Rainbow Creations - Art and Craft for Children - Blog

With Mother's Day not too far away, we realise that many people will be thinking ahead as to what children can give to Mum for Mother's Day this year. We think that handmade gifts are so much more meaningful than an off the shelf purchase, so what better than for children to make something to give. Today we have been making bracelets for Mum using beads which are suitable for any age of child to use, even preschoolers. To personalise the bracelets we used children's alphabet letter beads . We have both smaller letter beads and larger ones for the little children to use. We sell the beads by the letter so that the choice of letter is guaranteed. Also in mixed letter packs . For an individual child, a mixed pack would be fine, but for groups who would require several of the same letter (in this case letters M U and M) the additional packs of single letters are advisable so as not to be disappointed that there are not enough of the letters you need. Bracelets made for...

The very first step in leaning how to crochet is to make a chain of stitches. Although crochet seems easy once learnt, it is surprising how difficult the physical action of making the very first stitches can be having never done it before. So, to practice chain stitch and do more and more chain stitch until it comes naturally, is a good thing that children can do to help themselves to progress further. Children and beginners will find it difficult to follow a pattern or even do a row of single crochet without the ability to hold the yarn at the right tension for it to slide easily through the stitches. The action of the wrist of the hand that holds the hook when making stitches is also something to be acquired. Chain and more chain is the way to go! Here is how to do a slip knot and chain stitch But what can you do with all the lengths of chain once they have been made? Well, simply making them might be enough to satisfy some children. Others might want to see a purpose, not just...

Although this blog post may seem very much like a children's craft tutorial on how to make a bracelet, the purpose behind it is for children to so see that nature can be used creatively as inspiration for their jewellery making and arts and crafts generally. Autumn Leaves for Inspiration Here we made a bracelet that children can make themselves using the same pack of beads as previously used to make the blackberry inspired bracelets here. This time we chose brightly coloured beads which were the same colours as the autumn leaves. We threaded them to make a stretchy bracelet in this manner. DIY bracelet for children to make When learning to create, skills are needed which can be built upon, little by little, in the future. So here is the craft tutorial too! To make this style bracelet you will need a good length of round elastic (approx 1 meter) For children to make a bracelet like this, the holes in the beads must be large enough for the elastic to fit through ...

Today we foraged for blackberries with the intention to collect and print with them. We wanted to experiment with different mediums for children's art in Autumn. Or aim was to reproduce the beautiful colours, textures and shapes found in blackberry bushes in the form of printmaking. First of all we needed to make a background collage of leaves for the blackberries to nestle into and hide between. We could have used some real blackberry leaves but but decided, after looking closely at the shape of the leaves of a blackberry bush we found a leaf in our our bag of mixed type artificial leaves which was so very similar, if not the same. To print the leaves we used the reverse of the leaf as the veins were raised, which meant that the detail would stand out more on the print. The leaf was painted with green paint , brushed on with a chubby paint brush for even coverage of the leaf. Once the paper was covered in leaf prints we decided a second shade of green would loo...

For children to be given the chance to be creative they need space, opportunity, encouragement and assistance. Some adults might shy away from offering this to the children in their care as they feel that they are not creative themselves.  As Henri Matisse said Creativity Takes Courage Rather than fear creativity, see it as a challenge -  a challenge which will benefit both adult and child. If you are feeling I've never been good at making things I wouldn't know where to start I have no imagination I am useless with my hands.......  Some points to think about You can learn together - good for emotional bonding It doesn't have to 'look 'right - there is no right and wrong Experiment - different materials, different approaches, even different moods It is just for fun - no pressure Things you could do to inspire and build your confidence in your own creativity Examine art and design in the small world that you live - look in your home, in catalo...

Simple printmaking can be done at a very young age. Children can print with any objects that has a shape and a relatively flat surface. Potato printing is a traditional method of printing for young children, where by a shape is cut into the surface of half a potato. Other vegetables can be use for their difference in shape. Painting on half of a sheet of paper and then folding the paper over is another method of printing by mirroring the applied paint on the opposite side of the paper. Finger paintings also can be printed - a pool of paint on a slippery surface, such as a tray, can be swirled around and drawn in with the fingers then printed by placing paper over the top and rubbing firmly.   Household objects can be printed with or any thing which had an interesting texture, such as cotton reels, potato mashers, toy cards, cups etc.   Printing with sponge shapes Printing sponges Foam dabbers Foam dabbers make wonderful prints which can be join...

Exploring paint and painting techniques with children - creative painting. Paint Types for Children's Use Water based paint, known as watercolour is available in many forms. Tempera powder paint , ready mixed paint , the liquid form, and block paints are all used with water as their base. Acrylic paint , being produced from acrylic, is generally thicker and more opaque than watercolour. It can also be diluted with water. Oil paint is not an ideal paint for children to use as it takes so long to dry. Experimenting with Painting Techniques When choosing paint for the piece of art work intended, it is important to realise that the end result will be different, depending on your chosen paint The painting technique used will also give a different outcome. A paint brush does not always have to be used. To help foster creativity within children, encourage them to think of all possibilities of materials used and techniques . Our Painting Session on Chinese Art We re...