ORC Week 4: Mommy and Me Art Projects

Well here we are at Week 4 of our Nantucket Nursery One Room Challenge… and my project list still didn’t go quite as planned.

A quick update: We have decided to nix the Ikea dresser hack since stores are still closed due to Covid-19 and shipping is wayyyy too much $$$. Instead, I started refinishing the existing dresser in there. Similar, but a little different! We’ve had a bunch of rain here in Charleston, so I haven’t been able to get outside to finish – should have it finished by next week! I ordered our custom patterned crib sheet, but it is also delayed due to…. Covid. {insert palm to face emoji}

My original, well-thought-out plan of layering the room in a predictable and appropriate order each week has not panned out at all. But, in an effort not to lose traction I’ve kept going with a couple easy and practically free art projects. Best part – my three year old helped me make them for Baby Sister’s room!

Mommy and Me Art

When I had the revelation that my days as a maker were just getting started, I knew part of that was weaving my creative passions into our day to day. It was important that I make my son a part of the process. From holiday decor to gifts to art for our own home, I love inviting my little guy into my projects – our projects.

With Baby Sister on the way, I thought helping with small art pieces for her room would be a great way to get Big Brother involved… and maybe even excited!

The criteria: Easy, affordable, 3 year old friendly – but not look easy, affordable or like a 3 year old made it 😉 These two projects check all the boxes!

Faux Abalone Shell Frame with Paint Swatches

We installed board and batten as the first step to our BHG One Room Challenge. My job was choosing the perfect white – there are SOOOOOO many shades of white! I grabbed what felt like 20 swatches of the same color snd brought them home to see they were all vastly different.

Inspiration struck as I saw the swatches layered on each other, so I tucked them in a drawer for a rainy day.

Today was a very rainy day!

I love the subtle coastal vibe of my faux abalone shell frame. Can’t wait to add a picture of Big Brother and Baby Sister soon!

Cost: $1

Materials: Wood Frame with flat front, various shades of white paint swatches, scissors, glue, clear sealer

1. Cut your paint swatches into 1/2″ squares. I opted for a knife and straight edge to do this, but you could use scissors – or a Cricut machine! They don’t have to be perfect, but you’ll want them as close to square and equal size as possible.

2. Using good ole Elmer’s School Glue, attach the squares to the frame as randomly as possible. This is where kids are a great help – they don’t over think it! Go all the way to the edges – overhang is okay.

Try to keep your squares inline, but a little spacing is okay and adds to the natural shell look.

3. Let dry fully. Flip over and cut the excess from around the frame.

4. Spray with a clear sealer to add shine!

Notes: If I were to do this again (which I plan to for a different type of frame!) I would use Mod Podge and a foam brush. Let the Mod Podge act as a grout of sorts and add a layer on top as well. The paint chips are thick enough that they won’t curl.

Also, I will work in full vertical lines all the way across. I went around the frame and had a few issues where squares didn’t line up exactly when I met the starting point.

In the end, I still love it! I wasn’t going for perfect – as with most my projects, I just wing it. But those two tips will yield even better results!

No Mess Acrylic Painting for Kids

It’s no secret that I love to paint. My little guy loves to get involved by “helping” me arrange canvases and brushes and pick out my next tube of color. It’s ALWAYS the purple one. We’ve tried a lot of painting projects too. At 3 years old, he isn’t super into sitting at the table for longer than 10 minutes for a project. I’ve had to get creative with our painting method so he is able to finish projects in that time frame.

And I won’t lie – I’m a mom who LOVES her kiddos artwork, but I don’t want our home looking like a preschool classroom. We choose projects based on where and if they will fit into our home. I’m not saying perfect or looks store bought, just coordinating.

When we started our speech therapy journey 18 months ago, I learned that we also had some sensory issues on our hands. (First time mom here didn’t know there was even such a thing as sensory issues!) So the remedy as presented by our therapist was to present him as many opportunities as possible to explore different textures.

We found a winner!

Mess Free Acrylic Painting for Toddlers, Sensory Activity

Cost: price of a small canvas, $1-3

Materials: 8×10 or smaller canvas, acrylic paint, gallon zip bag, small cups for paint mixing (optional)

1. Add dots or lines of paint to the canvas in various but coordinating colors. I mixed a few to get better blending and added a tablespoon of water to help them flow. I usually let him lead this part, but for this painting I wanted to get as much ocean action as possible and guided our paint placement.

Artist quality paints work best because they are thicker. If you only have craft paint on hand – it will still work! I just suggest painting the canvas first as a primer.

2. Carefully place the canvas in the bag and seal tightly.

3. Now the fun starts! Push, smush and smear the paint all around. It feels like they’re making a mess – but there’s NO MESS!

Sidenote about Sensory Play

When we first started these paintings, we had a huge sensory aversion. It was way too much for him to feel the paint squish. So, we used other objects – rolling pins, the wheels of cars or he would guide my fingers. As he saw the results of our work, we slowly but surely wanted to get a little more hands on.

Parents, if your kiddo has any sensory issues, just be patient and persistent! It is so hard to understand how things can affect them so significantly. (i.e. PlayDoh would literally make him dry heave!) Start on their level and take baby baby baby steps. Our therapist explained that their tolerance actually starts with their feet. Once they can stand the feel on their feet, they’ll be more willing to try with their hands.

Now back to the instructions!

4. Help make sure the entire canvas has been covered.

5. Carefully remove from the bag. Open the bag fully, before pulling out the canvas. Otherwise you’ll just smear your masterpiece!

6. Let dry on top of the bag or piece of wax paper – there will probably be paint on the underside!

7. I finished ours with a quick coat of clear varnish (same as above). Brings out all the colors and adds a professional sheen!

Just Let Go!

The hardest part of this painting method is letting go of control. You never really know how it’s going to turn out. And I’m pretty sure that’s part of the beauty of it.

It’s a lot like life. We know the pieces to our story and we see where they start. But with each passing day the individual pieces (people, places, passions, work, etc.) start to move and overlap. And when we let God work in our lives to connect and weave those pieces – something beautiful emerges. A masterpiece. The Master’s Piece. Each of us.

Next Steps for the One Room Challenge

I have several work in progress projects. Refinishing the dresser, adding a painted pattern to our drop cloth curtains and building a footstool. Excited to share those updates and tutorials soon! 4 weeks to go in the ORC. 8 weeks until Baby Girl arrives!