kids and crafts

I have been a room mother in one or the other of my kids' classes for 8 years now.  It's not that I'm that Mom...more that our school is small and the room mother pool is pretty scarce.  Add the fact that I'm also the reluctant Brownie Scout leader and you can see why I've held so dearly to my Martha Stewart Kids magazines.  We've made ornaments from old Christmas cards, crowns from paper plates, and official looking name tags from office supplies. I'm always under budget and take a lot of crap from my friends.  "I can't help it" I tell them "that's just the way I was raised!".

One of my earliest crafting memories is making a purse from a cereal box.  I was not in school yet so I must have been about 5 years old.  We never had any special art supplies around...just your basic crayons, scissors, and glue...and lots of imagination.  The idea of making something from nothing is part of who I am.  When my own kids come home from school and start drawing or making an animal from pipe cleaners, I also know it will be with them when they grow up too.   

As always, Charlotte Lyons has put what I'm trying to say so nicely into words in her recent post about Amanda Soule's "The Creative Family".  I have not seen the book yet but the whole idea behind it makes me happy...crafts and ideas "all within budget, without commercially marketed products. Fabulous, thrifty, home-made fun". 

Comments

[HeidiAnn]

How fun it must be to help children create something from "nothing", or make something out of what otherwise would be discarded!
I have such fond memories of Room Mothers - they actually makes me think of cupcakes! (I don't remember anybody being allergic to anything when I was in school- the good old days back when it was still okay to have treats in the classroom!)

[dana]

I'm with ya on everything from the reluctant room mother thing (others not you or me!), Brownie leaders and the Soule Mama book.

[Julie]

awww... I wanted to be a room mom, but Amelia's school doesn't have those. The teachers have a hired helper! It sounds like so much fun.

The first craft that I remember are the loop potholders that are made on the metal loom. I gave the kit to Amelia when she was 6 and she looked at it like What the heck is this!?! What does the Littlest Pet Shop cat do with this contraption? :)... anyway since then she's actually made a few as gifts and sold one in my Etsy store! Thanks for the memories Julie!

[ArtsyMama]

LOVE the purse out of a cereal box idea. I may have to try that with Chloe sometime:) As I commented on your flickr, I also LOVE my MS Kids magazines. Charlotte's post was fantastic and I also have Amanda's book and am just devouring it. It's fabulous! Love this post. Thanks!
Kari

[Hazel]

Hi Julie,
I only recently came upon your blog and have enjoyed reading your posts. I can really relate to this post.
I used to be a class mum when my daughers were tiny, then became a 'helper' and afterwards a full time learning support assistant, which I loved.
I will be back to visit your blog soon.

[Jennifer]

Hello Julie!
I just stumbled upon your blog, LOVE IT! I too have saved all those MS Kid mags and even the Baby ones she published. They are great to look back on, I am room mother this year for my eight year olds class. Lots of fun.
I will be visiting again!

[tammyCA]

I bought those Martha Stewart Kids & Babies magazines before I even had kids! I have them still & they will be used for ideas. I was elected to be a room mom last year for my preschooler! I was surprised, but I guess a lot of moms didn't want to do it or had jobs. I am crafty so I contribute to whatever they need me to do. I just don't want to be a troop leader in the future. Lol! I'll gladly help out but I'm happier being a wallflower.

[judy]

I love to ask my 2 year old grandson, 'what else could we do with this?' and hear his ideas!

Now, I have to ask, am I the only person who thinks that the soda refrigerator boxes make the coolest ever monster shoes?