We are delighted to have the blogger behind So You Think You Can Mom? posting for us today – enjoy!
My name is Jasmine and after a decade of working behind a desk in the mortgage industry, I am now working for my family as a stay at home mother of 3 incredibly active and insatiably hungry children. Making life work on a single income isn’t always easy, but finding exciting and affordable ways to entertain my children is. When the temperature outside reaches the triple digits, as it often does in the San Fernando Valley, I have to come up with fun indoor activities to keep the kids busy while staying cool.
Today my kids wanted to make something special for Dad to celebrate his 35th birthday next week. They decided to paint a masterpiece and frame their artwork in homemade picture frames. My kids love crafts time. They put on their smocks and selected the items they wanted to use to decorate their picture frames.
The supplies needed:
-crayola paint
-construction paper
-paint brushes
-glue
-popsicle sticks
-foam sheets
-decorations of choice (sequins, rhinestones, stickers, pom balls, buttons, glitter, etc.)
-scissors
The kids started off by painting a special picture for their Dad. In the beginning it looked like trees and stick figures, then they decided to go abstract! I set the pictures aside to dry while we started working on the frames. I took a rectangle foam sheet and cut a rectangle out of the middle leaving it to look like a frame. Then my kids decorated their frames with sequins, pom balls, glitter and jewels. The finished product came out great! I think Dad will really like them.
Crafts are a wonderful way of getting your children to sit down and use their imaginations to create something personal and original. We try to set time aside for crafts at least once every other week. You can find all sorts of eco-friendly crafts items made from recycled goods at your local arts & crafts store.
Bio: Jasmine Forte is a Wife and SAHM of 3. She is the blogger behind So You Think You Can Mom? and writes about Family Fun, Travel, Toys, Reviews & Giveaways.
Sprig Toys 
Great post, Jasmine. Thanks for the photos!
Posted by Lian Dolan | July 13, 2011, 8:14 pmSuch a cute birthday gift idea for kids to make! Your husband is going to love those pictures 🙂
Posted by Kirsten | July 13, 2011, 8:46 pmWe always did loads of crafts. The mess was worth it. My youngest is 12 now and she’s moved on from arts and crafts to cooking up an amazing array of delicacies in the kitchen. I think the creativity of glue and glitter has led to a love of spices and herbs.
Thanks for sharing the adorable snaps of your kids.
Posted by Deborah Stambler | July 13, 2011, 9:05 pmVery cute idea Jasmine! How did dad like them?
Posted by Desiree Eaglin | July 14, 2011, 7:44 amYour kids are adorable and so is the craft!
Posted by Cheryl @ Mommypants | July 14, 2011, 9:01 amWhat a priceless gift! Love the post & crafting idea.
Posted by Tech.Food.Life. | July 14, 2011, 3:38 pmThanks for all of your kind words! Dad loved them and took them to work so all his coworkers could see them!
Posted by Jasmine Forte | July 14, 2011, 3:49 pmWonderful idea! Arts & Crafts projects, my little one is 6 and he likes to do projects not everyday, but just like you said it’s a good idea to get into the habit to do it every so often. Thanks for your ideas! I’m always looking for ideas and this one is a great one 🙂
Posted by CB | July 14, 2011, 5:09 pm