Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
Every year we plant a backyard garden. We enjoy growing our own tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, peas, onions, broccoli, watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce and several other vegetables. We’re by no means EXPERTS when it comes to gardening and are always trying to improve our skills. This …
Arts and crafts are a great creative outlet for kids. These type’s of activities teach children fine motor skills, how to read, spell, solve problems and to have patience. Crafting doesn’t have to be expensive and your projects don’t need to take a week to …
Last month I was going through my stash of nail polishes and was going to discard the ones that I no longer wanted. Then it dawned on me…don’t trash them…upcycle them! Upcycle them? Yes! They’re perfect for kids who enjoy painting designs on seashells and river rocks! Matter of fact, it’s less messy and easier than a paint brush and acrylic paints!
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I collected 17 bottles of nail polishes and placed them into a shoe box. The next time the kids were over for a play date they got them out and used them to paint seashells and river rocks! This project would be a great one to do with Seniors too. It helps them with their eye-to-hand coordination and gives them a creative outlet to explore.
Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:
– Some polishes have an odor. Make sure they’re painting in a well-ventilated area.
– Put newspaper or an old plastic table cloth down onto your work surface to protect it.
– Make sure your seashells and river rocks are clean and thoroughly dry.
– Shake bottles thoroughly to mix the color before using them.
– Clear polishes or tinted polishes with glitter make nice top coats over a painted design.
– Let one side completely dry before flipping it over to do the other side.
– If they want to make polka dots dip a cotton swab down into the bottle of polish and dot the design onto your surface.
– You can use the polishes to paint the background and use fine-tip Sharpie Markers to add more intricate details.
The grandchildren and 2 nieces had a great time painting their rocks and seashells. It was a great way to keep them busy for almost 2 hours and allowing them to be creative. Plus, it was a great way to use up some of that nail polish that I no longer wanted or used. Yeah! Win-Win for Me!
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My grandson loves animals and spending time at our local zoo. He tells us that he wants to be a vet or zookeeper when he grows up. I think the love for animals teach our children to valuable life lessons. They learn responsibility, love, sharing, …
A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to review some new arts and crafts books that featured Polymer clay projects. You can check out our review on the Clay Play! Whimsical Projects Book and our review on the Clay Play! Jewelry Book right here …
I’ve been crafting since the age of 5 and have shared my love for arts & crafts with my granddaughter. Twice a month she comes over to my house for “crafting dates” and work on projects together. We’ve started these “play dates” when she was 3 1/2 years old and look forward to them. Currently we’re working on clay projects and I’m excited to introduce you to a brand new book titled Clay Play! Animal Favorites by Terry Taylor.
* Complimentary copy received for review. This post contains affiliate links.
Terry Taylor is one of my favorite clay artists! In the past year we’ve featured two other books: Clay Play! 24 Whimsical Projects and Clay Play! Jewelry. You can check out those reviews to learn more about each book. If you enjoy working with modeling clay you’ll want to add those titles to your collection too.
Title: Clay Play! Animal Favorites
Author: Terry Taylor
Publisher: Dover Publications
ISBN: 9780486837918
Synopsis: Full-color illustrations and easy-to-follow directions explain basic techniques as well as every step of the crafting process for 29 clay projects — a sloth, flamingo, narwhal, llama, panda, zebra, unicorn, koala, elephant, and other cute critters. Each project includes a list of materials consisting of colored clay and ordinary household items. The step-by-step instructions feature numerals corresponding to color photos that provide helpful examples. Crafters of all ages will adore these fun-filled projects, which make charming keepsakes and unique gifts.
The projects are broken down into three categories: Animal Favorites, Bird Favorites and Sea Life Favorites. Of course, my favorites are the sea life animals!
Animal Favorites: Unicorn, Poodle, Panda, Llama, Fox, Raccoon, Elephant, Sloth, Koala, Lion, Zebra, Horse.
Bird Favorites: Flamingo, Swan, Owl, Parrot, Toucan, Penguin, Blue Bird, Peacock.
Sea Life Favorites: Frog, Turtle, Octopus, Whale, Dolphin, Shark, Jellyfish, Narwhal, Seahorse.
If you’ve never worked with modeling clay, don’t worry! The author has a section in the book on Tools and Supplies, the Color Wheel and step-by-step instructions/photographs on Polymer Clay Basics. This is one of the easiest crafting mediums to learn!
For the past few weeks the Princess and I have been working on our animals. She’s made a few of them which are sitting on a shelf in her bedroom. I’ve made a few of them and turned them into Christmas tree ornaments and will be hanging them on my tree next year. You can do a lot with your animals once completed: figurines, Christmas ornaments, package ornaments, refrigerator magnets, houseplant pokes, decorate your flower planters, baskets, napkin rings, etc.
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Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win the Clay Play! Animal Favorites book by Terry Taylor from Dover Publications. Good Luck!!!
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on March 21st, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: Shelly received a complimentary product as featured in this blog post. No monetary compensation was received. Shelly’s thoughts and words are 100% her own unbiased opinion on the company & products being featured today. The Two Classy Chics are not responsible for prize shipment or fulfillment. This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item through an affiliate link, we may receive a small commission which helps to support this site.
This week’s Crafting with Kid’s project is easy-to-make and you only need a few supplies to make it. You can whip up several of them in just one afternoon! Once completed they can be displayed on a shelf, add a hanging string and use them …
Valentine’s Day is on February 14th and kids enjoy participating in the unofficial holiday just like the grown-ups. There’s a lot of different things you can do with the kids for Valentine’s Day and here are a few of our personal favorites. Arts and Craft …