Things to Make and Do, Crafts and Activities for Kids - The Crafty Crow

Have You Tried Book Spine Poetry?

If you are looking for a great way to introduce poetry to
children take a look at this spine poetry idea at What Do
We Do All Day. Fun for all ages and adults too!

Book and Activity Advent Day 4: Snowy Woods Art and Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

I created the Book and Activity Advent on my other blog, Bella Dia,
in 2007 - hard to believe it was that long ago! Anyway, I thought
it was time for an update, so throughout the advent this year you
will see some new books and project ideas but the original
ones will still be available too. 


Book: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
and illustrated by Susan Jeffers 
Activity: Stopping By Woods Art Project

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening is the first new book of the
advent and I had a lot of fun creating an art project to go along with
it. Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening is of course one of Robert
Frost's most well-known poems and his beautiful words are brought
to life with the gentle illustrations of Susan Jeffers.


I may get tired of the snow and ice, but I never get tired of watching
it snow. I believe it's one of the most magical gifts nature has to offer
and Mr. Frost captures that so eloquently. Learn more about Robert
Frost here and about the illustrator Susan Jeffers here. 


If you have the opportunity to go for a walk in snow covered woods
then that would be great inspiration for this project, but you can also
look at photos on the internet along with the art in the book.

I took the close-up view; standing in the woods you don't always see
the tree in full, merely the trunks layered one after another. In the
project, you'll notice that the bottom of the trees are staggered while
the tops go fully to the top of the card. 

I created two versions, one for younger kids and one for older kids and
adults. The younger version uses black acrylic paint while the older one
uses India ink. It's a great project to do as a family and I think they
would make beautiful homemade greeting cards too! 

Stopping By Woods Art Project Tutorial 


Supplies: 
• gray cardboard cut in rectangles (mine are 4" x 5½") 
• black acrylic paint and/or black India ink (and an eyedropper
if your ink doesn't come with one)
• white acrylic paint
• painter's tape
• scissors
• stiff paint brush  
• soft paint brush
• toothpicks
• cardboard box to do the splatter paint in 
• newspaper or such to cover your work space and
paper towels or rags for messes


Step 1: Tape the cardboard down to your covered surface; cover
about ½" of the edge. Creating this mat around the edge adds
a bit of sophistication to any art plus it holds it in place. 

Younger Version With Acrylic Paint 

Step 2: Squeeze out a small amount of paint in a jar lid or similar, and
paint vertical lines (tree trunks) with the stiff paint brush. The bottoms
should be staggered but the tops should go up to the tape line. Don't
worry about making a solid black line, it looks better with some of the
background coming through. Emphasize that the trees that are closer
to the viewer appear wider than the trees that are further away.
Let dry. 

Older Version With India Ink 

Step 2:  Apply the India ink with an eyedropper. Use it to make
straight vertical lines to represent the tree trunks. Stagger the
bottoms of the trees while the tops should meet the tape line or
go past it. Trees that are closer should be wider than the trees
that are further away. 


Step 2a: Use a toothpick to drag around the ink to create a more
textured tree trunk. The ink will thicken as it drys and the toothpick
will ultimately be removing some of the ink. Keep a paper towel in
your hand to wipe off the excess ink from your toothpick. It's a bit
like scratch art with less scratching! Let dry. The ink will be shiny
and have a slight raised texture when it's dried.


Step 3 for both versions: 
Remove the art, including the tape, from your surface and
put it in the bottom of your cardboard box for splatter painting. 

Squeeze some white paint in a small dish and add a bit of water.
Use the soft paint brush for splattering. The paint should hold
on your brush but flick off easily. 

Start splattering paint onto your tree trunks. Hold the brush and gently
tap it with your other fingers. You can decide how long you want
to "watch the woods fill up with snow"!


Step 3a: You can add more snow at the bottom, if you like,
either while it's in the box, or remove it, and put it
back on your covered surface.

Let it dry. If you're in a hurry, use a hair dryer. 


Now the best part (you know it is!) - gently pull up the tape!

This is the acrylic paint version all finished... 

...and this is the India ink version. I love the texture of the India ink!


If you like this project I hope you'll share it on
your favorite social media channels!

The original post for Day 4 of the Book and Activity Advent featuring
The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco and tissue paper
silhouette ornaments can be found here. 

*This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the
links I will receive a small commission without it costing you anything.
Win win! I only recommend products that I like and think that you will
like too. Thank you for your support!

Word Play

pebble alphabet magnets
Playful Learning


blackout poems
Doubletakes


magnetic poetry cookies
The Decorated Cookie


word collage
Whimsy Love


favorite words banner
Our Hartbeat


letter sticks
Kids Craft Weekly


word flip chart
Having Fun At Home


duplo words
Filth Wizardry

Starry, Starry Night: Constellations, Van Gogh, Discovering the Night Sky

homemade star maps :: Ordinary Life Magic

constellation viewer :: Summer Sky

constellation painting :: Blissful Kids

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight.

night sky painting :: Incredibleart.org

Van Gogh's Starry Night lesson :: Art Projects For Kids

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

starlights :: All The Little Things

free monthly sky maps to print :: Skymaps
via All The Little Things

constellation patterns to print :: Space at About.com

(photo is the property of Roberto Mura used with permission)

Learn to identify 3 constellations, 2 stars,
and a planet with this fun online
activity at Quiet Bay.

Book Recommendations:

Find the Constellations
by H.A.Rey

The Stars
by H.A.Rey

365 Starry Nights
by Chet Raymo

A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
by Michael Driscoll

What Are Little Girls Made Of?

love bug :: Katherine Marie Photography

What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And everything nice
That's what little girls are made of.

newspaper crowns :: Whimsy Love

petite tissue paper flowers :: Zakka Life

pretty flower headband :: 4 Crazy Kings

fairy princess Muffin Tin Monday :: Casa Camacho

super heroine mask :: Hazelnuts

just-add-water watercolors :: Inspired Ideas

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

dog portrait :: Deep Space Sparkle

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

snail science experiment :: Katie Did

bowline knot :: Fun In The Making

snail collage :: No Time For Flashcards

froggy jello :: Hearthstone House

glue resist dinosaur :: That Artist Woman

play mat :: Tangarang

Hey, Diddle, Diddle

Hey, diddle, diddle,


The cat and the fiddle,


The cow jumped over the moon.


The little dog laughed
To see such sport,


And the dish ran away with the spoon.

cat :: Art Projects For Kids
fiddle (guitar) :: Katherine Marie Photography
cow :: Deep Space Sparkle
dog :: Art In English
dish, spoon & friends :: Cakies
mytqbmfa6k

Muddy Fun!

mud bricks :: All The Little Things


mud creatures :: 5 Orange Potatoes


mud pies :: Freeflowing Ways


Mud is very nice to feel
All squishy-squash between the toes!
I'd rather wade in wiggly mud
Than smell a yellow rose.
Nobody else but the rosebush knows
How nice mud feels
Between the toes.
~Polly Chase Boyden

Suggested reading:


Mud Pies and Other Recipes: A Cookbook for Dolls


I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature


Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud

Q is for...

Queen Of Hearts :: Nursery Rhymes


quiche :: Berlin's Whimsy


quilt :: Sewing School


quill pen :: The Crafty Classroom


quail :: Enchanted Learning

P is for...

pink pig :: Preschool Playbook


Picasso portrait :: Deep Space Sparkle


poetry :: se7en


peach :: Activity Village


pirate :: Kaboose


peacock :: Activity Village


pyramid :: Periwinkles And Pine


Princess And The Pea :: SurLaLune Fairy Tales

J is for...

 
jewelry :: By Little Hands


jack-in-the-box :: Homeschool Creations

What do you get when you cross a parrot with a centipede?
A walkie talkie!
~
What kind of animal goes OOM?
A cow walking backwards!
~
What happens when a frog’s car breaks down?
He gets toad away.
~
What do you get when you cross a porcupine
with a balloon?
POP!
~
Why did the tomato blush?
Because it saw the salad dressing!
~
Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive here, now let me in!

jokes :: Activity Village

juggling balls :: Pepper Paints


Jack & Jill :: Smart-Central


jellyfish :: About.com


jungle mural :: Crayola


Jack & The Beanstalk :: SurLaLune
Fairy Tales

 
jigsaw puzzle :: The Toymaker

H is for...

horse :: Fem Manuals

handprint hedgehog :: Activity Village

house sandwich :: Hop Skip Jump


Humpty Dumpty :: Little Nummies


haiku :: Nature's Way Learning


hearts :: Our Crafts-N-Things


hopscotch :: Rookie Moms