Create Create Create

How often does your little one want to give away their artwork? Charlotte doesn't know it yet, but she's going to love to color... Over here, we are going to start sending it to all the people in Charlotte's life that love her OH SO MUCH... I wanted to create a little station, just for her... a basket that had all the items she would need, to create a masterpiece. That way, she wouldn't have to ask me for all her "stuff" but would rather just go and create when she felt led to do so (if that ever happens)....

The end goal, is to find some things that your child enjoys using, and make it so it's readily accessible to them. I chose to use crayons and paper, but in a month, I'll probably swap it out with other craft items for her to have fun with. Also, I put everything in jars (so she wouldn't have to struggle with putting crayons in and out of a cardboard box-that always annoyed me as a child) or a basket... items that are super easy to find in thrift shops, or around your house. I actually picked up this basket while we were in Italy (before Ukraine) at a farmer's market.

This Mama wanted to take some durable paper (matte paper-that lasts a long way in the USPS) and make it look "cute"! I sewed some so that it could act as a "frame" for her artwork (for her to color in), and others I embellished with hearts, rainbows, etc. A lot of people are against sewing paper with their machine... I don't mind, because a.)I have an inexpensive machine, and b.) because I think it's just too cute not to.

Little glass mason jars are cute by themselves, but I decided to use some of the scrap fabric I had laying around to tie around the jar. Before doing so, I ripped the edges, to give it a "frayed" look.

Start adding everything to your basket... and voila... you have yourself a "Creative Station"... I would think of a catchy name for this, but really... there's nothing clever in me right now.

This little "creative station" takes up residence on our dining room table now... We have a bench seat for one side of the table that Charlotte LOVES to climb up and down on, and so I strategically placed it in a spot where she often is... a place that's accessible to her. So many Mamas place all the fun crafty items up high in the cupboards so their little ones can't get a hold of it and make a mess of it... but not this Mama... she wants her little one to just create create create.

It totally beats a fresh bouquet of flowers... seriously... I'm trying to fool myself here okay, maybe I miss my fresh flowers on the table... but for now, this is the life I lead...

Then let the "wee" little one create create create... or in Charlotte's case: take the crayons out of the jar... stick the crayons back in the jar... and repeat over and over again.