Adventures in Decorating With Fun Art and Frames

Have a day of art. Everyone can join in. Cover the working area (either a table or floor space) with a drop cloth or newspaper. Have the children draw and paint some pictures. They can draw pretty autumn leaves or their favorite animal. Use items around the house like feathers, buttons, and beads to make collages. Make your own art. Teach the kids about abstracts with finger-paint.

After you are finished creating your fine art pieces, while they are drying take a field trip. Visit local garage sales or thrift shops looking for old frames. If you can get it for a good price do not be afraid to buy a really ugly picture inside a nice frame. Often the frame is worth more than the art it surrounds. Look for ratty and marred frames that can be painted. IKEA sells unfinished frames at inexpensive prices. The goal is to take the picture frames home to paint to make them your own.

Buy pretty mattes for your frames at AC Moore. Make sure that they will fit inside the frames. If your frame is not a standard size then the matte can be trimmed; just make sure you trim all four sides to keep it centered. You also want to confirm that the matte and frame will fit around the artwork in order that it is shown properly.

Bring home your new finds. The artwork should now be dry and ready to frame. Have everyone paint their own frame in a fun color to coordinate with their masterpiece. If you want everyone’s art to coordinate then have each person paint their frame black. On a nice day you can make this an outdoor activity to keep the mess down. Spread out newspaper on the ground or a table. Frames look best when painted in high gloss paint.

Make sure that you teach about the importance of cleaning up after you paint. Teach the children how to clean their brushes. Use the garden hose to keep the cleaning outside.  Make it fun.

Now put the creations inside the mattes and frames. Make a gallery wall of the artwork or hang the kid’s pieces in their bedrooms. The children will be proud every time that someone admires their work. When their friends come over they will want to join in to make their own masterpieces. Spread out the drop cloths. This is a great party activity too.

Crank up the music and teach the kids to never be afraid to dance!

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