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Christmas Art Quilt Patterns

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:13:40 +0000

Once you find the right Christmas art, quilt patterns to showcase it generally fall right into place. If this is your first attempt to use art to appliqué a Christmas art quilt pattern, getting started may seem a little overwhelming. It’s really easy when you keep these tips in mind.

First, select simple art. Maybe your first Christmas art quilt pattern design shouldn’t be an intricate scene. Try starting first with a Christmas tree.

A Christmas art quilt pattern that centers on a Christmas tree can be very simple or more intricate, depending on your skill level. It could be as easy as stitching a large green print triangle for the evergreen and a small rectangle for the trunk.

Use your computer’s clip art collection – or your favorite online clip art – for design inspiration. Once you find the Christmas art you want to use for your quilt pattern, print it out and you’ll have your Christmas art.

Once you’ve selected your Christmas art, quilt pattern selection is next. Will you appliqué your Christmas art one large 12-inch squares or incorporate it into another pattern, like a nine patch? Maybe you’ll choose to appliqué your Christmas art onto a large panel in the center of your quilt and border with several blocks of your favorite quilt pattern. It’s up to you!

Maybe the Christmas art you want to incorporate into your quilt pattern is a favorite family Christmas photo. What an exciting way to create a family favorite!

There are a couple of ways to get your photo onto the quilt. I recommend putting the photo on a quilt block prior to piecing. In case something goes awry in the transfer process, it’s much easier to cut another block than to create a whole other quilt!

Photo transferring is easy. The transfer paper is available at most craft stores. If you’ll be printing the photo on darker fabric, make sure to get transfer paper especially formulated for dark fabric. Follow the directions included to create your photo Christmas art quilt pattern.

Another method of transferring photos is through direct to fabric digital printing. It will cost a little more than doing the transfer yourself, but the water-based ink goes straight into the fibers of your cotton fabric. The photo will be soft to the touch because it actually becomes part of the fabric.

Digital printing has long life, which is important if you plan to use the quilt and will need to wash it frequently. Some photo transfers do not last through multiple washings. Call area t-shirt printers to ask if they offer digital garment printing services. Most are screen printers so you’ll have to ask for a digital direct to garment printer that does not use sublimation. Wording your question that way should help you weed through to find a good photo printer for your Christmas art quilt pattern.

If you’re not interested in appliqué, there are several quilt patterns that have Christmas trees, bells, or wreaths pieced into the design. Choosing one of these traditional Christmas quilt patterns would be an easy way to create a holiday family heirloom.

If you chose to piece a Christmas art quilt pattern like that, appliqué wouldn’t be necessary. To add your own flair to the traditional pieced tree pattern, you could embellish the trees with buttons, iron on rhinestones, rick-rack garland, etc.

Once you have completed your Christmas art quilt pattern, don’t forget to sign and date the quilt. Use a fabric marker to sign your name and date the quilt. You may also choose to use simple embroidery to stitch your name and date into the quilt. Remember, your creation won’t be complete without your name and the date on which it was completed!

By: Penny Halgren

Kids’ Art – Making Halloween Spider Webs

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:36:02 +0000

Here’s a Halloween art project to do with your toddler or preschooler. It’s very easy and it looks great around the house.

Here’s what you need:

-8.5″ x 11″ black construction paper

-white tempera or kids’ washable paint

-a plastic bin

-4 marbles

-scissors

-stapler

Your child can help with cutting and gluing, depending on her skill level.

Here’s what to do:

Using a sheet of black construction paper, cut out the shape of a spider web. An easy way to do this is to cut out a large circle, then put a dot in the N, S, E, and W positions. Put one more dot between each of these dots so that you end up with eight equally spaced marks along the border. Now cut sagging loops between each of the marks and you have the basic shape of a spider web

Now, place your construction paper cut-out in the bin. Put a small line of white tempera paint at various places within the bin.

Place the 4 marbles in the bin.

Allow your child to tilt the bin in different directions. This will cause the marbles to roll through the paint and make white lines across the black construction paper. Now you have a spider web with white silky lines.

Allow the spider web to dry for at least 30 minutes.

For a spider, simply cut a small circle out of the black construction paper. Cut the legs out and staple or glue them on. For eyes, glue on white circles with a black dot not exactly in the middle. The off center pupil gives the spider a kid-friendly silly look. Glue or staple the spider to the spider web.

Repeat the steps for more spider webs to decorate the house!

By: Anthony Vecchioni

Canvas Art Project Ideas For Kids

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:22:32 +0000

Ah, the lazy days of summer. A time to relax, rejuvenate and unwind before the craziness of another school year descends upon us. Unfortunately, the peace and quiet that summer offers is often short-lived, soon to be replaced with the all-too-familiar, “I’m boooorreeed…I don’t have ANYTHING to dooooo!” What’s a mom to do in order to keep that battle cry to a minimum? The answer comes in two simple words that offer a multitude of options – canvas art. With a quick trip to your local craft store you will have everything you need to keep busy minds occupied.

All large craft stores – and some of the discount department stores – sell pre-stretched canvas in a variety of sizes and shapes. The easiest one for little hands to manage is a square piece, usually 12 x 12″. Pick up a few of those, and some of the individual supplies listed below, and you are well on your way to a plethora of projects.

Scrapbook on Your Wall

Before you head to the craft store, allow your child to look through some of your old photographs and choose a few to turn into a scrapbook wall hanging (a possible theme could be a family vacation or special holiday). Paint the canvas in a favorite color of acrylic craft paint and allow it to dry for a few hours. From there you can make it as simple or ornate as you (and your budding artist) wish, adding scrapbook embellishments to their hearts desire. You can even try stenciling, stamping, or hand lettering a title. Glue all the pieces in place with craft clue and viola! A scrapbook page your child can hang on his or her bedroom wall!

Celebrity Collage

If you are the lucky parent of a “tween age” girl you are most likely very familiar with the fan magazines filled with pictures and articles of her favorite stars. When the piles of magazines begin to take over the house, this project offers a great way to eliminate the clutter while allowing your daughter to save pictures of her “faves”. Again, paint the canvas with acrylic paint and allow it to dry. In the mean time, have your daughter cut out pictures of her favorite stars. Use decorative-edged scissors if you have them; if not, a twist of the wrist does nicely! The pictures are then glued onto the canvas, overlapping each other as the artist chooses. Embellish with glitter, jewels, stickers – the possibilities are endless! Finish with decoupage glue in order to seal the project. Your daughter can create a collage of all her “faves”, or individual tributes for each one. They will last a lot longer than individually cut out pictures, and will look much nicer on her wall!

Bas Relief Painting

Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were just a few societies to experiment with this “low relief” form of 3-D painting, and now your budding artist may too! Simply paint the canvas in a favorite color, and then glue lightweight 3-Dimensional objects on the canvas. One option that lends itself easily to this project is a bas relief solar system. Using a sponge, “stamp” paint on the canvas in different shades of blue, and allow it to dry. Cut foam balls of various sizes in half, and paint them to look like planets and moons. When they dry, glue them to your canvas. Your child will have the universe on his wall. Other objects work well with this type of project, including letters (for a monogram piece of art) and small wooden cut outs. Allow your child to create a bas relief masterpiece that is a reflection of him!

Just Paint It

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with just grabbing a canvas and some craft paint (or even finger paint) and going for it! With this option your child can be as abstract as Picasso or as deliberate as Seurat! For the smaller artists in your family, finger paints also work well. Add some sponge shapes for extra, easy, fun. The resulting masterpieces from this option can be a wonderful memory for you to hang on your own wall!

The options mentioned here are just the beginnings of all the possibilities that bloom from a simple, stretched canvas. Try these or create your own, and you’re sure to keep the “nothing to do” battle cry at a minimum this summer!

By: JS Fox

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Handprint and Footprint Art

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:48:11 +0000

While photographs and traditional scrapbooks are wonderful for preserving memories, consider utilizing the most precious of tools for your next project; your child’s hands and feet! Perfect for displaying or inclusion in a scrapbook, you can use your child’s handprint or footprint to create a unique gift and a precious memory for yourself or others who love your child. Unlike a standard print or impression, by turning your child’s print into art you create not only a record of your child’s youth, but also a lovely piece of handmade art that any loved one will be touched to receive.

Here are some tips for creating a quality print:

Use a stiff, sturdy paper. Our favorite is watercolor paper, which is resilient and has an attractive texture. Decide ahead of time what kind of creature or image you’d like to make, and whether it would be best suited for a handprint or a footprint. Use a vibrant, water-based, non-toxic paint or ink for your prints. You may want to do a few trial prints on scrap paper to experiment with getting that perfect print. Always read labels and never use paints or inks on a child that warn against skin contact. Particularly avoid oil-based materials or anything that contains the word “cadmium” in the name. These paints are especially toxic.Four-legged critters such as a horse or dog work best with single handprints. Use four fingers for the ‘legs’, and a pinky or thumb for the ‘tail’.Also consider two-handed designs, such as a butterfly with two hands as the ‘wings’.Your print doesn’t need to always be a critter. Consider a mountain, a tree, a cloud, or even a house or vehicle.

There are several options for embellishing your child’s print to create a work of art. If you have quality photo or art software such as Adobe Photoshop, you can consider scanning in your print and doing all the embellishing on the computer. This has the advantage of allowing for trial an error. You can also make several prints of the same artwork for multiple recipients.

Painting directly on your print is a technique best left to experienced crafters and artists. Most amateurs will be more confident embellishing their print with pieces of cut out paper or other materials that allow experimentation. Lay the pieces out, and adhere with glue once you are satisfied with the result.

As a final touch, label your artwork with a cute phrase, name, and date using a computer or a fine-tip permanent marker.

By: Jennifer Johnson