Lex’s class is having a Valentine’s day party. The teachers explicitly asked us to make valentines and not buy them. While I understand the idea behind it, I’m a little conflicted. My kids paint and draw and color a lot. I’m already wading through a pile of toddler-preschool “art.” Of course, I think that my kids are miniature Jackson Pollacks in training and treasure every little they make.

But if I’m going to be totally honest, most of the time I chuck their “art.” I see years of therapy in my kids future after that earth shattering revelation. Nondescript squiggles that they stopped drawing 3 seconds after they picked up the marker? Toss!

I really wasn’t keen on the idea of thrusting more kid “art” onto the parents of Lex’s schoolmates. Because, unless these homemade Valentines look like something I really want hanging on my walls, into the recycle bin they will go.

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I haven’t had much time for crafting lately and I’m totally bummed about it. But with the weather getting color and the days getting shorter, the kids and I are spending more time indoors. Indoor time has to have some structure or the kids and I will drive each other insane. With their playing and attempting to destroy the house. Me with my crazy rules about not beating the crap out of each other and keeping the house standing.

I love fall. The crisp air, the heavier food, the snuggling, and of course the beautiful leaves. I take the kids on walks and we collect the leaves. And rocks and acorns and whatever else Lex can smuggle into his pockets. Makes laundry interesting. This was the latest find. Beautiful.

Meg did a lovely post on watercolor leaves. She mentions that the leaves feel similar to coffee filters. Which is wonderful for me because we have a huge supply of coffee filters. We don’t drink coffee and keep them around for guests. I think I bought a pack of 200 filters 3 years ago and there’s still more than half left. I cut leaf shapes out of the coffee filters.

The best part about the craft is the leaves don’t have to be perfect. Which is good, because Lex keeps insisting that one looks more like a bell than a leaf. But whatever kid, I don’t have to explain my art to you.

I wanted the watercolor paint saturated with color. Instead of using the dull watercolors that come in those prepackages, I mixed water with food coloring. In leftover paper Halloween cups.

Lex didn’t seem to mind. I tried to let Thalia in on some of the action, but she was more interested in sucking the colored water off the brushes.

When he finished painting all 31 leaves, I taped them to some string and hung them from archways. The definitely add a festive fall atmosphere. And Lex loves pointing out that he painted the leaves.

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I love paint chips. A bazillion colors and more projects than time. Also? Free! And the stores don’t stop you if you walk in and grab handfuls of the same color and walk out without actually buying anything.

I wanted to make a banner for Lex’s birthday. It needed it to be multi-colored to match his cupcakes. And there needed to be a Thomas train somewhere on there. Because that kid loves his Thomas.

He even got Thalia hooked on the train. When she sees a train, she points excitedly and says “Choo-choo!”  It’s adorable and totally worth interrupting my paint chip post for.

Anyways, the banner! I made it out of paint chips and precut vinyl letters. If I had enough time, I would have cut the letters out and backed each cutout paint chip letter in a contrasting color. But this lazy way works just as well. And honestly, the kid does not care. A hole puncher and some yarn to hang it = instant party festivities.

The Thomas trains and stars are actually napkins. I like that I can reuse this banner, just change out the year (obviously) and the Thomas trains with whatever obsession is next in line. I hope it isn’t creepy Elmo. Please let it be Harry Potter or Legos.

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