to follow the instructions.
You can also use other size squares—as long as the paper is a square, the origami instructions should work!
You can download the written instructions for four projects:
The parajita - a spanish origami bird
You can watch Dixie struggle to make a butterfly in our video, or visit Jona Kashima's YouTube channel to find amazing how-to videos on almost any creation imaginable.
Here are direct links to videos showing how to create the other origami projects we have written instructions for:
The parajita - a spanish origami bird
Painting Underwater Scenes
Joyful Enriquez joined us for a live stream tutorial to show everyone how to paint underwater scenes in oil paint.
Check it out to learn some tips and tricks for a professional painter!
Toilet Paper Roll Projects
So...we hear you have a few toilet paper rolls.
Don't throw them out. Create art instead! We've put together an album of over 50 projects for all ages. There's bound to be something you want to try.
Comic Book Wallet
Grab some old comic books or magazines and create your own wallet with a little bit of packing tape and ingenuity.
Download the instructions or follow the video demonstration to learn how to create a wallet that shows off your personality.
Once you have the basic wallet shape down, try this more complex comic book wallet using two pages.
Giraffe Ornament
So technically, it's a snowman ornament shape, but when the weather got warmer and we still had ornaments left, our education coordinator, Tori, came up with the idea to create different designs within that shape.
Download the handout with the ornament outlines and follow the written instructions or the video to make our own giraffe (or the friendly cactus below).
Cactus Ornament
So technically, it's a snowman ornament shape, but when the weather got warmer and we still had ornaments left, our education coordinator, Tori, came up with the idea to create different designs within that shape.
Download the handout with the ornament outlines and follow the written instructions or the video to make our own friendly cactus (or the giraffe above).